Archive for category: Eastern Sierra

: having no precedent: NOVEL, UNEXAMPLED

Merriam-Webster

The descriptions of fall color coming from Bishop Creek Canyon are beyond words. Photographs on this site have said it best. What’s happening there is unprecedented.

Robert Bernstein’s fisheye images of Bishop Creek Canyon provide a piece of the picture of what’s been happening throughout the canyon. All peak. All beautiful. All Autumn.

Here’s what other color spotters captured during the past two weeks. Apologies for their late publication, as they just arrived due to an email glitch. While Inyo National Forest was closed we would not have published them anyway, but now you can see what was happening during the forest closure.

Note: air quality and clarity remains poor between Bishop north to Lee Vining. For current conditions, visit PurpleAir.com.

When photographs are selected to be placed on this site, consideration is given to: timeliness, location (rarely photographed locations are given precedence), depiction of fall color, technical quality (good composition, color, focus, sharpness, size of image, exposure), human interest (people, animals, architecture), storytelling content, emotional content, artistic quality and environment.

Haze, smoke, rain, snow and other environmental factors can improve or detract from an image, depending upon how it is taken. Nearly all the below photographs were taken during a time of environmental stress, yet there were windows which the photographer found or created for him or herself that overcame the obstacle.

For examples: Robert Bernstein’s use of a fisheye lens to overcome the muddy stain of smoky air transforms otherwise disappointing scenes into heroic ones; Mohammad Delwar’s lighthearted unwrapping of a sari ignores that haze clouds the air; Robert Hardy’s low angle, depth of field and composition present North Lake at its reflective best; Mike Caffey’s closeup of blighted aspen conveys the struggle they’ve endured in 2020; and Jan Arendtsz’ dirt road becomes a punctuation mark to what we’ve all experienced.

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For those interested in helping those persons fighting or affected by the wildfires, CLICK HERE.

Word is, the color is still holding beautifully throughout Bishop Creek Canyon, though it definitely is Past Peak up high. So, GO NOW!

• Bishop Creek Canyon (7,800′ to 10,000′) – Peak to Past Peak GO NOW! – You Almost Missed It.

The outdoors are a classroom that are constantly teaching us. Anyone who thinks they know it all, isn’t paying attention.

Steve Arita was Saturday, when he hiked up Lundy Canyon to the waterfalls. He observed and reported, “The day started out great, beautiful clear and calm morning, got some good shots of the first beaver pond, but as the morning progressed, within the hour, the wind picked up, and clouds came in, but it didn’t rain.

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Autumn was dressed in her best. Steve noted the “fall colors were beautiful in the trailhead parking lot and up through the waterfalls, some patchy light yellow trees, but also bare ones as well, I hate to say.”

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He hated to admit it, as wind lifted many of Lundy’s aspen leaves and sent them swirling across the land. He estimates, it “may be done within a week and a half or so, certainly best to go now.” Steve’s lower case use of “go now” seemed tinged with resignation.

He certainly was sympathetic about what the good folks who live in June Lake have had to endure. The Creek Fire has been sending its soot over the Ansel Adams Wilderness to seep into every corner of the June Lake Loop.

Sadly, after last autumn was a bust for June Lake, now smoke wants to suffocate the color. “It wasn’t the best for photos,” Arita admitted about the scene, though noted that aspen are Near Peak to Peak along most of the June Lake Loop.

A sad lesson learned.

• Lundy Lake (7,858′) – Near Peak to Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
• June Lake Loop (7,654′) – Near Peak to Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!

Streams flowing from Lee Vining and Lundy canyons comprise two thirds of the principal sources of water feeding Mono Lake. The other is Rush Creek.

Years ago, the City of Los Angeles sought to divert fresh water from these streams for its water supply, but the Mono Lake Committee fought a legal battle that stopped the diversion, saving migratory birds which depended upon high lake levels to protect their nesting areas.

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Lee Vining Creek and Mill Creek (Lundy) sustain not only the life dependent upon Mono Lake, but also wildlife (beaver, migratory birds) and foliage that flourish in their canyons.

Color spotters Bruce Wendler and Michelle Pontoni and her husband visited today, finding the color to vary from Patchy to Near Peak.

Lundy Canyon is one of the finest fall color hikes in California and it looks to be primed for peak this coming week. Plan your hike!

To the north, Dunderberg Meadows (off Virginia Lakes Rd) is at peak and will be past peak sometime in the coming week. GO NOW!

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• Lee Vining Canyon (6,781′) – Near Peak (50-75% Go Now!
• Lundy Canyon (7,858″) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now!
• Dunderberg Meadows (9,600′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

With the reopening of Inyo National Forest’s front country a week ago, all the major fall color viewing locations in Mono County (California’s Eastern Sierra) are now up and running.

Mono County color spotter Jeff Simpson reports only one location as now past peak – Sagehen Summit. All others are right on schedule.

He recommends the following must-see locations, this week: Lobdell Lake Rd (AWD vehicle recommended), Sonora Pass, Virginia Lakes, Dunderberg Meadows Rd., Tioga Pass (CA-120E), Lundy Canyon, and Rock Creek Rd.

What you’ll find are lush groves of peaking aspen, as seen above. This could be called a transitional week in which groves above 9,000′ carry their last explosion of fall color before losing it.

As seen in Jeff’s photograph of Lobdell Lake Rd (above), the forest is a blend of green, yellow, orange, red and spent trees. As one stand peaks, another fills in behind it, then – gradually – fully peaked trees are dropping their leaves.

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WALKER / COLEVILLE / TOPAZ

• Monitor Pass (8,314′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now –  Monitor Pass is often a difficult child. This year it seems to be struggling to get going. Its colors are progressing toward Near Peak “with green-ish on the summit and groves of yellow to the east.” 
• West Walker River, Walker, Coleville and Topaz (5,200′) – Just Starting (0-10%) – The Antelope Valley is one of the last to turn in the eastern Sierra, due to its low elevation and groves of cottonwood. Presently, it’s just getting started with a few yellow and lime-green leaves.

SONORA PASS / LOBDELL LAKE

• Sonora Pass (9,623′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – This is the week to get the classic shot of peaking aspen just below the summit on the east side. Leavitt Meadows is in the 75% range. If Sonora Pass is on your bucket list, this is the week to go. 
• Lobdell Lake Rd. (9,274′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Incredible color is being seen along the length of Lobdell Lake Rd., and it should last the week. Do not attempt driving this in a normal passenger vehicle. Higher clearance and full traction is needed. An AWD or 4WD vehicle is recommended.

BRIDGEPORT / VIRGINIA LAKES

• Twin Lakes (7,000′) – Patchy (10-50%) – Take the Tamarack Lake Trail, Horse/Cattle Creek Trail or the Barney Lake trail to the higher elevations for peak color. It is still green and light yellow around the lake level and through the campgrounds of Robinson Creek. 
• Virginia Lakes (9,819’) – Peak to Past Peak (75-100%) GO NOW or You Missed It! – Absolutely the last fall color is peaking along the Virginia Lakes Rd, Dunderberg Medows Rd and Green Creek Rd. They’ve all been at peak for the past week and won’t last much longer.
• Conway Summit (8,143) – Patchy (10-50%) The downward march of fall color is being seen along the groves facing Conway Summit. Yellow trees at the top of the groves are blending to lime, then green at the bottom. Peak will arrive in another week throughout the groves, then Katy bar the door, the entire hillside will be a shocking mix of maroon, orange, yellow and green.
• Summers Meadow (7,200′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now! – At peak, Summers Meadow is one of the state’s most beautiful groves. Long, lush stands of aspen cover rolling hillsides. Right now, they’re still a mix of green and yellow, but approaching peak.

LEE VINING 

• Tioga Pass (9,943′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! Good color is seen along the Tioga Rd near Tioga Lake, though beyond that you must have a reservation to enter Yosemite NP and continue your travels through the national park.
• Lee Vining Canyon (6,781′) – Patchy (10-50%) – Mostly green with sections of yellow/lime. This area is still a good week away.
• Lundy Lake & Canyon (7,858′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now! – Hikers who’ve been waiting for news of Lundy Canyon should head there now. This is one of California’s premiere fall color hikes. It’ll be great for the coming two weeks.

BENTON & 120 EAST 

• Sagehen Summit (8,139’) – Past Peak – You Missed It. – What a shame, the closure of Inyo National Forest kept people from enjoying this early-peaking area at its best. Now that Sagehen is past peak, mark your calendar to visit it during the last week of September, next year.

JUNE LAKE LOOP

• June Lake Loop/Hwy 158 (7,654′) – Patchy (10-50%) – Some yellow is painting sections of the loop, though it will be better next week and peaking the week following.

MAMMOTH LAKES

• Mammoth Lakes Basin (8,996′) – Patchy (10-50%) – Sherwin Creek and Mammoth Rock Trails are your best bets for color, right now.

CROWLEY LAKE/McGEE CREEK/CONVICT LAKE

• McGee Creek Canyon (8,600’) – Patchy (10-50%) – The campground and pack station should be perfect next week.
• Around Crowley community (6,781′) –  Patchy (10-50%) – This area just edged into being Patchy, so it has a way to go, though there can be lovely color in and around Crowley.
• Convict Lake (7850′) – Patchy (10-50%) – If you visit Convict Lake this week, you won’t be disappointed, but go the following two weeks and you’ll be boasting about what you saw.

ROCK CREEK CANYON

• Rock Creek Rd (9,600′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Whoa! Rock Creek Rd is extraordinary right now, but dropping leaves every day.
• Lower Rock Creek Rd. (7,087′) – Just Starting (0-10%)