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It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like … Winter

East Fork Campground, Rock Creek Rd, Mono County (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock

As Sarah Wallock traveled south of Mammoth Lakes to Rock Creek, McGee Creek and Convict Lake this morning, she began humming “It’s beginning to look a lot like … winter.”

A dusting of snow had provided beautiful contrast to the fall color seen on quaking aspen and black cottonwood, and she was in a good mood.

  • Rock Creek Rd. (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Rock Creek Rd. (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Rock Creek Rd. (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Rock Creek Lake, Mono County (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock

For someone from Mammoth Lakes, a little snow on the pavement isn’t an inconvenience. It’s a morale booster. Combine winter’s white with autumn’s orange and the Mammoth Lakes area, right now, is pinch-yourself beautiful.

Nevertheless, Sarah cautioned that the road to Rock Creek Lake needed an AWD/4WD vehicle this morning, though by the afternoon the dusting had been sunburned away. There are some wind-swept sections in the canyon, but nothing that would prevent getting to enticing vantage points.

  • Upper McGee Creek Canyon (10/10/21) Clayton Peoples
  • Upper McGee Creek Canyon (10/10/21) Clayton Peoples
  • McGee Creek Canyon (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Aspen, McGee Creek Canyon (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Aspen, McGee Creek Canyon (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • McGee Creek Campground, Mono County (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock

At McGee Creek Canyon, the color was vibrant with still Patchy to Near Peak trees down at the campground. The higher you go, the better it is.

Clayton Peoples was there on Sunday and thought it to be the best area north of Bishop Creek Canyon, for the moment. He wrote, “McGee Creek was stunningly beautiful. The peaks in the area were coated in snow, but areas around the creek were glowing in bright yellow and orange (with a bit of green mixed in). The creek has both aspens and cottonwood, which results in an extra burst of color. Really a beautiful place–and, again, the snow just added to the beauty.” 

  • Convict Lake (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Black Cottonwood, Convict Lake (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Convict Lake (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Convict Lake (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Convict Lake (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Convict Lake (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Convict Lake, Mono County (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock

Convict Lake is beginning to attract photographers and fall color hikers. The lake trail varies from Patchy to Near Peak and should continue to improve through the following week.

  • Mammoth Lakes (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Mammoth Lakes (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Mammoth Lakes (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock
  • Mammoth Lakes (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock

In Mammoth Lakes, the Lakes Basin is Near Peak and will be full Peak within hours, minutes, seconds. Gorgeous, lush orange fills its trees with just a hint of green.

Mammoth Lakes (10/12/21) Sarah Wallock

Last week, CaliforniaFallColor.com took a good-natured jab at Sarah’s bosses at Mammoth Lakes Tourism for having winter/ski images on its car and overlooking autumn. They never replied. Then we saw this different view of the car (above). CaliforniaFallColor.com stands corrected and apologizes. MLT, your car’s graphics couldn’t be better designed. We’d follow you anywhere.

  • Crowley Lake Community (6,781′) – Patchy (10 – 50%)
  • Lower Rock Creek Rd (7,087′) – Patchy (10 – 50%)
  • Upper Rock Creek Rd (9,705′) – Peak (75 – 100%) GO NOW!
  • McGee Creek Campground (7,600′) – Patchy (10 – 50%)
  • Upper McGee Creek (8,600′) – Peak (75 – 100%) GO NOW!
  • Convict Lake (7,850′) – Patchy to Near Peak (10 – 75%), Go Now!
  • Mammoth Lakes (7,881′) – Near Peak (50 – 75%) Go Now!

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