Grant Ly admitted that he hadn’t planned to travel to the East Side this past weekend, until he read our 9/30 report, “No Longer Waiting.”
It summarized the dramatic change that had occurred almost instantly in the Eastern Sierra. What had been a week late, caught up in a day or two.
So, Grant began exploring. He was driving along Dunderberg Meadows Road in early morning when he encountered a fellow photographer who described Lobdell as “epic.”
“He was not kidding.” Grant reported, “Lobdell Lake Road has absolutely breathtaking transitions with greens to reds, although it will probably be best toward the end of this week. Driving out of the canyon of aspens and gaining altitude, the view becomes even more incredible looking back west with the Sierra in the background.”
Rock Creek Lake, Mono County (10/2/22) Julie Kirby
With “twirling blankets of leaves … lining the footpaths,” at Rock Creek Lake and the road up to the lake full of color, Julie Kirby was inspired to exclaim, “ooh, ahhh!!!”
She notes that near the boat launch trees are now losing their leaves and vibrance, though wonders if the canyons are less vibrant than previously, expressing disappointment over the color at the entrance to McGee Creek Canyon where aspen that wore deep red last year are now, “dark motley green, with some reds.”
The big plus this autumn is the lack of smoke in the air. Presently, the EPA has the Air Quality Index at Good (41) in Mammoth Lakes. Though, Julie wonders if “maybe the smoke helped turn on the reds last year,” at Surveyor’s Meadow along the South Fork of Bishop Creek (Inyo County), as “the same trees are just pale orange this year.”
For those heading to Convict Lake, hold off. Photos previously submitted are deceiving. Julie reports this location is still mostly green with patches of yellow and brown willows. Construction along the lake edge has put parking at a premium.
Patches of yellow have begun appearing along the June Lake Loop, with yellow aspen near Silver Lake. The best color along the loop is found at Grant Lake, on the straight away before Siver Lake where trees are Near Peak.
Similarly, Kirby reports that near the power station, south of the Silver Lake Resort, the little park there is 70% yellow, but at the resort itself, it’s still Patchy with lots of green.
Still, the June Lake Loop is worth the drive, as from US 395 to Silver Lake, fresh “autumn color can be seen cascading down the face of the mountain near the road.” We rate it as Patchy, but sure to be impressive once it peaks.
Above Silver Lake, June Lake Loop (10/2/22) Julie Kirby
Lower Rock Creek Road (7,087′) – Patchy (10-50%)
Middle Rock Creek Road (8,500′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now.
Upper Rock Creek Road (9,705′) – PEAK (75-100%) GO NOW!
McGee Creek Canyon (8,600′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now.
Upper McGee Creek (9,000′) – PEAK (75-100%) Go Now.
http://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.png00John Poimiroohttp://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.pngJohn Poimiroo2022-10-03 10:35:112022-10-03 10:48:08Go North - Go Now!
North Lake, N Fork Bishop Creek (9/30/22) Julie Kirby
Julie Kirby noticed an interesting difference in the color seen yesterday at opposite ends of Bishop Creek Canyon (Inyo County – US 395). The north fork had noticeable red, the south fork had little.
She also found leaves falling quickly in both locations. Drought may be a reason. So informed and noted, we’ve increased the rating of the North Fork of Bishop Creek to PEAK and are urging color spotters to GO NOW!
As for the South Fork, a lot of green remains to be seen, so it has a way to go.
Surveyor's Meadow, S Fork Bishop Creek (9/30/22) Julie Kirby
Mark Hanning-Lee updates, reporting that all trees within half a mile of Lake Sabrina are peaking. He believes the lake has more water than last year, continuing that peak is also occurring within three miles of South Lake, “which has less water than 2021.”
Mark found only a few trees losing leaves and Past Peak.
Steve Arita visited North Lake and Rock Creek Lake finding them at Peak with less than 10% still green.
North Lake (9,225′) – PEAK (75-100%) GO NOW!
North Lake Road (9,000′) – PEAK (75-100%) GO NOW!
Lake Sabrina (9,150′) – PEAK (75-100%) GO NOW!
Surveyor’s Meadow (8,975′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now.
Rock Creek Lake, Mono County (9,705′) – PEAK (75-100%) GO NOW!
Sagehen Summit (SR 120E – east of Lee Vining) is simply sensational right now. Though, with overnight temps now having dropped to 28 degrees, the color change is occurring rapidly and it likely won’t last but a few days, hours, minutes longer. So, GO NOW! color spotter Bruce Wendler urged after being there, yesterday.
Mammoth Lakes color spotter Angie Plaisted took a day off to see for herself if the Virginia Lakes (Mono County – US 395) were truly at peak. Not only did she confirm that, “Yes, Virginia is at Peak,” but also sent back images that indicate it may last another week.
Mark Hanning-Lee visited on 10/2 and described Virginia Lakes Road as Just Starting at the bottom, Patchy to Near Peak as you climb, Peaking at the lakes and Past Peak beyond the resort along the dirt road. That’s quite a range.
Mono County is no longer waiting for peak conditions. It’s happening everywhere above 9,000′ in elevation and at Sagehen Summit (8,139′).
This is the weekend to see Sagehen at its best, as the color will be much diminished within the following week. There is lots of green mixed into the yellow and orange at Sagehen Summit and Virginia Lakes, which an optimist would read as indicating the peak will last, but both locations are notoriously short lived.
If traveling to Virginia Lakes and have an AWD vehicle, take Dunderburg Meadows Road to Green Creek Road for additional groves of peaking aspen with some red and crimson colors mixed into the landscape.
Peak is also appearing at Rock Creek Lake (9,705″), though lots of green trees are seen on the road leading up to the lake, meaning that peak will continue at this location for another two weeks.
The Bodie Hills, Sonora Pass, Lobdell Lake Road, Conway Summit, McGee Creek Canyon, Convict Lake and Mammoth Lakes Basin all made nice progress this week but are all still at least a week out before approaching peak color.
ROCK CREEK CANYON
Rock Creek Road (9,600’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Rock Creek Lake is ringed with bright color and forests above 9,000′ are at peak. Lower Rock Creek Road is still green, though don’t be disappointed as you drive up the canyon as it is developing quickly and will be gorgeous at the end of the road by this weekend.
McGee Creek Canyon (8,600’) – Patchy (10-50%) – There’s good color to be found up the canyon, if you are willing to hike, making Upper McGee Creek canyon Hike of the Week. Mixed green and yellow leaves are seen at the campground, near US 395. CLICK HERE to read Modern Hiking’s description of the trail.
Around Crowley community (6,781′) – Just Starting (0-10%) – The first glimpses of yellow are seen glowing above the community of Crowley along mountain slopes.
Convict Lake (7850′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
MAMMOTH LAKES
Mammoth Lakes Basin (8,996′) – Patchy to Near Peak (10-75%) Go Now. – Snowcreek is speckled with brightly colored foliage and developing. Devil’s Postpile NM and Rainbow Falls are Near Peak. There is mixed color developing in the Lakes Basin. Some shores are now past peak, while others are still patchy. It’s definitely worth a hike when in Mammoth Lakes – gorgeous scenery!
JUNE LAKE LOOP
June Lake Loop/Hwy 158 (7,654′) – Just Starting (0-10%) – This is estimated to peak Oct. 15 – 20.
Sagehen Summit (9/27/22) Dakota Snider
BENTON & 120 EAST
Sagehen Summit (8,139’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Brilliant yellow and oranges carpet the hillsides, making this location Peak of the Week. There is still some green in the lower section of the dirt road, but GO NOW! as peak will not last more than a week at this location. It should remain spectacular over the weekend and for a few days longer.
LEE VINING / LUNDY
Tioga Pass (9,943′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
Lee Vining Canyon (6,781′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
Lundy Lake & Canyon (7,858′) – Just Starting (0-10%) – The colors get better the higher you hike. Give this a week.
BRIDGEPORT / VIRGINIA LAKES / DUNDERBERG / SUMMERS
Twin Lakes (7,000′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
Bodie Hills (9,419′) – Patchy to Near Peak (10-75%) Go Now. – Some groves near four corners are Near Peak, while the lower elevations are still green. This would be a great ATV/UTV outing this weekend.
Virginia Lakes (9,819’) – Peak (75 -100%) GO NOW! – Yellow groves at Little Virginia Lake peaked today. Still mixed green and lime along the lower section of the Virginia Lakes Road. Some entirely green sections of trees on the north side of Big Virginia. Should be perfect in the coming week.
Conway Summit (8,143) – Patchy (10-50%) – Still very green down below. Closer to 10% with some groves up higher, near 50%, but you’ll need a long lens to capture them from US 395.
Summers Meadow (7,200′) – Just Starting (0-10%) – There’s better color up high near Tamarack, if you have an 4×4.
LOBDELL / SONORA PASS/ WALKER / COLEVILLE / TOPAZ
Lobdell Lake Road (9,274′) – Patchy (10-50%) – Just starting along the road with the best color just below the lake.
Sonora Pass (9,623′) – Patchy (10-50%)
Monitor Pass (8,314′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
West Walker River, Walker, Coleville and Topaz (5,200′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
Groves Above Cardinal Village, M Fork Bishop Creek (9/27/22) Gary Young
How many times has someone told me that?
No one needed to tell Gary Young. He was there last night in Bishop Creek Canyon when the sky burned out and waning sunset light warmed peaking aspen. It was a scene right out of J.R.R. Tolkien’s imagination.
He wrote that he drove up South Lake Road just to see if anything was happening, and found, “The huge Aspen grove just past Bishop Creek Lodge near Mist Falls … still completely green. About a mile up the road is where it changes dramatically. The hillsides have turned yellow, gold and orange. I was not expecting this since four days earlier we were at 10,200 ft above Rock Creek Lake and the colors were still very green.”
With darkness approaching, he decided to see what Hwy 168 had to offer below North Lake and had time to press the shutter once, before the light was gone.
Gary reports “very sporadic color … with still a lot of green mixed in with the color.” In our view, that couldn’t provide better fall color viewing conditions, as it is the blend of colors that provide the most dramatic displays. This week should be glorious on the east side, but then Gary Young has already demonstrated that.
You had to be there.
South Fork Bishop Creek
Mist Falls and the Groves Above Bishop Creek Lodge (8,350′) – Patchy (10 – 50%)
Middle Fork Bishop Creek
Groves Above Cardinal Village (8,550′) – Near Peak (50 -75%) Go Now.
http://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.png00John Poimiroohttp://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.pngJohn Poimiroo2022-09-28 18:48:082022-09-29 10:22:13You Had To Be There
Color spotters often wait until peak to enjoy fall color, though the bright spots of color create visual confetti, even when a scene is Just Starting or Patchy, as captured by Angie Plaisted on an evening walk in Mammoth Lakes.
In a day, fall color transitioned from hardly showing to Near Peak above 9,000′ in Bishop Creek Canyon, as these images of the Groves Above Table Mountain (S Fork Bishop Creek) show.
Parchers Resort staffers report rapid change in Bishop Creek Canyon with, “Trees between 8,000 and 9,000′ lightening quickly and yellow starting to show. But it’s gonna be a minute. This includes popular spots like Mist Falls, Groves above Cardinal Village, Aspendell and the groves around Mt. Glen Camp.” At this pace, by the weekend, all areas above 9,000′ should be Near Peak and some Peaking.
CaliforniaFallColor.com Peak of the Week is Lake Sabrina. Drive of the Week is Bishop Creek Canyon.
Color spotter John Pan was at North Lake on Sunday and confirmed conditions to be Patchy.
North Lake, N Fork Bishop Creek (9/25/22) John Pan
South Lake, Fork Bishop Creek (9/27/22) Michelle Pettit
Convict Lake (9/26/22) John Pan
Pan continued north to Mono County and found Patchy color surrounding Convict Lake – a surprise as Convict is usually a late bloomer.
Elsewhere in Mono County, Linda Hennessy reported Just Starting to Patchy color at the Virginia Lakes, road to Bodie and Twin Lakes. But then, that would be normal at Bodie and Twin Lakes at this point in autumn. Expect a more complete Mono County report on Wednesday.
UPDATED ON 9/28
Southern Inyo County
Mt Whitney Trail (8,360′ to 14,505”) – Patchy to Peak (10-100%) GO NOW!
Whitney Portal (8,375′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
Onion Valley (9,600′) – Patchy (10-50%)
South Fork, Bishop Creek Canyon
South Lake (9,768′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Weir Pond (9,650′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Parcher’s Resort (9,260′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Willow Campground (9,000′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now.
Surveyor’s Meadow (8,975′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now.
Table Mountain Camp (8,900′) – Near Peak (50-75%) Go Now.
