LIVING COLOR

The arrival of fall colors is unpredictable. That’s because trees are on their own clocks. The rule of thumb is that the big show starts in mid- to late September with the aspens in the canyons of the Eastern Sierra, according to Jim Poimiroo, the state’s fall colors wizard and publisher of CaliforniaFallColor.com. Then it’s as if nature flips the switch. Vast swaths of aspen, maples, cottonwoods, willows and dogwoods begin turning yellow, orange and crimson. Peak color is usually forecast for mid-October. Others areas at lower elevations across California will then follow, such as in November in the Bay Area for the maples, fruit trees and other hardwoods.

One of the best ways to track fall colors is to start in the high canyons of the Eastern Sierra because that is where the colors peak first. You can then follow the color transition as it descends in elevation through November. For upates, visit www.californiafallcolor.com.