Mono County Gets Hot – GO NOW!

Summer’s Meadow from Green Creek Rd (9/24/15) Alicia Vennos

In what she describes (we concur) as some of Mono County’s nicest photos so far this season, color spotter Alicia Vennos updates us on how her county has suddenly gotten hot with fall color.

A VW Camper patrols Virginia Lakes Rd. for fall color (9/24/15) Alicia Vennos

Dunderberg Meadow Rd near Virginia Lakes Rd (9/24/15) Alicia Vennos

Dunderberg Meadow Rd near Virginia Lakes Rd (9/24/15) Alicia Vennos

Dunderberg Meadow Rd near Virginia Lakes Rd (9/24/15) Alicia Vennos

Dunderberg Meadow Rd near Virginia Lakes Rd (9/24/15) Alicia Vennos

Dunderberg Meadow Rd near Virginia Lakes Rd (9/24/15) Alicia Vennos

Lower Twin Lakes (9/25/15) Misti Sullivan

Lower Twin Lakes (9/25/15) Misti Sullivan

Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! – Virginia Creek Rd/Dunderberg Meadow Rd. – Groves of aspen near the Virginia Lakes currently range from bright red, to orange, to gold and lime-green, with a few completely denuded stands (our bet is those that lost their leaves were due to black leaf spot fungus, not the change of seasons).

Patchy (10-50%) – Green Creek/Summer’s Meadow – Green Creek/Summer’s meadow is about to pop and should be peaking within a week.  This is one of the most beautiful areas of the Eastern Sierra and one that few photographers and leaf peepers ever visit.  A vehicle that doesn’t mind a dirt road (Rats! I just washed my car… oh, well) that’s bumpy in places is best to make this trek.  And, if you happen to have a SUV, well use it as it was designed to be used… off-road.

Near Peak (50-75%) – Twin Lakes, Bridgeport – Most of the Twin Lakes area is glowing and by next week should be peaking.  The Twin Lakes are tucked against an escarpment of Sierra peaks in the southwest corner of the Bridgeport Valley, a broad, grassy mountain basin that in summer is covered with hundreds of grazing cattle.  The town of Bridgeport is the capital seat of Mono County with a photogenic 1880 Italianate county courthouse that is still being used.  It even has a cannon sitting in front of it.