It’s Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Autumn
Twin Lakes Waterfall, Mammoth Lakes Basin (9/6/18) Josh Wray
As long as we’re in the singing mood, how about turning Johnny Mathis’ classic upside down.
No, it’s not beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but it is beginning to feel a lot like Autumn, Mammoth Lakes color spotter Josh Wray reports. “It’s really starting to feel like the early days of fall in Mammoth Lakes now with summer crowds calming down and temperatures dropping at night.”
He visited the Mammoth Lakes Basin a couple of days ago, “…to see what it’s looking like up there, and it was gorgeous. There were traces of yellow aspen leaves off in the distance but nothing to report on quite yet.”
The color seen in the photo at left are grasses ringing the Twin Lakes. Otherwise, there’s little fall color yet to be seen at 8,500′ in the Eastern Sierra. 
Just Starting (0-10%) – Mammoth Lakes (8,500′)
hello,
We are planning our Fall trip most likely from 10/6/2018-10/12/2018. Does it look like a good time line to get the great (or close to being great) colors in Bishop, north lake, lake convict etc. ? your help and suggestions will be very appreciated.
Thank you.
Nick,
I recommend that you use this site as a research tool. On the right side of the home page are three search tools.
At the top of the page is a magnifying glass. With it, you can search by any word or location … even a photographer’s name.
Below and to the right are two search tools: By Location and By Month/Year. Use these to search by where you want to visit or when.
If going to a specific place is most important, use By Location then scroll back in time to when you’re free to go.
If going at a specific time is most important, use By Month/Year and scroll to the locations that were peaking when you’re free to go, then go to those locations.
Fall color in California is consistent within a week, so what you see peaking in the past is likely to be very similar this year. From my experience, the second week of October is near the end of peak at Bishop’s Creek Canyon, but is nearing peak elsewhere in the Eastern Sierra (June Lake and several of the lower canyons). The search tools will provide the best guidance, however.