Epic Pics – Go Now!
Laurel Canyon (10/8/12) Steve Wolfe
North Lake (10/8/12) Charlie Noback
Aspen at peak, North Lake (10/8/12) Charlie Noback
Overlooking Bishop Creek Canyon (10/8/12) Charlie Noback
Steve Wolfe writes he’s in the midst of his Eastern Sierra trip and “it’s the best I’ve seen in years. South Fork of Bishop Creek is amazing, even better than Sabrina. And I did the Laurel Canyon 4-wheel-drive ride on Monday and it was pure eye candy.”
75 – 100% – Laurel Canyon – Just south of Mammoth Lakes and truly epic. High-clearance 4WD and off-road experience required! (See Comments)
Charlie Noback sends these shots taken at North Lake and overlooking Bishop Creek Canyon on Monday.
75 – 100% – Bishop Creek Canyon –Epic with a capital “E.”
75 – 100% – Rock Creek Canyon – This shot of aspen taken on Saturday, shows there’s still lots of color to be found up Rock Creek Canyon.
Aspen, Rock Creek (10/6/12) Charlie Noback
I was up at Laurel Lakes on Tuesday. Although the very colorful photo provided encompasses one small section, this is not an exceptionally great year for the area. More importantly, accessing this location requires high-clearance 4×4 and should not be attempted by 2WD passenger sedans. Here’s a further description of what I saw and experienced on Tuesday, 10/9:
It’s kind of a mixed bag on the eastside this year with lots of bare trees, some peak color (gold, orange, copper and touches of red) and plenty of green (getting lighter on a daily basis since the temperature is dropping at night.) Mostly, I’ve noted very dry conditions which mean the leaves in any color are generally quite dull, sometimes with black spots and/or brown edges.
Laurel Lakes is in similar shape to what is described above, with about 30% bare groves, 15% brilliant oranges and coppers (losing leaves rapidly), 25-30% gold/brown mix and about 15% solid black leaves. Maybe 10-15% of the aspens are still green and may or may not turn colorful in the days ahead.
Don’t look at the greenish river of aspens running down the mountainside to Sherwin Creek Road as a true indicator of conditions up above. As with the other green trees up top, these may yet turn, but they are looking very dull and are not easily accessible.
So, is the trek up Laurel Lakes Road worth it for Fall color exploration? I’d say “Yes”, it certainly was worthwhile yesterday, but probably not after today (10/10) as the incoming weather system will likely take down much of the remaining color.
The actual drive up and back on Laurel Mountain is another matter. As noted above, DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS ROAD UNLESS YOU HAVE HIGH CLEARANCE AND 4×4 AS WELL AS ALL-TERRAIN TIRES IN GOOD CONDITION!!! “All wheel drive” and street tires will not cut it. You need true 4×4 with low range gearing to take advantage of higher torque when climbing steep grades in rocky conditions. No place for a novice experiment in off-roading.
Laurel Lakes Road is especially rough for the first 1.5 – 2 miles of the ascent (total mileage to the lower and upper lakes, about 5 miles). In this beginning section, you are traversing a boulder-strewn glacial moraine in a series of narrow one-lane switchbacks. Above the aspen groves, the road changes character to a narrow, rocky shelf road. But while it’s comparatively smoother, it is still quite steep and tires can lose traction on the rocks. Plus, there are almost no places to turn around or pull over.
Overall, this road is rated Class III throughout, but I’d rate one stretch in the initial switchbacks as Class IV. In that spot, I spent well over five minutes covering a mere 25 feet of extremely rocky road to be sure I did so safely. Pick your lines carefully, otherwise, you might risk leaving a permanent impression of the road on your undercarriage. (FYI, I have a 4WD 4Runner which I kept in low range gears to let her crawl up the mountain carefully. But even with careful maneuvering, there were places where her skid plates scraped a couple of boulders.)
Sorry for such a lengthy comment, but as we all try to find new Sierra Fall color vistas that aren’t overrun with other enthusiastic photographers (who me???), leaf peepers, etc., it’s very tempting to head for the hills, off the beaten path. But not everyone can hike to these spots, and I want folks to know what they’re getting into when they take their vehicles off-highway to explore some of these back roads and 4×4 goat paths…
Quick note to others posting comments and reports here: Please post road conditions if the location you’re mentioning is anywhere other than right on or next to a paved road. No need for people to attempt vehicular travel on roads not meant for 2WD passenger sedans. Considering that there is often no cell service in the Eastern Sierra, a flat on rocky terrain in the back country with only a donut spare, or worse, an oil pan puncture, could spell disaster. It’s just so easy to get stuck out there and be miles from help. Be safe!!!