I was in Lee Vining area with Preston on the 1st of October and the trees were just really getting a good start. I have just returned today after a killer storm blew in about the time Dan B. and Lon O. had arrived at Preston's campsite on the 4th. Thursday the 4th we had SEVERE winds all day, pretty much eliminating any foliage shots. On Friday the 5th it really unloaded with a healthy storm closing the passes on the eastern side. I lost contact with the team after midday on Thursday as I was shooting in other areas.
Good luck to anyone headed up to the area in the next few days with possible weather improvements.
Cory, sorry we could not link up today in Bishop. I have a new cell phone and have missed many calls of late. Anyway, we will try later in the season, take care!
Posted by Cory Freeman on October 7, 2007 at 3:34 AM
Hey Paul! Hope you got some good shots to bring home! Ya, sorry we couldn't meet up. I was up in the buttermilks for sunrise shots at 6am. It was a little cold out freshly fallen snow on the ground. Luckily there wasn't any wind this morning. But no clouds to the west I spent the entire morning exploring and photographing an area I hadn't been before. It was a beautiful morning in the buttermilks!! Hopefully we can hookup early winter down in LP. How was the color in Lee Vining area?
Cory, color was just really getting good as I left the area. It was changing on a daily basis the whole time Preston and I were there. You could witness the change over the days right around Preston's campsite along the Lee Vining creek below Tioga Pass. The wind was the biggest deterrent over my trip up there, but I had a very good time even with some of the down time due to weather.
Posted by Lon Overacker on October 9, 2007 at 2:38 AM
Paul,
Hey, I know you think that Dan and I brought the cold front with us... but then after you left, it all cleared up... :-) Just razzin' ya... Mother nature has no schedule.
Lon, it was a great time all around. I really like the shot of the CANP folks Dan had posted from Preson's campsite area. It shows a really great group of photographers having a good time, weather permitting of course.
Posted by David Senesac on October 10, 2007 at 2:13 PM
Good to read others here made the eastern journey again. By Tuesday October 2 the NWS forecast discussions pretty much had firmed up a forecast that said there would be high winds then an exceptional cold storm event Friday. Given previous similar storms in prior yearsI knew that likely spelled the end of the better aspen photography this fall which became the case.
Thus I left for the eastside Wednesday morning October 3 with most of my time between Rush and Virgina Creek basins. The Wednesday afternoon and especially Thursday high winds blew leaves off changing leaves in most of the higher groves. Typical was the giant grove one can see below Mount Wood from US395. At noon Wednesday that grove appeared to have a nice range of color without areas of leaf-less trees. By Thursday afternoon that grove was looking mostly bare. When we checked it again on Sunday morning what trees remained looked brown in the distance. Whole groves in other areas went from peaking to ugly within three days.
We had 5 inches of fresh snow about our vehicles at 8300 feet on Friday evening with the temperature dropping to 18 degrees by sunrise. Saturday morning was a glorious event for photography and we spent that time within an obscure wind protected color peaking cathedral-like grove of tall aspen that showed little effect from the winds or storm.
Interesting that Cory visited one of my favorite photography areas after the storm because I also headed south and camped there later Sunday night. Then spent early Monday morning with a nice sky of high clouds working that area awhile. Most of the lower elevation snow had melted during a sunny Sunday while peaks still had nice coats of white. As usual at this time of year, much of its rabbitbush still showed their yellow blooms while berry bushes were nicely red. Curious about what the storm did along Bishop Creek areas, I drove up mid morning into the South Fork of Bishop Creek and saw anything above the Big Trees campground looked useless. At Table Mountain trees still had most leaves attached but were an absolutely ugly dark brown. Later on the Internet CDEC site I noted the remote South Fork Bishop Creek weather station recorded a Saturday morning low of 13 degrees. Total leaf killer.
The storm's exit also provided a few days of stellar clear air quality, so sunny late afternoon Monday headed north for South Tufa where I was happy to see very light breezes for intended reflection images where I hopefully captured some tufas within exceptional dusk pink skies.
Well like other view camera film folks I have to worry several days before my lab processes and returns my 46 sheets of Provia 4x5 film. ...David
Posted by Cory Freeman on October 10, 2007 at 4:14 PM
Sounds like you covered a lot of ground David! I was at North Lake all morning Friday and on the sough fork side all afternoon. Sat. morning a friend and I were in the Buttermilks at 7000' for sunrise shots. I was afraid it would be windy, but thankfully it wasn't. With just a little snow on the ground it wasn't too cold. I'm looking forward to seeing some images soon!
Discussion
6 repliesGood luck to anyone headed up to the area in the next few days with possible weather improvements.
Cory, sorry we could not link up today in Bishop. I have a new cell phone and have missed many calls of late. Anyway, we will try later in the season, take care!
Hey, I know you think that Dan and I brought the cold front with us... but then after you left, it all cleared up... :-) Just razzin' ya... Mother nature has no schedule.
Great meeting you and having a meal at Nicely's
Lon
Thus I left for the eastside Wednesday morning October 3 with most of my time between Rush and Virgina Creek basins. The Wednesday afternoon and especially Thursday high winds blew leaves off changing leaves in most of the higher groves. Typical was the giant grove one can see below Mount Wood from US395. At noon Wednesday that grove appeared to have a nice range of color without areas of leaf-less trees. By Thursday afternoon that grove was looking mostly bare. When we checked it again on Sunday morning what trees remained looked brown in the distance. Whole groves in other areas went from peaking to ugly within three days.
We had 5 inches of fresh snow about our vehicles at 8300 feet on Friday evening with the temperature dropping to 18 degrees by sunrise. Saturday morning was a glorious event for photography and we spent that time within an obscure wind protected color peaking cathedral-like grove of tall aspen that showed little effect from the winds or storm.
Interesting that Cory visited one of my favorite photography areas after the storm because I also headed south and camped there later Sunday night. Then spent early Monday morning with a nice sky of high clouds working that area awhile. Most of the lower elevation snow had melted during a sunny Sunday while peaks still had nice coats of white. As usual at this time of year, much of its rabbitbush still showed their yellow blooms while berry bushes were nicely red. Curious about what the storm did along Bishop Creek areas, I drove up mid morning into the South Fork of Bishop Creek and saw anything above the Big Trees campground looked useless. At Table Mountain trees still had most leaves attached but were an absolutely ugly dark brown. Later on the Internet CDEC site I noted the remote South Fork Bishop Creek weather station recorded a Saturday morning low of 13 degrees. Total leaf killer.
The storm's exit also provided a few days of stellar clear air quality, so sunny late afternoon Monday headed north for South Tufa where I was happy to see very light breezes for intended reflection images where I hopefully captured some tufas within exceptional dusk pink skies.
Well like other view camera film folks I have to worry several days before my lab processes and returns my 46 sheets of Provia 4x5 film. ...David