Tahoe Fall Colors Starting

This past weekend I spent in the Lake Tahoe area.  The downside of the trip was that I was working for most of the weekend helping my wife out with flowers for a Tahoe style wedding (more on this later).  The good news is that we were able to get out and go for a hike this afternoon to check in on the status of the fall colors.  Fall in the Sierra’s, specifically the Eastern Sierra’s, is filled with spots of beautiful Aspen turning yellow and orange.  The tricky part of heading up to the Sierra’s in search of this color is timing (see Resources page).  Some years peak color can last only a few days.  Some years you don’t get much color due to environmental conditions.   I have a gut feeling that this year will be the later.

Today we were able to head up to a high alpine meadow and found some great Aspen groves.  Some of them were already turning brilliant Orange.  Most were still just starting to turn.  I think the Tahoe area will be seeing peak color in about 2 weeks.  The downside is I feel that this year might be a short peak.  There were small groves of Aspen that I spotted that were well advanced in color.  But they seemed to be going from yellow or orange very quickly to brown, I think because of the drought conditions.

I’m hoping to head up to the Sierra’s for one more trip this fall.  And what better reason to get yourself out of the house and out in nature than to see it in the splendid color of fall!

Travel Tips:  On this trip, we discovered a few new interesting eateries.  When traveling to Tahoe from the Bay Area on Highway 80, you will pass through Auburn, CA just as you start your climb up the Sierras.  Auburn is at about 2800 feet elevation and about 45 miles west of Truckee, CA.  If you’re passing by and need to grab something to eat, here are three recommendations (in no particular order):

  • Old Town Pizza, Old Town Auburn (exit Lincoln Way):  Amazing pizza; located in the basement of one of the remaining oldtime hotel buildings in Auburn.
  • Auburn Alehouse, Old Town Auburn (exit Lincoln Way): Great Pub with variety of beer and food; located in renovated historic building, the interior has rustic charm with a modern feel.
  • Ikeda’s Tasty Burgers (exit Bowman Road); “Looks like dive on the outside, gourmet on the inside.”  Some of the best burgers you will ever have.  They also have fresh pies that are absolutely amazing!

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