This is the first California fall color report for autumn. These reports are compiled from first-hand accounts and photographs received from a corps of volunteer color spotters throughout California.
The report will be issued each week from the first week of autumn to Thanksgiving Day. Detailed reports on reporting areas and an interactive map showing the state of color change throughout California can be seen at www.californiafallcolor.com.
The following scale is used to report the overall change of color in reported areas: Just Starting, 0-10%; Patchy, 10-50%; Near Peak, 50-75%; Peak, 75-100%; and Past Peak.
Today’s rainfall provided mixed blessings for fall color watchers. The rain will serve to refresh trees whose leaves have not yet changed color, helping to extend the change of fall color, though high winds from the storm are likely to knock leaves that have already changed color, from branches, pushing areas at peak to past peak.
Fall color began peaking above 8,500 feet in the Eastern Sierra last week. Aspen groves are now at full peak (75–100 percent change) at the highest elevations of Bishop Creek Canyon, west of Bishop, including at: Weir Pond, Table Mountain Camp, Surveyors Meadow, Lake Sabrina, North Lake and the Groves above Cardinal Village.
These high canyon groves are full of red, orange, yellow and lime aspen leaves. Similarly, Mono County’s groves above 8,500 feet are showing peak colors at Rock Creek Lake, the Hilton Lakes and Sherwin Lakes. Many “near peak” (50–75 percent change) areas above 8,000 feet in elevation in both Inyo and Mono County are rapidly approaching peak.
Patchy (10 to 50 percent of change) color is seen at elevations below 8,000 feet throughout the Eastern and Northern Sierra and Shasta Cascade. Southern California’s mountains are showing early color with patchy color in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains and in San Diego County at Mt. Laguna, Julian and Mt. Palomar.
The color has still to develop along California’s coastal areas, though at Elk Meadow in Redwood National and State Parks along the North Coast, the elk rut — a colorful fall mating ritual — is in full display with Roosevelt Elk bulls challenging one another for rights to mate herds of elk cows.
Northern California vineyards in the Napa and Sonoma valleys and the Sierra foothills are reporting patchy color with grape leaves beginning to turn yellow, orange, crimson and burgundy. In past years, vineyards have tended to turn color by grape variety, extending the color viewing through October and into early November.
Eastern Sierra Detail
Inyo County
GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) - Weir Pond (9650ft) - The hillside to the west of the pond is fully turned now with a few aspens giving up for the season. The aspen on the west side of the pond have really progressed quickly making for some exceptional reflection shots with green grass contrasted with gorgeous yellow, orange and touches of red.
GO NOW! – Near Peak (50 – 75%) - Parchers Camp (9260) - Parchers Camp is probably closer to the 75% mark with some lower lying aspen yet to turn, but the hillsides surrounding the resort are on fire to both the east & west. The color here at the resort tends to stick around a while so locals are predicting at least another week of good color.
GO NOW! – Near Peak (50 – 75%) - Willow Campground (9000ft) - There is still enough green along the road and in the campground to keep this location at the near peak level but things are moving quickly with select trees showing nothing but green last week now showing peak color.
GO NOW! – Near Peak (50 – 75%) - Sabrina Campground (9000ft) - The aspen along Hwy 168 are at peak color with lots of red and orange to go along with yellow and some green from the pine. There is still quite a bit of green yet to turn along the middle fork of Bishop Creek.
GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) - Table Mountain Camp (8900ft) - Canyon walls above and around the campground are as brilliant as they're likely to get this season. Still quite a bit of greenery within the campground but it's changing incredibly fast.
GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) - Surveyors Meadow (8975ft) - Some green is still hanging tough along the road, but most of the aspen in this area have turned. The mountain to the west of South Lake Road and the trees along the creek are especially brilliant.
GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) - Lake Sabrina (9150ft) - Color towards the back of the lake near the main inlet is going off in a big way right now with lots of orange to go along with yellow, some patchy red and a bit of green. The east shore, especially the aspen lining the high mark of the reservoir are also showing some orange and red. Because this area is susceptible to wind, the color may be short lived.
GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) - North Lake (9255ft) - There is a significant amount of lime-colored aspen along North Lake Road and along the shoreline of the lake, though the vast majority of the fall color is here now with the hillside directly above the lake, the road approaching the lake, and the campground really looking spectacular with red, orange and yellow all found here.
Patchy (10 - 50%) - Steiny Loop above Mt. Glen Camp (8600ft) - It's safe to say that about half of the color has started to go between Mt. Glen campground and the end of the Steiny Loop below Table Mt. Camp, possibly a touch more, but with the amount of green dominating the hillside at and below the campground, the area is still classified as patchy.
Patchy (10 - 50%) - Mist Falls and the groves above Bishop Creek Lodge (8350ft) - The color at the falls is a bit of the ordinary this year as just a few trees turned and are now losing their leaves while the vast majority of the color isn't showing at all yet, just some lime green.
Just Starting (0 - 10%) - Aspendell (8400ft) - Mostly lime green hued. Very few yellow is showing within this small community.
GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) - Groves above Cardinal Village (8550ft) - The color above Cardinal Village is in full effect with yellow painting the mountain from Cardinal Peak down to the mine. There is still quite a bit of green at Cardinal Village and below to Aspendell, with more good stuff to come from this beautiful area.
Just Starting – (0 - 10%) - Four Jeffries - Still early. Lots of green and lime.
Just Starting – (10 - 50%) - Intake II - Some nice color developing below the spillway at the Intake and some decent yellow on the mountain east of the lake, but the aspen surrounding the lake itself remain primarily green, although lightening somewhat over the past week.
Just Starting – (0 - 10%) - Big Trees Campground - A few early-bird trees are starting to go but barely any color here yet. This is another late blooming color location which hopefully will pop come October.
Mono County
GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) – Rock Creek – Rock Creek Lake and the Rock Creek Trail are now at full peak. Lower areas of Rock Creek Canyon at are approaching peak and could go any day, now.
GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100&) – Hilton Lakes Trail – Same as Rock Creek.
Patchy (10-50%) Convict Lake – Aspen turning yellow along the edge of the lake.
GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) – Sherwin Lakes – You’ll have to do some hiking to get to where it’s at full peak. Take the Sherwin Creek Trail up to the Sherwin Lakes to get close to these peak color areas. Patchy (10 – 50%) – Sherwin Creek - Sherwin Creek in Mammoth Lakes is just above 10% with lots of lime and a little yellow.
GO NOW! – Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Green Creek – The color at Green Creek varies from patchy to near peak, so we’re alerting to Go Now!
Patchy (10 – 50-%) – Rainbow Fall and Devil’s Postpile NM – The road into Devil’s Postpile remains open until the first storms, providing viewing of the fall color in the upper San Joaquin River drainage.
GO NOW! Near Peak (50-75%) - Parker Lake - Lots of color around the lake.
Patchy (10 – 50-%) - June Lake Loop - Color is painting the upper slopes yellow. June will be nearing peak next week and into the first week of October.
Patchy (10-50%) Conway Summit - Color has progressed to 40%.
Patchy (10-50%) Sonora Pass/Hwy 108 - Showing at about 40% of color.
Shasta Cascade/Northern Sierra
Patchy (10 - 50%) - Plumas County - Plumas County is typically a mid-October peak, though early reports have already been received of orange-red Indian Rhubarb along Rock Creek, off Bucks Lake Rd; gold and orange Black Oak leaves showing at Oakland Camp; bright yellow bigleaf maple on La Porte Road, rosy dogwood in Round Valley and brilliant red sugar maple leaves in Quincy. This area of California is known for its dramatic October color.
Southern California Mountains – Patchy (10-50%) - Reports of spots of color have been received from the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains, and from Mt. Laguna, Julian and Mt. Palomar in San Diego County.
California Vineyards (Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Sierra) – Patchy (10-50%) - Vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties and the Sierra Foothills are reporting early signs of color.
Coastal California - Just Starting (0-10%).
— Submitted By John Poimiroo
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