Fall Color Conditions For Bishop Creek Drainage-South Fork

Well Lon wanted me to keep y'all posted on fall color conditions and I thought that was a good idea. So here it is for the south fork side of the Bishop Creek Drainage.
I went up tonight after work and took a few representative shots of the area right off the highway. The rabbit brush, I think that's what it is, if not let me know, is well into bloom above 7000', below they are just about to flower. Most of the grass has or is turning golden yellow, except right along the creek. Oh, and the bitterbrush is starting to turn a little yellow along it's edges. The aspens in select locations are starting to turn on some leaves, but, overall are still pretty green. Though a lot of leaves are turning a lighter shade of green. Overall it's still pretty early and for this novice hard to tell when peak will be.

The temps have been very nice in bishop the last couple days, with early morning temps in the mid to high forties. Definetely fall like feel in the morning and evenings compared to just last week when we were much warmer. I've attached a couple shots which I though would be representative of the canyon above 8000'. All the shots were taken on the south drainage side(i.e. south lake side) above Habeagers and below Parchers. I'll give an update when I see a significant change from today. Another source for fall color is the Bishop Chamber's website.

FC2

FC3

FC4

FC5

Thanks for the info, Cory! Please keep us updated.

In an article in our local paper (written by a plant biologist) California is experiencing a 'faux fall'. Due to the lack of moisture, many trees and plants are showing yellowing leaves, or lighter color green leaves because the plants are conserving available moisture and energy. Since it takes water and energy to make chlorophyl, some leaves will be lighter green, or may 'go yellow'.

It is definitely early for the rabbit brush, though. It is doing the same thing in my Sonora Pass country. It is likely that lack of moisture is causing the early bloom.

The Range is the driest I have seen it since the 76-77 drought. We better get good snow and rain this year, or we're going to be in a pickle.

Thanks again for the update!

-PB

Merci also!!
I am sending your website to some friends in the SoCal area so they can watch your webcam ;-)
We make kamikaze trips and meet in the middle for the Fall color in Eastern Sierra or Yosemite.

Preston, is it your best guess that one cold snap and by the 2nd with wind and they will be gone?

in gratitude,
Nelcha

Thanks Nelcha and Preston. Any chance we'll be having a CANP fall get together here in the Eastern Sierra?

Nelcha wrote,

"...is it your best guess that one cold snap and by the 2nd with wind and they will be gone?"

Nelcha, I don't have the foggiest. I haven't seen a long range forcast, but a cold snap, and/or bad weather could occur at any time. Last year we had really cold weather, and even a little snow at Bishop Creek at the end of the first week October, and again at Big Pine Creek a few days later. A few years ago, I got snowed on in Lee Vining Canyon on October 2nd. It's really a crap shoot; so we "pays our nickel and takes our chance"

-PB.

1st cold snap might be on it's way???
Last week was 105 here (Sacto) and by the end of this week
and into next they are only forecasting 80"s.
So might be colder at HIGHer elevations??
Please keep us alerted of HIGHer forecasts, OK?
All referrals of new links we can use are appreciated...
Thanks

in gratitude,
Nelcha

Thanks for offering to share this information with the rest of us. Very nice of you.

Regards.

Looks like the first fall cold front will move across the Sierra this week as NWS forecast models have firmed up. Possibly several inches of snow above 8k though at this time of year with warm ground temps, such snow even if it piles up some, quickly will melt from below due to still high ground temps. Ought to at least provide a good early kick to starting the fall leaf changes. We could use any precipitation in order to simply wash off all the dust and pine pollen off everything that tends make fall photography so grubby. It has been an odd weather year in California. A dry winter followed by a dry though mild temperature summer. I have to wonder if we are finally going to see a wet early October. Such were more common during my California childhood slogging through fall mud puddles on the way to school. Octobers the last two decades before the last week of the month have been rather dry except for occasional snow dusting atop the Sierra.

So is there camping in your front yard Cory?

@David: yep, a storm is coming with much cooler temps this wed-fri. The local weathermen are saying the high country might get a dusty of snow. I sure hope so. To go along with one of the colder winters in bishop this year, summer has been one of the hottest on record for bishop as well; for the number of consecutive days of 100 degree temps, or something to that effect.

Michael: sorry, no vacancy in frontyard, but I have a really BIG backyard to play and camp in!!