Bishop’s Back
We’re back with more photos of Bishop Creek Canyon. Color spotter Julie Kirby sent them, showing more of the peak color that is now dominating the canyon.
Julie’s photos were taken on Saturday, so a lot of the green and lime seen in them has now turned to yellow with all areas above 9,000′ at Peak.
Bishop Creek Canyon is peaking. This Eastern Sierra canyon, west of Bishop (US 395) in Inyo County, is often the first location in California to peak, and many believe that it is one of the most beautiful fall color destinations in North America.
What makes it so exceptional is that Bishop Creek is fed by three forks: south, middle and north. Paved roads travel beside each fork up separate canyons, ending at pristine lakes at 9,000’ in elevation. Beyond the lakes, Sierra peaks rise thousands of feet more to sawtooth peaks.
Often, snow covers these High Sierra peaks. Snow and the fall color (mostly aspen) reflect white, indigo, grey, red, orange, yellow and lime colors in the cobalt and turquoise waters of the lakes.
On evenings when cumulus clouds litter the sky, the setting sun illuminates the clouds with brilliant pink, purple, orange, red, blue, yellow and purple colors, that are reflected in the lakes.
It is this contrast of fall color, clear skies and the rugged majesty of the Sierra Nevada that exemplifies California Fall Color. This weekend and the following week such scenes will be common up Bishop Creek Canyon. It is a must-do experience that every Californian should witness, but it only happens for two weeks a year and that’s happening now.
Table Mountain, S Fork Bishop Creek (9/29/19) Julie Kirby 
Surveyor’s Meadow, S Fork Bishop Creek (9/29/19) Julie Kirby 
Surveyor’s Meadow, S Fork Bishop Creek (9/29/19) Julie Kirby 
Lake Sabrina, M Fork Bishop Creek (9/29/19) Julie Kirby 
Sabrina Approach, M Fork Bishop Creek (9/29/19) Julie Kirby 
North Lake Rd., N Fork Bishop Creek (9/29/19) Julie Kirby 
North Lake Rd., N Fork Bishop Creek (9/29/19) Julie Kirby 
North Lake Rd., N Fork Bishop Creek (9/29/19) Julie Kirby 
North Lake, N Fork Bishop Creek (9/29/19) Julie Kirby
Similarly, elevations above 9,000’ in Mono County (north of Inyo County) are now peaking. California’s first peak was reported there at Sagehen Summit and the Virginia Lakes (near Mono Lake).
Fall color was late to appear in the Eastern Sierra. That has been the general trend across the United States. Abnormal weather and precipitation have been blamed or credited for late or early appearances of fall color, according to a review of articles posted online.
In California, the Eastern Sierra is late by a week, the Northern Sierra (north of Lake Tahoe) and Southern Cascades are showing slightly early. All other areas of the state have not reported, significantly, which could mean they’re late or on time – it’s just too early to tell.
