Crazy Good Below 8,500′; You Missed It Above
“Crazy Good” is how color spotter Jared Smith of Parchers Resort describes fall color conditions between 7,500 and 8,500’ elevation this week. Though, above 8,500’, if you weren’t there this past weekend, you missed one of the most spectacular shows of fall color, ever.
The upper reaches of Bishop Creek Canyon have now dropped much of their leaves, though a few areas still have very beautiful, but also very fragile color.
Peak has moved down to areas like the lower Bishop Creek Canyon, June Lake Loop, Hope Valley and Lake Tahoe.
What we’ve noticed to be consistent this autumn is that once color begins to change at a given elevation, it happens quickly. We had some areas as Just Starting last week, but within days they progressed to full peak.
EASTERN SIERRA – BISHOP CREEK CANYON
Overall Conditions Above 8,500′ Elevation – Peak (75 – 100%) GO NOW!
Jared Smith from Parchers Resort reports that this past week was incredible for fall color, especially last weekend which exhibited an absolute peak at North Lake and Lake Sabrina. An impressive number of weekend visitors traveled to Bishop Creek Canyon for the show. Several areas above 8,500’ still have color yet to develop, though many trees have now lost their leaves.
Because some of the more popular locations in the higher reaches of the canyon like Weir Pond, North Lake and Surveyor’s Meadows were better a week ago, Jared has rated them as Past Peak. Still, there are still lots of postcard quality views above 8,500’ on both sides of the canyon, most notably the groves near and above Parchers Resort, the North Lake Road, the old road between Willow Campground and Parchers, and the Cardinal Mine area which are still at peak color.
Even as much of the color on the mountain slopes has faded or is fading, the aspen along South Lake Road, and both the middle and south forks of Bishop Creek have exploded into full color making for an incredibly scenic drive.
Overall Conditions Between 7,500’ and 8,500′ Elevation – Patchy (10 – 50%)
The difference between this week and last was stunning, especially between the 8,000’ and 8,500’ elevation, where last week’s lime green and patchy yellow turned to brilliant yellow and orange with touches of rosy red.
Jared says it was wonderful to see that for each location passing the peak color mark, a new area in the canyon seemed to turn brilliant and show peak or near peak color to replace it.
Some of the more famous views in the canyon, including Mist Falls and the view up canyon from Aspendell are now showing peak color providing visiting photographers and painters with as much fall color as they could possibly need to inspire their artistic spirit.
With a favorable forecast through the weekend, we’re expecting one more week of crazy good color to enjoy. Jared rates the overall conditions in this elevation range right at 75% of peak. Here’s Jared Smith’s report:
Past Peak (YOU MISSED IT!) – Weir Pond (9,650′)
The canyon wall above the pond is pretty well stripped of color now and even the aspen behind the pond have faded. There are still some brilliant aspen in full fall splendor along either side of South Lake Road but this location certainly isn’t as beautiful as it was last week at this time.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Parchers Camp (9,260′)
Somehow the color around the resort has really held on strong with lots of peak color, mostly yellow and orange, especially on the mountainside to the north of the resort. Some gorgeous old growth aspen behind the resort and along Green Creek are showing some of the brightest and purest yellows in the canyon making for some wonderful forest views. Also noteworthy is the old road along the So. Fork Bishop Creek that flows between the resort and Willow Campground. The sheer granite cliffs have some awesome red shrubbery adding a unique contrast to some of the yellow aspen clinging to the rock. There are also some tremendously large trees which provide a rather awe inspiring canopy to those who wander down from Parchers or up from Willow.
Past Peak (YOU MISSED IT!) – Willow Campground (9,000′)
The aspen along the road around the campground, and to a large degree the aspen within the campground, have past their peak and begun to lose their leaves for the season. Still, some excellent opportunities for color can be found by parking on the shoulder or in front of the gate to the campground and walking up the old road. Some gorgeous yellow and rosy red groves can be found just above the campground and the slow moving stream in this area makes for some gorgeous reflections if you can find the right angle and light. This area is no longer on the must-see list, but it’s certainly worth a stop and on the should-see list.
Past Peak (YOU MISSED IT!) – Lake Sabrina (9,150′)
As incredibly gorgeous as the color still is at Lake Sabrina, the peak color around the reservoir was probably late last week, at least to Jared’s eye. Much of the color has faded or disappeared altogether from the east shore with the best color, especially some seriously bright orange and touches of red, near the back of the lake and all along the inlet stream at the very south end of the lake. The first pond just below the dam and the road from there up to the boat landing is an area that is still showing peak color, and in my opinion is still a must-see for anyone visiting the canyon.
Past Peak (YOU MISSED IT!) – Sabrina Campground (9,000′)
There is still some color hanging around in the campground and along Hwy 168 above the campground but this area was certainly better late last week than what we’re seeing now. Many of the trees have already shed their leaves and most of the yellow aspen are exhibiting some brown spotting, a sure sign that the leaves won’t be around much longer. There are still some wonderful views along the slow meandering stream but it will probably be over by week’s end.
Past Peak (YOU MISSED IT!) – Table Mountain Camp (8,900′)
The groves just below the campground are now mostly kaput but some exceptional color can still be found by walking into the campground itself. The forest floor is littered with soft yellow aspen leaves and the groves across the meadow to the south are still brilliant and just now peaking so there are at least a few great shots to be taken here, even if the color is past peak.
Past Peak (YOU MISSED IT!) – Surveyors Meadow (8,975’)
There is still a lot of color in this area but even so, its past peak. The group of about 20 painters hit the peak on Saturday and we’ve seen a slight decline in the amount of color here each day since. Plenty of yellow and orange can still be viewed, especially along the stream just above the meadow. The aspen on the left side of the road are also showing peak color.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Big Trees Campground (7,800’)
Nothing terribly impressive happening down below the South Lake turnoff yet but we’ll keep an eye on it.
Past Peak (YOU MISSED IT!) – North Lake (9,255′)
North Lake is another must-see location even though it isn’t quite as amazing as it was last week. Especially impressive is the color along the north shore of the lake and along the dirt road. There is also quite a bit of color to the left of the road near the campground gate (which is now closed).
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Stiny Loop above Mt. Glen Camp (8,600′)
While there is one short stretch of stream where the aspens have dropped their leaves, the majority of the color between Mt. Glen Campground and the end of the Stiny Loop is simply gorgeous with lots of yellow and orange. This old dirt road is especially beautiful in the afternoon as the backlit aspen shimmer brilliantly.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Mist Falls and the groves above Bishop Creek Lodge (8,350′)
It doesn’t get any better than what we’re seeing this week down near Mist Falls. The groves from Bishop Creek Lodge all the way up to Mt. Glen Campground are incredibly bright. There is a bit of lime green still yet to turn but for me this contrast of colors makes for an even better view. This week is the week if you want your own photo of this iconic waterfall.
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Aspendell (8,400′)
While there is still some green hanging tough within the small community, there is near peak color both just above and below the homes making for some gorgeous views. This area is absolutely worth a stop when visiting the canyon.
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Groves above Cardinal Village (8,550′)
The scrub aspen on the canyon wall just below Cardinal Pinnacle are mostly gone now but the most brilliant color and the densest groves of aspen are all along the middle fork Bishop Creek from just below Sabrina Campground all the way down past Cardinal Village Resort. This is one of Jared’s all-time favorite views in the Eastern Sierra and it just doesn’t look much better than it does right now.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Four Jeffries (8,000′)
Some really nice color is developing along the So. Fork Bishop Creek in this area, especially between the campground and Bishop Creek Lodge. One stand of aspen is especially impressive showing some really bright red hues. Jared expects this area to peak in the next 7 days if the weather stays favorable.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Intake II (8,000′)
This is probably the best color Jared reports seeing at this small lake, especially between the upper campground and the lake. Some pretty impressive red is showing, along with bright yellow and some nice orange hues too. There is a sprinkling of green among the turning aspen making for some really cool reflection shots early in the morning.
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Finally… June Is Bustin’ Out All Over!
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) June Lake Loop – Mono County color spotter Alicia Vennos reports “It’s like the switch just flipped and Mono County is spectacular everywhere right now, including the June Lake Loop, Lundy Canyon, Convict Lake, Conway Summit, Summer’s Meadow/Green Creek Road and Log Cabin Road (at the bottom of Tioga Pass Road!).
These photos attest to the dramatic turn around in color at lower elevations. She predicts that “this weekend (and next) will be a photographer’s dream.” Plus, what could be better than fall color and beer!? The June Lake Autumn Beer Festival starts Saturday, Oct. 11 at Gull Lake Park. CLICK HERE for more details.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) Little Walker Lake – Aspen above Little Walker Lake on the Bloody Canyon trail to Sardine Lakes are incredible right now. This is a strenuous hike, so plan accordingly. The aspens around the south-west end of Little Walker Lake itself are just starting but should be peaking by next week! To get to Little Walker Lake, take the Parker Lake Road exit from the north end of the June Lake Loop/Hwy. 158 and follow the signs to Walker Lake Trailhead.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Log Cabin Road – Peaking at higher elevations. This dirt road is located at the bottom of the Tioga Pass Road near Lee Vining — it is in fairly good shape with some steep, rocky sections. At the historical cabins, it is advised to park and walk to the best viewpoints which are another 1.5 – 2 miles.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Conway Summit – US 395 between Lee Vining and Bridgeport is gorgeous right now, both on the south and the north sides. Green Creek Road and Summer’s Meadows just south of Bridgeport are also peaking.
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New Fall Color Spot: Big Pine Creek
It’s been there all along. We just never got a fall color report or saw photos of Big Pine Creek Canyon until Scott Turner visited this past weekend.
GO NOW! – Peak (75 – 100%) Big Pine Creek Canyon – This hidden gem lies west of the town of Big Pine in the Eastern Sierra (not to be confused with Pine Creek Canyon, between Bishop Creek and Rock Creek). Scott wrote, “I wasn’t expecting much here, but I was fairly blown away. South Fork Canyon is about 50%. Along the North Fork Trail, the color is patchy until just past the second waterfall, at which point there’s a glorious grove of aspen trees at 100% peak. Every color represented. Probably the best color I saw all weekend. Getting all the way back to Second lake, with its aquamarine waters, added nicely to the color below.”
Scott plans a write up about the trail to appear in ModernHiker.com. He mentions Big Pine Creek is popular among rock climbers and backpackers to gain access to Palisade Glacier. Somehow it got overlooked as a location with compelling fall color.
Now, with Scott Turner’s report of fall color up Big Pine Creek, we challenge color spotters to be the first to send photographs of color up these other Eastern Sierra canyons: Whitney Portal Rd, Onion Valley Rd, Oak Creek Rd or Pine Creek Rd.
San Bernardino Mountains Near Peak
Color spotter Nick Barnhart traveled up to the San Bernardino Mountains this past weekend and got these colorful shots of fall color at Lake Gregory, Green Valley Lake and Big Bear Lake.
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) – San Bernardino National Forest – A mix of black oak, mountain maple, rabbitbrush and aspen are delicately coloring Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Big Bear Lake – Christine, a color spotter visited the famous aspen grove near Big Bear and repots it is peaking. This is probably the last weekend to see it in its glory.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Lake Gregory and Lake Arrowhead – Only about 25% of the trees are showing color.
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Carson Pass Peaking
Today, we chose to search for California’s gold and found it peaking on Carson Pass.
The pass is the high point of State Route 88. It was named after western explorer and scout, Kit Carson, who, in January 1844, proposed that the Frémont Expedition turn west in order to resupply at Sutter’s Fort in present-day Sacramento. Local Indians warned against attempting a winter crossing, but always impulsive, John C Frémont forged on across the Sierra, reaching Sutter’s Fort in March.
Four years later, Mormon emigrants blazed a route along what they called the Carson Trail, from Sly Park, across Carson Pass to the Carson Valley in Nevada. The route they laid out is now called Mormon Emigrant Trail. Our drive in search of golden leaves began on Hwy 50 in Folsom, traveling east along historic gold miner routes to Sly Park where we linked up with the Mormon Emigrant Trail.
The route is getting mixed reviews. We thought there was nice color, though Nanci Knight, a veteran color spotter didn’t see as much orange (true) as she’d seen in past years and thought the yellows to be pale, particularly continuing beyond Hope Valley to Monitor Pass (many trees there got stripped of trees by strong winds, the weekend before last). Nanci also conjectured poetically that the drought has reduced the amount of green growing beneath pines and aspen, “leaving a pervasive dull brown tableau of lifeless, gnarly dead wood/sticks.”
Just Starting (0 – 10%) – Mormon Emigrant Trail – The first color seen is an orange-yellow tinge to black oak leaves at 4,200′. At 7,500′, willows shine bright yellow, though the color spots are so few and far between that the road is hardly worth exploring for fall color, though as a road that is historic, wide, straight and untraveled, Mormon Emigrant has few peers.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – West Slope, Carson Pass (Hwy 88) – As you near Silver Lake, stands of bright yellow aspen speckle the forest at 7,500′ elevation. A particularly good stand of very large, old aspen flickering bright yellow is found on the north side of the highway at elevation 7,200′ at the entrance to the Kirkwood Lake Road.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Kirkwood Mountain Resort – This was the weekend to be hiking goat trails surrounding the Kirkwood Mountain Resort, as color spotter Kevin Cooper (Coop) did to get these shots. The hike got Coop psyched for Kirkwood’s new guided, off-piste backcountry ski experience called Expedition Kirkwood Backcountry that will explore deep powder bowls.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Caples Lake – The east shore of Caples lake has bands of day-glo orange-red and yellow aspen. A nice view is from the fishing access parking area on the west shore of the lake at Caples Lake Resort.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – East Slope, Carson Pass (Hwy 88) – The upper reaches of the Hope Valley near Carson Pass are at full peak. We diverted driving a dirt road toward Red Lake to find a boulevard of yellow, peaking aspen.
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Hope Valley Recreation Area – Blue Lakes Road which travels through the Hope Valley Recreation Area has little color along it. Though there are a few brilliant stands. The best we saw was a boulevard of yellow aspen just beyond the winter road closure gates, after passing the Hope Valley Campground.
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Hope Valley – There’s still quite a bit of green and lime, particularly on the north side of the valley, though too are wide swaths of red, orange and yellow among fir and pine forests.
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Sorensen’s Resort – This popular collection of cabins set in a forest of towering aspen flickers with yellow. Across Hwy 88, large groves of aspen are mostly yellow and orange, though some trees still have green or lime leaves in abundance.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Big Meadow – A little yellow is ringing Big Meadow on State Route 89, north of the Hope Valley, though it is still mostly green and lime. The drive up 89 to the meadow from Hope Valley passes through groves of very green aspen.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – U.S. 50 – Also called the Lincoln Highway, US 50 has a few pockets of yellow aspen on the west slope of its summit at 6,400′; black oak are beginning to be edged with orange and yellow at 5,400′, black cottonwood are turning gold at 3,600′ and bigleaf maple seem almost sun burned with edging of yellow and brown at 3,300′. US 50 is not known for its color, but get off the highway near Placerville onto Newtown Road in late October to mid November, and you’ll drive along branch-draped roads of fall color.
Shasta Cascade Just Starting, to Near Peak
Patchy (10-50%) – Plumas County – This prime fall color destination in the northern Sierra usually peaks mid-October, though changes are already appearing. Color spotter Lisa May reports the dogwood is nearly at peak and changing rapidly. Pinks and soft reds are predicted compared to its usual vibrant red. This weekend’s events include:
- Fall Century Leaf Peeper Bike Rides, Indian Valley, Greenville to Genesee & Antelope Lake, Oct. 4, (530) 284-6633
- Fall Festival, Taylorsville Grange Hall, 11 am – 2 pm, Oct. 4
- Fall Fest, Plumas National Forest, Mt. Hough Ranger District, 11 am – 3 pm, Oct 4 (530) 283-7618
- Smokey the Bear, Quincy Volunteer Fire Department, Courthouse lawn, Quincy at 3:15 pm, Oct. 4
- Words & Music , Patti’s Thunder in Quincy, CA 7 pm, Oct. 4, (530) 283-3402
Patchy (10-50%) – Siskiyou County – Parts of Siskiyou County are beginning to show patches of red and yellow, reports color spotter Ashley Holgarth. Warm days and cool nights will likely lead to accelleration of the color change. Coming events include: McCloud Bike-toberfest, Oct. 11
Just Starting (0-10%) – Shasta County – Color spotter Lisa May says Shasta County is just starting with hints of yellow and lime.
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) Whitmore – Orange and red are already showing says Lisa May. This weekend’s event is the Historic Hawes Farms Oktoberfest on Oct. 4, $10 admission,
Just Starting (0-10%) Trinity County – Weaverville is one of the prettiest places to see fall color in the Shasta Cascage, though it’s just starting now with some lime and yellow among the bigleaf maple. Look for chartreuse wild cucumber along the Trinity River with full peak at the end of October through early November. Next weekend is Weaverville’s Salmon Festival from 10 to 4, on Oct. 11 530-623-6101
Patchy (0 – 10%) Butte County – Another fabulous place to see fall color in the Shasta Cascade is Chico, but with temperatures still in the mid-eighties to lower nineties, there’s not much color change at all, so far. Color spotters there are predicting a late October to mid November show at Bidwell Park and CSU Chico. Color spotter Amanda Secrest of Paradise reports some trees there are beginning to turn lime and red. Join Branford Marsalis and the Chamber Orchestral of Philadelphia on Oct. 9, at 7:30 p.m. at Laxson Auditorium (CSU Chico) for a command performance.
Patchy (10 – 50%) Lassen County – Like the other areas in the Shasta Cascade, Lassen County is reporting mostly patchy yellow and lime in its forests. The Bureau of Land Management office in Chester predicts the trees to peak by the third week of October. Next Saturday (Oct. 11) the LASSEN LAND & TRAILS TRUST’S ‘RAILS TO TRAILS FESTIVAL begins at noon at the Historic Railroad Depot in Susanville.
Just Starting (0 – 10%) Modoc County – California’s remote northeast corner is often overlooked by color spotters, but Paul Bach, a wilderness Ranger for the Modoc National Forest says Aspen and rabbitbrush are beginning to show beautiful color in the Warner Mountains of Northeastern California. The South Warner Wilderness in the Modoc National Forest has some outstanding groves of Aspen to view in the coming month, when it begins to cool. An upcoming event is the Frontier Christmas Fair at the Modoc District Fair Grounds in Cedarville on Nov. 29.
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Yosemite Still Green
Just Starting (0 – 10%) – Yosemite Valley – Kerry Cobb of the NPS public information office notes that dogwood, black oak and bigleaf maple are still green in Yosemite Valley. A large (exotic) sugar maple planted by early settlers near the chapel has not yet changed color, though it is one of the earliest trees to change in the valley. Photo submissions from Yosemite photographers are always appreciated.
Hope Valley Hopeful
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Hope Valley – Color spotter Patty Brissenden reports the aspen surrounding Sorensen’s Resort in the Hope Valley (Hwy 88) are mostly a mix of lime and yellow. She predicts they will approach near peak next week and will require a GO NOW! alert in the coming two weeks.
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Fall Color Hike: Lundy Canyon Trail
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) Mammoth Lakes Basin – Twin Lakes in the Mammoth Lakes Basin is at peak with beautiful orange colors. Other lakes in the basin either lack fall color or are still patchy. Color spotter Kevin Lennox reports erratic uniformity of color among the trees in the Lakes Basin.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Laurel Canyon – Very little color showing at base, though about a fourth of trees have turned at the top of the canyon.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Convict Lake – Convict has lots of yellow just appearing around the lake; Convict Canyon has a way to go.
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) – McGee Creek Canyon – Gorgeous color above 8,500′
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Crowley Lake – Very little color is showing, as yet.
GO NOW! Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Lundy Canyon Trail – Color Spotter Alicia Vennos of Mono County picks Lundy Canyon as a peak hike for this weekend. She reports color at peaking along the trail and in waterfall areas though the Lundy Lake Road and the lake itself are still green. That means the color should be good not just this weekend, but for the following week (wind and weather permitting).
Patchy (10 – 50%) – June Lake Loop – A mix of green, lime and yellow color the aspen surrounding the June Lakes. Brush are painting surrounding mountainsides auburn and orange. June Lake has at least a week to two weeks before peaking.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Saddlebag Lakes – Upper Tioga Pass is at full peak. There aren’t many aspen in this area, though riparian color is beautiful.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Lee Vining Canyon – Similar to June Lakes, it has a way to go before full color.
YOU MISSED IT! Past Peak – Upper Virginia Lakes Road – Wind stripped turned trees at Virginia Lakes, last weekend.
Patchy (10 – 50%) Lower Virginia Lakes Road – Wind swept aspen surrounding Virginia Lakes lost their leaves this past week. Color spotter Steve Wolfe reported “The last half of Virginia Lakes Road at Conway Summit is past peak, with lots of leafless stands, but the first half… is still just this side of “patchy”, with green, lime and yellow stands.”
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Sonora Pass – Most of the color to be seen along Sonora Pass is on the eastern side of the pass. Higher elevations are at full peak with lower groves of aspen a mix of yellow and green.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Walker/Coleville – Very little yellow and orange color is showing among the willows and cottonwood.
Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Monitor Pass – Wind stripped some of the turned color this past week, but leaves that hadn’t turned are now coloring up. Color Spotter Kimberly Kofala reports the white trunks of the aspen contrast nicely with the new color.
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This Is It – Bishop Creek Canyon – Go Now!!!
The beauty continues up Bishop Creek Canyon with most of the color surviving wind and a short-lived dusting of snow on Saturday. Now, California is experiencing a heat wave, with parts of the San Francisco Bay Area predicted to reach near 90 degrees F. That’s very unusual, even in summer. Hot days and cold nights mean intense color and this will likely be the last week where full peak can be seen at the highest elevations. As, Bishop Creek Canyon color spotter Jared Smith has reported two successive weeks of peak color and now a third. Here’s his latest report:
Overall Conditions Above 8,500′ Elevation – Peak (75 – 100%) GO NOW! While Bishop Creek lost some of its fall color this past week, cooler temps over the weekend, which included a dusting of snow and nighttime lows in the 20s. Those prime conditions set off much of the color that was just starting to turn. Peak color still dominates most of the higher elevation locations in the canyon with Parchers Camp, South Lake Road below Weir Pond, the North Lake Road and the approach to Lake Sabrina just below the dam glorious. It is still very much go-time in the Bishop Creek Cayon, evidenced by the legions of tripod-equipped photographers set up near many of the best canyon views. Jared Smith predicts peak color will persist well into next week, weather permitting. Drive carefully when visiting, as lots of photographers throw caution to the wind by setting up their cameras on blind corners on the mountain roads.
Overall Conditions Below 8,500′ Elevation – Patchy (10 – 50%) It was difficult to grade the lower part of Bishop Creek Canyon this week as some areas are starting to pop with touches of yellow, red and orange while other areas are barely showing anything other than lime green. Still, the areas below Aspendell and Bishop Creek Lodge are going to produce some great color over the next couple weeks if the weather holds out, and the forecast as of today looks very favorable with mild temps and light winds.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Weir Pond (9,650′) Aspen on the mountainside above Weir Pond were pretty well stripped of color during the wind storm late last week but thankfully aspen around the pond itself and lining the road are still spectacular. This will probably be the last week of ideal peak color at Weir, but the views are still worth the visit, especially mid-morning when the color reflects off of the surface of the pond the the Sierra Crest looming in the background.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Parchers Camp (9,260′) The color has really arrived in and around Parchers camp, especially on the canyon walls above the cabins. Also looking gorgeous are the trees along Bishop Creek in between Willow Campground and the resort. It’s hard to know how long the color is going to stick around here but I’d have to guess we’ve got a week of color continuing to develop before it’s all said and done.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Willow Campground (9,000′) Although somewhat of a wind-tunnel late last week, the color within the campground and on the canyon walls above the campground and along the beaver pond just past the campground are still looking beautiful. Not much in the way of red here but beautiful yellow and some orange are showing.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Sabrina Campground (9,000′) The brilliant red & orange aspen at the entrance of the campground have now started to fade. However, the view up Hwy 168 is still exceptional and the aspen above and within the campground are near at or very near peak color. The middle fork of Bishop Creek that runs through the campground is a nice slow crystal clear stretch of stream making for excellent reflections and gorgeous views.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Table Mountain Camp (8,900′) Aspen lining the creek within the campground are taking center stage with brilliant yellow and orange surrounding a grassy meadow that is coursed by a meandering and slow, trout-filled stream. The hillside just below the campground is still photo-worthy but less spectacular than last week. Just below the campground is Steiny Loop, a cool dirt road that winds away from South Lake Road along the western bank of Bishop Creek, So. Fork. The color is really popping even though there is still a touch of green left to change.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – Surveyors Meadow (8975ft) The green is just about gone now with the exception of evergreens along the stream and mixed in with larger aspens, providing spectacular views. Jared doesn’t recall ever seeing so much orange and red here but says it’s certainly welcome while it lasts. This was another area that was thought would be damaged by last week’s wind though Jared says he was pleasantly surprised by the vitality and vibrancy of the color between the meadow and the Tyee Lakes Trailhead bridge, especially on the right hand side of South
GO NOW! Near Peak – (50 – 75%) – Lake Sabrina (9,150′) This is an unusal report, as last week Lake Sabrina was at full peak… this week nearing peak. That’s because the color was stripped by wind this past week, though Lake Sabrina still has lots of color left to see, especially towards the inlet side of the lake. What color was lost was replaced by spectacular color which developed just below the dam and all along the road down to Sabrina Camp. Especially noteworthy are the small ponds just as you approach the dam. This is probably the last week of good color around the reservoir but the color just below will to continue to get better for the next week or so.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) – North Lake (9,255′) Aspen along the shoreline near the outlet are as brilliant as Jared has ever seen them and are now extremely impressive. Also of note is the gorgeous view of the dirt road that goes along the east shore of the lake. Some really attractive pockets of red are to be seen, though some of the color up on the mountain was stripped over the weekend. Nonetheless, the North Lake area is probably the hottest color spot in the canyon as of now. Not to be missed are the aspen within the campground itself or on the canyon wall near the grass lake inlet. Watch out for photographers driving in this area as they seemed to be set up in the middle of the road or stopping their vehicle in the middle of the road all over the place up here. Can’t blame them, the views are insane right now.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Steiny Loop above Mt. Glen Camp (8,600′) Jared mentioned the Steiny loop in the Table Mountain report and does so again, here. The campground at Mt. Glen is still patchy but it is really starting to exhibit some brilliant pure yellow in areas. Still enough green here to go with a patchy rating however just above the campground, the aspen are really starting to pop. This area should be near peak or peak by this time, next week.
GO NOW! Peak (75 – 100%) S. Fork, Bishop Creek – Color spotter Steve Wolfe says the South Fork of Bishop Creek “is great, at 75-100% from South Lake down to about a mile above Bishop Creek village, then it’s patchy. Seems we’ll have a glorious fall here in the eastern Sierra after all!” Steve is of the opinion that the color will last another week in the Bishop Creek Canyon, with temps in the 60s to 70s during the day and overnight lows in the 30s, ideal conditions for intense color.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Mist Falls and the groves above Bishop Creek Lodge (8,350′) Still patchy at Mist Falls, but the deep dark green is turning lime green and yellow increasingly, each day. The best views of this area are probably a week or so out, possibly more, but photographers are already setting up along South Lake Road to get a view of the famous waterfall. Just Starting (0 – 10%) – Aspendell (8,400′) Lime green dominates the aspen at Aspendell but it has lightened considerably since last week. Aspen high up on the mountain near Cardinal Pinnacle are starting to fade a bit, but larger old-growth aspen are going to look pretty impressive.
GO NOW! Near Peak – (50 – 75%) – Groves above Cardinal Village (8,550) Like Sabrina Lake, this area also lost some color, particularly below Cardinal Pinnacle, but the lower aspen surrounding Cardinal Village and up towards Cardinal Mine are still looking amazing. This is another area that Jared downgraded as the loss of turned leaves means it is now again moving toward another peak, probably in a week, once the rest of the aspen at Cardinal Village finish turning. It’s hard to beat the view of the peaks above Sabrina with this gorgeous grove of aspen below and along the creek cascading down from Sabrina Camp above.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Four Jeffries Some really nice patches of color are now showing in and around this campground just a mile down from Bishop Creek Lodge. Some orange, yellow and even a bit of red has developed this week but we’ve got a lot more color to come here.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Intake II This small lake is somewhat of an enigma as most of the aspen all around the lake are still green as green can be but near the bubble hole on the right hand side of the dam there is a big patch of bright orange & red. Also some nice red showing on the west side of the lake. Just Starting – (0 – 10%) – Big Trees Campground Very little color is visible at this lower elevation campground. The aspens are huge here and can be quite spectacular during peak color. I’m guessing we’re at least a couple weeks from seeing much here. [weatherlayer country=”United States” city=”Bishop”]