Just a quick update on the changes to date up at Lee Vining. Things have been really slow in getting started on the fall color changes up to now. However, starting today it looks very good and should improve each day going forward. The rough weather, mainly the wind, made photographing the aspen groves difficult if not impossible at times. However, it seemed as though Sunday morning, today, was going to be much nicer and hopefully it remains as such for the rest of the week.
MANY of the CANP group made the lunch outing at the Mobile station located at the base of Tioga Pass yesterday. And, it was a total success with regard to an extremely fine turn out overall.
A special thanks goes out to Lon Overacker for coming up with the great idea that seem to fit into a lot of the schedules for the folks that were on the east side during that time period.
It was a great pleasure for me personally to finally meet many of you and be able to place not only names and faces together, but to also see some amazing portfolios that were brought along and shared with us all by a few of the people who passed them around at the luncheon. Exceptional work throughout!! Thank you all for sharing them.
For those that made the trek to the eastern sierras again this year, I sure hope you all had a good time as well as coming back home safely with many new keepers too!
Posted by Richard Wong on October 5, 2008 at 6:14 PM
Glad you guys had a great time Paul. I left Mammoth for home around sunrise yesterday morning. It was raining pretty hard and snowing somewhat there. I was licking my lips as I drove past the turnoff for 168. Hopefully someone has pictures from the snow.
Richard and Benjamin, sorry that you both missed this lunch get together. From my point of view it was a perfect fit all around. The mid-day weather and light was off enough that I think most were able to give up the shooting time and just enjoy an easily obtained lunch at the Mobile station. The outdoor seating area was really the final touch for a large gathering and the weather gave us a break long enough to take as much time as we wanted.
As our state is so large and spread out, it is difficult for us to get together too often, but we can sure work on small outings with others when they arise as I know many do now. I sincerely hope to meet you both sometime in the near future.
Posted by Cory Freeman on October 5, 2008 at 7:38 PM
thanks for the update Paul! Sorry I wasn't able to make it. I found something in the buttermilks on friday I wanted to reshoot on sat during the storm. Sounds like you all had a good time. did you get any snow down there in LV? From reports I've read online it is still pretty green up that way, at least as of sat. I was at Mcgee and convict yesterday. Mcgee is good to about the pack station. convict still green around the shore, colors up above the lake at the backside. Bishop creek, north fork side and north lake got hammered by people and wind yesterday. glad I got my shots in last weekend.
Perhaps a meeting in the alabamas during a weekend in the winter is possible?
Hey Cory, yep, it is a REAL slow start to the color changes this year. As I stated, things are just starting in LV as of recent dates. Hopefully, Preston, Harley, and others that either hang up there for awhile or go up there soon will have more color overall.
Your updates have been helpful to many of us as time has gone by. I did shoot a few shots in McGee Creek this morning on my way out also. Traveling in and out in the dim light it still looked like it had more to go yet too.
Yes, I will no doubt be making another venture up to LP in the winter like many of the previous years, hopefully there will be good snow cover again for us.
Cory, by the way I drove on the new stretch of pavement you all have laid down over the past several months, works great.
Posted by Lon Overacker on October 7, 2008 at 3:14 AM
Thanks for the update Paul. Yes, it was a great trip. I've made many a trip to the Eastern Sierra and I think this one will rank as one of the most memorable - thanks in part to being able to meet so many people.
I just returned today, so I should probably provide an update to those who are still considering heading over to the east side. Personally, I think the color is pretty scattered this year - good and bad. Good in the sense that the colors that are out seem deeper and richer with deep yellows, oranges and even red. Bad, because the color is not consistent in the places I visited. In summary:
June Lake Loop - Still mostly green, but coming along nicely. Grant lake is at it's lowest I've ever seen and the aspens at the inlet are a mix of spent and deep green; a bust. Nice color along the west facing slopes and along Rush creek between Grant and Silver lakes. Silver lake picnic area a mix of green and yellow. JLL should be great next weekend
Lee Vining Canyon. Great color around the campgrounds, but still mostly green further up the canyon, near Aspen campground.
Lundy Canyon. A lot of green and should be great in coming days. A great mix of greens, yellows, orange and a few red trees as well. The classic stand of aspen above the upper beaver pond is still green!
Virginia Lakes. most a bust IMHO. Trees spent above 9,000ft and scattered color at lower elevation.
Conway Summit. Mix of completely spent trees, GREEN, and mix of yellows.
Dunderberg/Green Lakes Roads, didn't go there, but Rick Dunn reported some great color. Might be gone by now though.
Anyway, overall, the northern part still has some color to come out and should provide a good show for the next couple of weeks assuming the weather holds.
It was a very memorable trip for me as well. We were a bit early for the blazing color that we normally hear of, but it was still very much worth the trip.
It should be real nice every where in the coming week.
Lon and Harley, it was really great to finally meet you two and photograph with you as well. I can't wait to see what you guys saw out there.
Posted by Richard Wong on October 8, 2008 at 1:09 AM
I drove up to Tioga Pass last week but didn't know where Lee Vining Canyon was. Did I pass it?
Posted by Lon Overacker on October 8, 2008 at 1:13 AM
Richard,
If you drove up Tioga pass from the east, you were in Lee Vining Canyon. :-) You would have had to get off highway 120 though to get to any of the campgrounds, fall color etc.
Lon
Posted by Richard Wong on October 11, 2008 at 1:08 AM
Thanks for the tip Lon. I guess I was looking for like marked signs stating it was Lee Vining Canyon. You know, the tourist mentality...
Discussion
10 repliesMANY of the CANP group made the lunch outing at the Mobile station located at the base of Tioga Pass yesterday. And, it was a total success with regard to an extremely fine turn out overall.
A special thanks goes out to Lon Overacker for coming up with the great idea that seem to fit into a lot of the schedules for the folks that were on the east side during that time period.
It was a great pleasure for me personally to finally meet many of you and be able to place not only names and faces together, but to also see some amazing portfolios that were brought along and shared with us all by a few of the people who passed them around at the luncheon. Exceptional work throughout!! Thank you all for sharing them.
For those that made the trek to the eastern sierras again this year, I sure hope you all had a good time as well as coming back home safely with many new keepers too!
As our state is so large and spread out, it is difficult for us to get together too often, but we can sure work on small outings with others when they arise as I know many do now. I sincerely hope to meet you both sometime in the near future.
Perhaps a meeting in the alabamas during a weekend in the winter is possible?
Your updates have been helpful to many of us as time has gone by. I did shoot a few shots in McGee Creek this morning on my way out also. Traveling in and out in the dim light it still looked like it had more to go yet too.
Yes, I will no doubt be making another venture up to LP in the winter like many of the previous years, hopefully there will be good snow cover again for us.
Cory, by the way I drove on the new stretch of pavement you all have laid down over the past several months, works great.
I just returned today, so I should probably provide an update to those who are still considering heading over to the east side. Personally, I think the color is pretty scattered this year - good and bad. Good in the sense that the colors that are out seem deeper and richer with deep yellows, oranges and even red. Bad, because the color is not consistent in the places I visited. In summary:
June Lake Loop - Still mostly green, but coming along nicely. Grant lake is at it's lowest I've ever seen and the aspens at the inlet are a mix of spent and deep green; a bust. Nice color along the west facing slopes and along Rush creek between Grant and Silver lakes. Silver lake picnic area a mix of green and yellow. JLL should be great next weekend
Lee Vining Canyon. Great color around the campgrounds, but still mostly green further up the canyon, near Aspen campground.
Lundy Canyon. A lot of green and should be great in coming days. A great mix of greens, yellows, orange and a few red trees as well. The classic stand of aspen above the upper beaver pond is still green!
Virginia Lakes. most a bust IMHO. Trees spent above 9,000ft and scattered color at lower elevation.
Conway Summit. Mix of completely spent trees, GREEN, and mix of yellows.
Dunderberg/Green Lakes Roads, didn't go there, but Rick Dunn reported some great color. Might be gone by now though.
Anyway, overall, the northern part still has some color to come out and should provide a good show for the next couple of weeks assuming the weather holds.
Lon
It should be real nice every where in the coming week.
Lon and Harley, it was really great to finally meet you two and photograph with you as well. I can't wait to see what you guys saw out there.
If you drove up Tioga pass from the east, you were in Lee Vining Canyon. :-) You would have had to get off highway 120 though to get to any of the campgrounds, fall color etc.
Lon