Now Peaking Above 8,500 ft

Areas between the 8,000 and 8,500 ft are now turning, according to a report just received from color spotter Jared Smith of the Parcher’s Resort in the Bishop Creek Canyon.

Jared predicts the color should be popping by week’s end if not already, as areas above 8,500 ft. are now at or are just past peak color.

The cold front that came through Wednesday and Thursday and gave this area about 12″ of snow that made for some incredible contrasts between the bright aspen leaves and granite peaks.

While the cold temps did burn some of the aspen, there is still tons of color in the canyon and with as much green as there still is, there should be plenty of photo opportunities available for the coming week or two, as the long term forecast is quite favorable.

Wier Pond (10/7/2011) © 2011 Jared Smith

Past Peak – Weir Pond (9,592 ft) – But still gorgeous!  There is still some color along the edges of the pond but the cold front did many of the already yellow aspen a red/brown hue. The grove on the mountain to the west of the pond still has a lot of green so look for the Weir to make a bit of a revival as those greens turn to yellow in the coming week.

North Lake Road (10/7/2011) © 2011 Jared Smith

Past Peak – Parchers Camp (9,260 ft) – The leaves at the camp are still yellow but much of the surrounding hills are now past peak color. Still some excellent shots to be had but the color was definitely a bit dulled by the cold snap.

North Lake Road (10/7/2011) © 2011 Jared Smith

North Lake Road (10/7/2011) © 2011 Jared Smith

75-100% or Past Peak- North Lake (9,255 ft) –  Troublesome North Lake has not fit a clear definition so far this autumn and this week is no different.  Some areas are now past peak while others are peaking. Not much green left though so the best North Lake shots remaining must be had over the next 3 to 4 days.

Lake Sabrina (10/6/2011) © 2011 Jared Smith

Past Peak – Lake Sabrina (9,150 ft) –  Easy come, easy go. Not a lot of longevity for the color at one of the most popular spots in the canyon. There is still a lot of color developing on the hills above the lake but the brightest groves on the east shore are losing their color pretty fast post coldfront.

Lake Sabrina (10/6/2011) © 2011 Jared Smith

75 – 100% Peak Color – Lake Sabrina Approach (9,100 ft) – The aspen winding along the road are simply stunning.

Lake Sabrina (10/7/2011) © 2011 Jared Smith

Past Peak – Sabrina Camp Groves (9,000 ft) – This grove is an early bloomer, so it should be no surprise that the best has come and gone for this spot.

75-100% Peak Color – Surveyor’s Meadow – Gorgeous contrast between the bright yellows, oranges and lime greens at this spot right now. Its as good as it will get right now. Time will tell if the cold snap did any damage but it’s looking very nice at present.

0-15% – Aspendell (8,500 ft) – Lime green is now showing – look for this spot to pop soon.

Past Peak – Cardinal Mine Grove (8,700 ft) – Still amazing!.  It really is hard to beat the view of the aspens aglow with the peaks of Sabrina Basin in the background. This grove definitely has some bare trees but lots of color still hanging around.

Surveyor's Meadow (10/6/2011) © 2011 Jared Smith

75-100% Peak Color – Table Mountain Campground (8,900 ft) –  Gorgeous views of this grove off of South Lake Road at present. A great mix of brown, orange, yellow and lime green make for some great photo op’s.

Cardinal Mine Grove (10/7/2011) © 2011 Jared Smith

30-50% – Mountain Glen Campground –  These trees are turning somewhat slowly but I would expect that to change over the course of the week.

Table Mountain (10/6/2011) © 2011 Jared Smith

30-50% – The Famous Mist Falls on South Fork Bishop Creek – A bit of yellow and lots of lime green is developing.  Things are moving along nicely, finally!

15-30% – Four Jeffrey Camp Groves – Good to see some yellow and orange developing above Four Jeffrey campground.  This should provide for some awesome color in coming weeks.

Mist Falls (10/7/2011) © 2011 Jared Smith

Past Peak – Willow Camp & Tyee Trailhead (9.065 ft) – Great color to be seen but the cold air tends to settle in this area, so it looks to be the most affected by the cold snap.

Willow Camp (10/7/2011) © 2011 Jared Smith

75-100% Peak Color to Past Peak – South Lake (9,768 ft) – Some groves are vibrant, some have browned.  Excellent photo op’s either way with the snow-covered peaks.

2 replies
    • John Poimiroo says:

      Thanks for the report, JK. If now at 25%, the June Lake Loop should be near peak within two weeks. Anyone else got a prediction about where color will peak and when?

Comments are closed.