These orange beauties overwinter in Central Oregon as adults, which is why . . . they usually have tattered wings and look slightly faded. During the spring, they like to nectar on fir needles. . . . [In fall,] they will find good places to overwinter, like crevices in buildings, wood piles, and other shelters. . . .
California Tortoiseshells live on a boom and bust cycle. We will see thousands of them in a single year, then their numbers will crash, and we’ll hardly see any for the next several years. In recent years, however, California Tortoiseshells have peaked for several summers in a row. (https://www.deschuteslandtrust.org/news/blog/2019-blog-posts/california-tortoiseshell#:~:text=Most%20likely%20you%20are%20seeing,wings%20and%20look%20slightly%20faded.)