The American idiom, “Close, but no cigar,” came from the mid-20th-century practice of fairground stalls awarding cigars to carnival game winners. If you just missed – which often happened – the barker would tell you, “Close, but no cigar.”
Well, that’s sorta happening up Bishop Creek in Inyo County. Quaking aspen are close to peaking, but not yet enough to win a cigar.
Color spotter Gary Young was there today and reported Lake Sabrina was closest to smoking a stogie, of any location in the Eastern Sierra. The photos he sent confirm that, though we agree that it has just smoldered into the lower end of a Near Peak rating.
Aspen stands across from Bishop Creek Lodge are mostly wearing kelly green, though splashes of yellow are painting high areas of the canyon.
Of course, that can change rapidly. Last year, areas of Bishop Creek Canyon went from Just Starting to Peak in a week, and it peaked prior to the first day of autumn (this coming Thursday).
So, anything can happen this week. If you go, you might just win that cigar.
GO NOW! – Near Peak (50 – 75%) – Lake Sabrina and areas above 9,500′.
Patchy (10 – 50%) – Bishop Creek Canyon (Below 9,500′)
