Here’s
what the botanists have to say about the 2009
Leaf-Peeping Season in Plumas County:
There’s always a bit of debate among Plumas National
Forest botanists over whether the year’s dry
weather will hasten or delay the onset of fall
color, or have no impact on the usual timing of
things. (Every year people will always say “it’s
coming earlier”, but we’re convinced that’s just
due to aging and perception! It’s mostly about
change of daylight.)
However, the experts agree the best color will
come from trees and shrubs closer to riparian
and drainage areas, while other species such as
chokecherry and Big-leaf Maple may be drier and
may show signs of stress.
Joe Willis, Educational Specialist and
Naturalist: "In my travels around the county
these past few weeks, including trips to Dixie
Mountain, 8,200+, and Claremont, 7,000+, things
look pretty dry. Even drier than last year at
this time. However, just
as last year, a few rains and a tim ely
temperature drop could change everything. My
very unscientific guess is that things will peak
the third week of October, and that in the next
couple of weeks we'll see shrubs like
serviceberry and bitter cherry turn colorful
before any of the trees. Driving up Claremont
Peak via Big Thompson Creek on Saturday there was one
bright red dogwood while all the rest were still
green. When I went up Dixie the weekend before
all the
aspens were still green, even up around 8,000'.
Quite a surprise to me, there were still some
scarlet gilia blooming up on Claremont Peak. As in
years past, I always recommend getting out of
the car and walking around. There's always some
local color when you get up close. The best
color up on Claremont Saturday was the great
spreads of yellow lichens on the red fir
trunks. I know this is a confusing report, but
I find the situation out in the woods to be
confusing at this time." Directions to
Claremont Peak: Travel south on the La Porte Road (off Hwy. 70
east of Quincy.) At 4.3 miles, you'll encounter a hairpin
turn, with a dirt road off to the right. Take this (Forest Service
Road 24N26 ) which eventually take you to Claremont Peak. The road
is unpaved but okay for two-wheel drive vehicles. Directions to
Dixie Mtn: From Chilcoot, head north toward Frenchman Lake,
passing through Little Last Chance Creek canyon. Head onto the
unpaved road on the west side of the lake all the way to the north
end of the lake, then travel left on a signed forest service road
leading to Dixie Mtn., Lookout.
Why do leaves change color?
Shorter periods of daylight and variations in
temperature are the cues for deciduous
(leaf-shedding) plants to prepare for winter.
They begin to shut down their food-making
process (photosynthesis) and the production of
the green pigment chlorophyll. The plants
attempt to store up their chemicals by taking
out sugars and chlorophyll from their leaves.
This slowing allows yellow and gold pigments
(called carotenoids) to slowly emerge – which
have been there all along but are masked by
chlorophyll. Red pigment (called anthocyanin),
unlike the others, is not attached to the leaf
cells, but is produced by sugars in the leaf
veins, which are trapped when veins are closed
during the fall. The intensity of the red
pigment varies depending on the sugar
concentration and acidity in the cell sap, and
the amount of sunlight the
leaves receive. The best combination for
producing intense autumn colors is dry, sunny
days followed by cool (not freezing) dry nights.
When fall weather is cloudy and rainy, and the
nights warm, the color is usually less intense.
What the plants can’t store, they must deal with
as waste. They form a special layer of cells
that severs the tissues supporting the leaves at
the branch, causing the leaves to drop.
The yearly process doesn’t happen overnight, and
unpredictable weather makes each fall foliage
season unique. Varying microclimates among
ridges and valleys generally make for a long
fall color season in Plumas County, with “peaks”
occurring at different times in different areas.
The best time to spot the most color, however,
is usually the third week of October.
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