Dan's Outside

A Colorful Time to Head to the Mountains

From Tom Stienstra in SFGate (October 27, 2005):

The first hints of fall colors are now arriving to the Bay Area, but in the mountain country, it’s already a spectacle.

If the past 10 days in the canyons of the eastern Sierra have been a preview for the annual Halloween-to-Thanksgiving show, the coming weeks have a chance to be one of the best in years, from Shasta to Whitney — and selected pockets of the Bay Area.

Well, yes, but…

The colors peaked in the Sierra a few weeks ago, so he is right about the “past 10 day’s part.” Unfortunately, the colors are essentially gone now, undoubtedly with the exception of a few isolated pockets here and there.

On the other hand, although it isn’t the subject of his article, great fall colors are heading for lower elevations now. The lower levels of the western Sierra can produce great colors in certain areas and, believe it or not, there are some great color spots in the Bay Area if you look around a bit.

One last thing. Although the Sierra colors are way past their peak now, Stienstra does provide a nice list of some great places to visit in October 2006.

Aspens Near Silver Lake. October 8, 2005. © Copyright Dan Mitchell.

October 29, 2005 - Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary