Awesome Autumn arrives
Leaf-peepers get ready
Days are getting shorter and there's a nip in the air: We all know what that means! Mother Nature's setting the stage for another brilliant show of fall color in Plumas County. 
Are you ready to witness dazzling hues of orange, red and yellow? They'll soon "pop out" against a spectacular background of dark green conifer, blue skies and granite peaks, from river bank to mountaintop - across some 2,600 square miles of forest.
Be prepared for a serious viewing with a free leaf-peeper kit available at the Visitor Center, off Hwy. 70 a half-mile west of downtown Quincy, and at chamber of commerce offices in Chester, Graeagle, Quincy, Portola and Greenville. The kits include glass cleaner and sturdy towels for keeping your windshields bug-free. There's also an optional traffic-alerting sign to place in your back windows: "Plumas County Leaf-Peeper: Makes Frequent Stops." It's sure to keep other drivers smiling as you take your time on the road. ( Want it now? We'll mail it.) Be sure to stop in and say hi, and please share your own leaf-peeping adventures! |
| Bring your digital camera
Photo workshops offered
Want to know how to get the best foliage images and shoot like a pro?
Two fall color photography workshops are being offered for the first time this year in Plumas County, led by local professional photographer Carl Raymond. 
The introductory digital SLR
photo -graphy workshops will be held at 8 a.m.
Saturdays, Oct. 27 and Nov. 3, at the Feather River Arts Center, 216 Commercial Street in Portola.
There will be two hours of classroom instruction, followed by a field trip ending at 6 p.m. Cost is $59; and class size is limited to 15 participants.
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Sneak peek at the peak
A word from the botanist
 Wondering what to expect? "We think the foliage is going to be pretty darn good this year," reports Plumas National Forest Chief Botanist and Ecosystems Manager Linnea Hanson.
Despite this year's lack of rainfall, Hanson reports that we're not in a drought, nor is she expecting a brown-out. "Taking from what I'm seeing, it should be a good year. Some younger trees may go a bit early, " Hanson said. She added that cool evenings and mild afternoons are the perfect recipe for foliage, and the weather's been right on track.
The peak generally runs around middle to late October and lasts a couple of weeks. Sometimes, color can even be found in early November. But it's best not to worry too much about the timing since it's also pretty interesting to observe plants in mid- color change.
Also, the recent Plumas National Forest fire won't impact foliage viewing because the damage occurred in a remote area far from highways and burned less than 4 percent of the forest overall. Leaf-peepers will still be able to make the glorious fall color drive through Indian Valley, Taylorsville and Genesee Valley. |
Fall festivals
Banjos and belly-dancing, microbrews and hot air balloons -- it's all part of celebrating Awesome Autumn with events in Plumas County! 
Fall Fest on Saturday, Oct. 6 will feature nature walks with a local botanist, and a musical journey with a renowned banjo-ologist. The theme is "More Kids in the Woods," so pack up the family to enjoy some outdoor education!
Mountain Harvest Festival on Saturday, Oct. 13 will feature both beer and wine tasting, a hot-air balloon rally, and day-long live music including blues, bluegrass and rock. You'll also get to see the difference between tribal and cabaret style belly-dancing during performances by two separate troupes of Plumas County dancers.
Those events are in Quincy, but there's lots of other things happening around the county, including a quilt show, an environmental film series, pumpkin patches, an apple-pressing, costume balls and more. | |
