Update: Hope Valley

• 

• 

Here’s a location by location update on the Hope Valley (CA-88) from Philip Reedy, who passed through on his way to the Eastern Sierra.

As Philip was reporting on the run, there was not enough time for him to submit photos, but he’ll do so when he returns.

1. “Hope Valley and the surrounding area is looking great.  I can’t believe how much has changed in the 5 days since I was last there.  The trees above Caples Lake are looking good now where they were green last Friday.
2. At Red Lake, Forest Service Road 31013 which heads south from the lake has come alive.  There are still some green trees, but most are yellow and orange right now and the area looks wonderful.  I hiked up the hill to the west for a nice view of the Hope Valley in the distance.  The grove right at Red Lake by the old red barn still has some time to go, but it should be great within a week.
3. Aspen behind Red Lake Creek cabin and across the highway went crazy over the past few days and are definitely at peak.  The cabins looks beautiful as always and there is much more color this week.  This entire area is a definite Go Now!
4. From the cabin to the West Carson is looking great as well.  The meadow east of the ranch is mostly turned on now, with more green in the groves above the meadow on the mountainside.  Should be great over the next week.
5. Down by the bridge over the West Carson, a grove to the NE has suddenly colored up as well.  There are yellow, orange and red trees, as well as some still green and others bare.  The trees to the north where CA 89 heads to Tahoe is still mostly green, and it is usually the last to change in the area.
6. Just west of Sorenson’s the trees look amazing on both sides of the highway.  Another Go Now!
7. The drive from Sorenson’s to Woodfords is full of yellow trees, as is the drive from Woodfords to Markleeville. Beautiful yellow and orange aspens.
8. There is a lot of color as well along the East Carson river from Markleeville south to the cutoff to Monitor Pass. Ditto along 89 east to the junction with 395.  Nothing but color. 
9. The large grove at Monitor Pass has completely changed and is already losing leaves.  Go Now!
10. There is a lot of nice color along 395 to Bridgeport.  Looking east toward Dunderberg Meadow and Virginia Lakes looks great.  I would have driven up there, but it looked pretty smoky up there.  I understand that there is a fire in Yosemite which must be the cause.
11. The groves above June Lakes looked nice, so I plan to hit that on the way back Friday.
12. The colors at North Lake were not as striking as last year, and a lot of smoke blew in around 3 today.
13. I headed along the road to South Lake and the colors there are phenomenal.  I shot a lot after the sun was off of the trees and the colors were very rich.  I’ll be back there tomorrow.

“It seems that everything is going crazy now so it is definitely time to go.  I’m burning through SD cards and batteries, so I will have a lot of shots to choose from when I get home.”