Fall Color Hike: Lundy Canyon Trail
Fall color edges the Lundy Canyon Trail (9/28/14) Alicia Vennos
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) Mammoth Lakes Basin – Twin Lakes in the Mammoth Lakes Basin is at peak with beautiful orange colors. Other lakes in the basin either lack fall color or are still patchy. Color spotter Kevin Lennox reports erratic uniformity of color among the trees in the Lakes Basin.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Laurel Canyon – Very little color showing at base, though about a fourth of trees have turned at the top of the canyon.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Convict Lake – Convict has lots of yellow just appearing around the lake; Convict Canyon has a way to go.
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) – McGee Creek Canyon – Gorgeous color above 8,500′
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Crowley Lake – Very little color is showing, as yet.
Lower areas of the Lundy Canyon trail are still green (9/28/14) Alicia Vennos
Peak color is found higher along the Lundy Canyon trail and near waterfalls (9/28/14) Alicia Vennos
Lundy Canyon (9/28/14) Alicia Vennos
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Lundy Canyon Trail – Color Spotter Alicia Vennos of Mono County picks Lundy Canyon as a peak hike for this weekend. She reports color at peaking along the trail and in waterfall areas though the Lundy Lake Road and the lake itself are still green. That means the color should be good not just this weekend, but for the following week (wind and weather permitting).
Patchy (10 – 50%) – June Lake Loop – A mix of green, lime and yellow color the aspen surrounding the June Lakes. Brush are painting surrounding mountainsides auburn and orange. June Lake has at least a week to two weeks before peaking.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Saddlebag Lakes – Upper Tioga Pass is at full peak. There aren’t many aspen in this area, though riparian color is beautiful.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Lee Vining Canyon – Similar to June Lakes, it has a way to go before full color.
YOU MISSED IT! Past Peak – Upper Virginia Lakes Road – Wind stripped turned trees at Virginia Lakes, last weekend.
Patchy (10 – 50%) Lower Virginia Lakes Road – Wind swept aspen surrounding Virginia Lakes lost their leaves this past week. Color spotter Steve Wolfe reported “The last half of Virginia Lakes Road at Conway Summit is past peak, with lots of leafless stands, but the first half… is still just this side of “patchy”, with green, lime and yellow stands.”
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Sonora Pass – Most of the color to be seen along Sonora Pass is on the eastern side of the pass. Higher elevations are at full peak with lower groves of aspen a mix of yellow and green.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Walker/Coleville – Very little yellow and orange color is showing among the willows and cottonwood.
Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Monitor Pass – Wind stripped some of the turned color this past week, but leaves that hadn’t turned are now coloring up. Color Spotter Kimberly Kofala reports the white trunks of the aspen contrast nicely with the new color.
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