Current Conditions at Desolation Hotel Hope Valley
Timing when and where to see Alpine County’s fall colors takes both science and finesse. How do you know when it’s time to go? In general, September and early October marks when stands at higher elevation will start to transition in color with lower stands following thereafter.
Aspens take their cue to change as the days get shorter and temperatures start to drop in the fall. Color changes also depend on tree health, micro-climates, environmental factors like drought or increased moisture, elevation, and latitude. As trees get less direct sunlight, and the chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down, the lack of chlorophyll reveals yellow and orange pigments that were already in the leaves but masked during the warmer months. So many factors can make a leaf-peeping adventure tough to schedule. Be flexible, adventurous and stick to the easier-to-predict leaf factors — such as elevation, latitude and stand health — when planning an outing. Desolation Resort Hope Valley is 7000ft elevation.
