Hope Against Hope
A year ago, Philip Reedy took a self-portrait fishing Red Lake Creek in the Hope Valley. Yesterday, he took a similar photograph. The comparison of color and weather are fascinating.
Though, what is most interesting between the two is how similar the color is in photographs taken four days apart, a year later. Other than the snow and sky, the trees are at very similar stages of color development. Four more days and the aspen seen behind the cabin will be more orange, as they were when photographed last year.
As Reedy pointed out last week, the Hope Valley may have the most consistent change anywhere in the Sierra Nevada.
Presently, from Carson Pass down to Wylders on CA 88, “almost every tree has changed and many have already dropped their leaves,” Reedy reports, “It still looks great, but I would go in the next few days before more trees are bare for the winter.”
“The road to Woods Lake is still gorgeous and unlike Monday at dawn, there were quite a few people driving by to enjoy the colors,” he continues. Red Lake Creek and its oft- photographed cabin is still looking good, though across the road the trees are now pretty bare.
Groves on the north end of the pasture near the junction with Blue Lakes Road, “still look great,” and the grove “west of Picketts Junction ranges from bare trees to full color.” Reedy suggests parking in the USFS dispersed camping area for a “leisurely walk to enjoy the range of colors.”
However, peak has now lasted near two weeks in the Hope Valley, so green areas are nearly gone and leaves are falling. Go immediately, if you don’t want to be disappointed by finding only bare branches.
- Hope Valley (7,300′) – PEAK (75-100%) GO NOW!
