The seasons change fast when living at a high elevation. Summers warm nights turn to cold mornings, lower sun angles, and dwindling light. Here in the west we barely experience a glimpse of the color wash covering most of the east coast and the bright Aspens that are the signature of Colorado fall. In Tahoe perennial Pines and Conifers dominate the landscape, but if you know where to look there is color abound and you will find some of the signature fall sights you would expect to see in places like Colorado.
Paige Meadows is a special spot in the Lake Tahoe area where locals flock to in the fall because of its unique Aspen foilage and wide open meadows surrounded by some of Lake Tahoes highest points such as Twin Peaks looming in the distance.
As a local favorite Paige Meadows offers hiking and mountain biking trails that meander around the many connecting meadows. The meadows are lined by beautiful aspen trees around the edges before rising up to the thick forest of Pine and Fir trees. This blending of two different forest zones gives Paige Meadows its signature look of long flat meadows with a golden lining and a dark green background.
The interconnected meadows are often hidden and you have to venture through small thick patches of Aspen that serve as a portal entrance to each meadow and a wonderful place to stop and be surrounded in vibrant fall color while listening to the shimmering and shaking of the leaves by a cool fall breeze.
The last year has been quite dry and the fall has been warmer than average so this year has not been a peak year for color in the meadows. Instead of having the bright reds color associated with cold falls the leaves have turned yellow early only to brown out because of not enough moisture and temperatures not dropping cold enough to lock in fading chlorophyll needed to produce the vibrancy of reds and purples.
Another amazing feature of fall in Tahoe is the peak growth of Fruticose Lichen. This lovely life form is a companion to our large conifer trees and loves to grow on the shady side of living trees, and dead snags. It grows thick florecent green, has a rough texture, giving a beard like appearance to the outer bark of the tree.
For everything Tahoe lacks in fall color it makes up for in sunset vibrancy. As the sun dips farther south, the days get shorter with the sunsets coming earlier and more colorful. Clouds often hang in the balance transforming from white to orange then purple and pink. The entire landscape is awash in colorful hue.
Fall as a season has a unique feel and in Tahoe it can be the quietest time of year. With the winter crowds not yet arriving and the summer crowds retreating to warmer locations, things slow way down around the lake. These are the days between. The days between the crowds. The days between the heat and the freeze. The days between the snow on the trees. The days between boats and skis. There were days, there were days between……
