Natural History Wanderings

California Fall Color has several new updates today. Below are highlights. See photos and full reports  at California Fall Color

Plumas County

This is the first weekend to see peak color in Plumas County.
Spanish Creek at Spanish Camp, Quincy – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

Coffee Creek

this past week’s rain “made all the maples turn bright yellow all at once… Dogwood are all different colors from red and green, pink, faded pink and still green.
Coffee Creek – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!

Napa Vineyards 

vineyards are prepped to peak successively over the next three weeks. That gives photographers and spotters plenty of time to head to the wine country and see magical color.

If you explore wine country backroads, be aware that the vines don’t all turn at the same time. The show develops by individual vineyard. As, autumn color matures by grape variety.

Napa County Vineyards (sea level to 2000’)Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! – Vineyards in Napa Valley and higher valleys to the east are turning yellow and red. There’s still a lot of green leaves to be seen, indicating they will continue to improve over the next two weeks. Higher elevations (1000-2000’)  are showing more red than the floor of Napa Valley. Drive east on Howell Mountain Road (near St Helena) to Pope Valley and Chiles Valley for these colors.

Downieville

 yellow bigleaf maple and rust and gold willows appearing at points along the northern Gold Country highway.

Phil noted that while the color is still Patchy, nice color can be found in the Yuba National forest beside Lavezzola Creeks, north of Downieville and at Sardine Lake.

Downieville (CA-49) (2,966′) – Patchy (10-50%)