Fall color reports

Please post your fall color reports here.

About a week ago I returned from a backpack walking the North Lake-Lamarck Col-South Lake loop. All of the aspens I saw, including around the lakes and in the back country, seemed very happy and healthy. The leaves were very shiny and vibrant. No leaves were turning yet. So at least it seems the aspens this year are in good shape in that part of the Sierras.

Here's a report on prospects for Glacier National Park: http://glacierparkphotographer.blogspot.com/2010/09/glacier-national-park-fall-color-update.html

Drove over Carson Pass (Hwy 88) around noon today from the east side; fall is on the way, things are changing on the east side of the pass. Temps in the mid 50's, rain clouds but no rain on my way over. Hope Valley to Caples Lake area: the grasses are a beautiful tawny brown, the willows are golden yellow, aspen leaves are starting their change and some are already yellow, the rabbit brush looks in full bloom - vivid yellow in color, and the meadow at Kirkwood entrance is gorgeous - brown, gold, yellow, with a herd of horses strolling around the meadow. The west side of the pass still mostly green, some changes but not like the east side.

Really not a lot happening yet. Here is where I was able to cover:

Conway Summit, a little change, probably the most I saw the whole weekend, maybe 20%
Lundy: not much at all, even smaller aspens. Some color way up on the hill. 5%
June Lake Loop: Nada, Zilch 0%
Rock Creek: Some color way up there, patches of yellow, seems a tad late, actually. 15-20%
From a distance yesterday could see the area up Bishop Creek was green and greener

I would shoot for the usual first week of October if I were a betting man, maybe even the weekend of the 8th.

and I threw some pics up on my dpreview account for your early fall viewing pleasure:

http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/5129940006/albums/east-sierra-2010

and forgot to add, Twin Lakes, nothing really to report

Not that the past is any predictor of the future, however here is an image from Bishop Creek 1st weekend in October 2006. Above the road to South Lake but below Aspendell.
Paul

And this was taken in the little berg of Aspendell itself same day 2006. My first full year with my Olympus. Seems like there can be great color up higher and as I recall last year 2 weeks before the gathering the color was great around North Lake and blown away by the weekend of.

Sunday September 19, 2010, depending on exposures maybe 10% to 50% of bigleaf maple in the Santa Cruz Mountains have turned yellow or dropped. For those itchin to work some brilliant Bay Area fall color there was alot of this at or near peak too.

http://www.davidsenesac.com/_a-z_evad/IF2156w.jpg

The Eastern Sierra near Bishop is starting to turn. Check out this latest report from Parcher's Resort (9/20):
http://www.parchersresort.net/FallColors.htm

It looks like the meetup may have some decent color in this area in ~ week.

Derek

Twin Lakes, Virginia Lake, and upper Lundy Canyon just beginning to turn. Bottom of Lundy, 395 near Mono Lake, and June Lake Loop are just beginning to get lighter green. Next week should be perfect!

Bishop Canyon is peaking in parts. Check out the report from today!

http://www.parchersresort.net/FallColors.htm

Derek

Hey all

Here is a link to the Sacramento Bee's excellent fall color tracker.

http://www.sacbee.com/2009/09/16/2179852/sierra-fall-colors.html

Monday, October 4, Bishop

Sitting in Starbucks in Bishop. We stayed at a friends house in Aspendell and decided not to shoot this morning because it was raining and totally overcast. We're heading home now. There was lots of new snow evident in the mountains at higher elevations, although none at Aspendell.

North Lake is glorious. Full color on the hill behind the lake. Should be good for a while unless this storm has knocked leaves off. There is good color from just above Cardinal Village Resort looking up the canyon, although it is not at peak yet.

South Lake is past peak, but the canyon just below it is at peak now. Upper Rock Creek is past peak, but the middle canyon is at peak. Nothing happening at June Lake yet.

I'll post some photos soon

Just returned from the Meet and Greet weekend. Spent Sunday and Monday Morning up at North Lake and the Sabrina Lake Basin. Epic Conditions despite the rain. The difference between Sunday and Monday mornings was interesting to say the least. In between rain, the sun did come out, but the wind was blowing like hell at Lake Sabrina this morning, but all of the high peaks behind the lake were covered in a light blanket of snow the sun was out. Hate to report that the leaves are dropping fast despite the peak color above Aspendell . Storms will continue for the next three days and the snow level will be dropping. It is my opinion and I'm no expert that clouds and rain make for better color and the way it darkens the granite is amazing. Will be posting images of course. Came back along June Lake Loop peaks color is at least a week away maybe longer. Still allot of green around all of the lakes and Rush creek Canyon.

Paul

Great presentation, Paul! The colors are wonderful. Thanks for
the update on conditions.

Sorry I missed the meet & greet. Couldn't get out of town till Monday. Bishop Creek in the late afternoon Monday was incredible! 2-3 inches of snow Monday night at & above 4 Jeffries campground. Big contrast between Monday night and Tuesday morning, with everything covered in snow! Many leaves had been knocked down. June Lake nothing happening yet, possibly not even this weekend. There was rain, snow, and ice Tuesday night at Gull Lake. Lundy Canyon is still green up at the beaver ponds. Just a little color before you get to the lake. Color was at its peak on the road to Virginia Lakes. Higher elevations there got snow Tuesday night.

John
AOAphotos.com

I have been following a number of the fall foliage websites the last few weeks and summarizing the results on my blog and posting regular updates. Here is the link to the list of postings http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/category/fall-foliage/

Sandy
Berkeley, CA
Natural History Wanderings
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandysteinman