Fall color Reports

[outdoor_lover]

For those that want to do color updates on the fly.

On a camping spree these days. All I have is my phone and not always hiking or have service, so very difficult to post triplogs and can't do photos hardly, so I will give brief updates on colors.

Currently in the White Mountains. In the Greer Area/Greens Peak/Big Lake. The young Aspen in burn areas are turning fast. Look great from a distance, but up close still some green there. But their tops can be very red. Most adults are still green but starting to lighten. There are a few standouts that are jumping the gun ahead of the pack. 260 around A Lake is an example as well as a few patches around Big Lake. Big Lake has one tiny road stretch that is a gorgeous spot right now of mature trees. 273 around the Baldy THs has a few standouts, but not collective stands. A few around Greens Peak area but still mostly light green. Some Aspen are going brown probably due to drought. Will be driving around more today. Will be here through next weekend and expect things will.really start changing by then. Will update on new areas if conditions are different than they are so far.

[FOTG]

@outdoor_lover
Thanks for the report. We will be heading that way tomorrow. I figured we would be about a week early, but this is when fall break fell for me this year.

[azbackpackr]

@outdoor_lover
It was great seeing you!

[outdoor_lover]

Update on White Mountain Colors. The young kids will make the landscape pop from miles away while the grownups continue to take their sweet time getting dressed. With that said, a lot of adults are in prime time along the road on FR 117. And also along the highways. Big Lake is impressive. But the elders on the mountainsides are still not fully committed, unless they are trying to impress Chumley while he hikes in 100 mph winds.

In other news, the Gambels are starting to roll the dice and a few are already coming up winners. They start in Williams Valley around MP 1 of Hwy 249 (Three Forks Road) and pretty much are changing all along 191 from 249 south to Hanagan's Meadow. If you park at the turnout at MP 1 on 249, and you are an Oaks fan, walk off the turnout and down into that little forest of Oaks and feast your eyes on Grandpa. He is one old impressive dude and he was dressed to the hilt yesterday. I imagine he's fed and sheltered at least 25 generations of squirrels. Oaks were also auditioning for Vegas along 260 between McNary and Pinetop.

If you just like Fall Colors in general, the colors along Nutrioso Creek on 191 between Nutrioso and the final switchbacks taking you down into Eager are pretty sweet right now.

[Jim]

From what I am seeing, around Flagstaff color is peaking. Elden looked to peak at the upper levels last week, along with Kendrick, and the aspen near the bottom of the Humphrey Trail #151 is peaking as I type. Once it moves out of the aspen on The Peaks, it's the gambel oak around Flagstaff and then the maples in the canyons on the Rim and in the Sedona area. Probably 1 to 2 weeks for the oak to change and transition to maples.