EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — The hot start to October comes during what's typically a busy month on Apple Hill. It's a fall tradition for many with people flocking there for apple picking and apple treats.
"We're going to have dessert for days, but I come up here for the apple donuts," said Susan Logan, of Sacramento.
But it's recently been feeling more like summer than fall on the hill.
Out at Abel's Apple Acres in Placerville, customers are opting for an apple cider float, instead of a typical hot cider.
"We've been trying to stay in the shade," said Louise Nemeth, of Coarsegold. "We're waiting for the fall weather."
Tyler Ames, whose grandmother has owned Apple Acres for more than 50 years, says the hotter temperatures have impacted foot traffic.
"It's slowed us down a little bit. We definitely feel it, especially on Tuesday and Wednesday when we were almost 100 degrees here, we saw a lot of slow down," Ames said.
Ames says the apple trees out in the orchards are fine, but the heat means more upkeep.
"Just with this heat, we have to keep the water on longer and water more often, where usually about this time we can start watering a lot less," Ames said.
Abel's is open until Dec. 22, but mid-October is their busiest time of year.
"It's usually that fall weather that you get, and the leaves start to fall, which drives people up here, especially in October," Ames said.
Despite the heat, some people still journeyed from out of state or braved the heat and continued on with planned trips.
"We usually come in November. We couldn't resist though... apple pie, everything apple, we love it," said Laurie Silva, of Stockton.
Abel's Apple Acres recommends coming earlier in the day to beat the heat. Their shops and other have frozen drinks as well to help folks cool off. They are hopeful their numbers will be back up this weekend.
