Mammoth Lakes color spotter Josh Wray drove his 4 x 4 into the High Sierra to score a report from Laurel Canyon, and what a find!
CaliforniaFallColor reported about Laurel Canyon a few years ago, but we were early and missed the show. So, we’ll give Josh color spotter creds as the first to post a complete report with photos from the Laurel Lakes Road that travels up into the canyon.
As seen in his beautiful photographs, the area is dazzling. Josh advises, however, that the road is driveable only by a 4WD vehicle with high clearance, making it impossible for an average vehicle to drive. He drove off-road with friends and “stumbled upon the beautiful colors that are filling mountainsides and valleys.”
He writes that bright “orange and yellow are flowing down from higher elevations and meeting up with the lush dark green pine and aspen of the valley floor. It really is incredible right now… and we expect to see the colors become even more glorious in the next week or two.”
Note that many of the aspen are lush and deeply green, while others have turned or are in the transition of turning.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Laurel Canyon – Deep green pines offer contrast to multicolored aspen with orange-yellow willows and bright yellow rabbitbrush accenting the scene. The contrast of red rocks, firey skies and blazing color will only get better in the coming weeks. Getting off road to scenes like this is why you visit Mammoth Lakes.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Twin Lakes – Bright green is starting to turn yellow surrounding Twin Lakes in Mammoth Lakes.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Lake George – Orange is now present, which was a fast transition from last week’s developing color. Josh recommends driving to the Mammoth Lakes Basin up Old Mammoth Road until it connects with Hwy 203. Changing aspen are visible starting at Snowcreek Golf Course all they way to the Lakes Basin.
