Elliot McGucken Captures Glory
Photographer Elliot McGucken knew to GO NOW! and traveled to Bishop Creek Canyon over the past few days to capture these glorious images of the canyon at peak color.
If you’ve done similarly, email your best photos to: editor@californiafallcolor.com
We’ll post them for those to enjoy who can’t GO NOW!.
Parker Lake: Don’t Delay or You Might Miss It.
Kevin Lennox was at Parker Lake yesterday and reports the hike from the parking lot to the lake (2 miles) was past peak, but once he reached the lake, a rolling peak was occurring where some aspen were still green or lime, while others were yellow and orange. He estimates another week of peak color at Parker Lake, though don’t delay as “conditions are progressing fast.”
Parker Lake – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Mountain Warfare Training Center’s Bright Side
The Mountain Warfare Training Center (MWTC) is where United States Marines train for combat in mountain and winter conditions in mountainous terrain. MWTC is situated on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, northwest of Bridgeport, Calif.
Each autumn, the MTWC becomes draped in fall color when aspen turn along CA-108 (Sonora Pass).
Meadowcliff Resort’s Tim Fesko happened by yesterday and returned with this trio of autumn leaves to be seen at the MWTC. He estimates that this area should have about two more weeks of peak color.
Mountain Warfare Training Center, CA-108 – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
Red Lake is Green, Lime, Yellow and Orange
Color spotter Phillip Reedy visited Red Lake along Carson Pass, east of Kirkwood, and found the aspen peaking with a kaleidoscope of green, lime, yellow and orange to be seen.
There’s so much color yet to develop, that Philip forecasts, Hwy 88 should have a rolling peaks for the next couple of weeks (conditions permitting).
Full Peak Above 9,000′ – GO NOW!
It’s peaking at the highest elevations in Bishop Creek Canyon (Inyo County) and that has color spotters wondering if autumn is arriving early. Actually, it’s right on time.
It always seems early when areas above 9,000′ in the Eastern Sierra peak in September, but that’s actually quite normal. Lake Sabrina, South Lake and North Lake often peak before October.
Kevin Lennox, a color spotter from Pasadena, was there today and assessed North Lake as Past Peak. Here’s what you’re likely to see this weekend:
Overall Conditions Above 8,500’ – Peak (75-100%) – It’s time to head to Bishop Creek Canyon to see high areas of the canyon at peak. All the highest areas are peaking, some are being reported as approaching Past Peak.
Overall Conditions Between 7,500’ and 8,500’ – Just Starting (0%-10%) to Patchy (10-50%) – Most of the lower canyon is still just starting, though areas between 8,000 and 8,500 are still patchy or just starting at the lowest elevations.
Weir Pond (9,650’) – Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! – The canyon wall above the pond are peaking with yellow and some orange. Aspen around the pond’s shoreline are now more yellow than lime.
Parchers Resort (9,260’) – Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! – The canyon walls to the east and west of the resort are brightly painted with yellow, orange and rose, as are many of the aspen on the resort grounds.
Willow Campground (9,000’) – Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! – This area has really developed in the past week with yellow filling in. Views up canyon from the campground are beautiful but the campground and the aspen lining the road and the beaver pond are a mix of lime and fresh yellow.
Table Mountain Camp (8,900’) – Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! – The mountainside just down canyon from the campground is covered with brilliant yellow and a touch of orange. The aspen along the creek are now filling in with lime and yellow.
Surveyors Meadow (8,975’) – Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! – Surveyor’s meadow is gorgeous, though there are still many more stands to turn. This area should remain at peak for two weeks (conditions permitting).
Lake Sabrina (9,150’) – Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! – Lots of orange color can be seen at the lake along the back slopes that descend to the lake and along the eastern shoreline. The highest color will likely not last another week.
Sabrina Approach (9,100’) – Peak (75-100%) – The approach to Sabrina and the small ponds below the dam are full of bright orange and yellow aspen.
Sabrina Campground Area (9,000’) – Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! – The aspen along Hwy 168 are going off in a big way right now and are at peak.
North Lake (9,255’) – Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! – The approach to the lake and the groves on the mountainside above the lake are now at low peak color. More yellow is appearing along the road, though it will be another week to full peak on North Lake Road.
Mist Falls and the groves above Bishop Creek Lodge (8,350’) – Patchy (10-50%) – Yellow is filling in.
Aspendell (8,400’) – Just Starting (0 – 10%) – Cold nights have pushed the color, with a lot more yellow appearing in this neighborhood.
Groves above Cardinal Village (8,550’) – Peak ( 75-100%) GO NOW! – The canyon slope from above Cardinal Village up to Cardinal Pinnacle is at peak. More lime and yellow are now showing near the middle fork of Bishop Creek and surrounding Cardinal Village; give it another week for peak color there.
Four Jeffries (8,000’) – Just Starting (0 – 10%) – Still scattered yellow branches.
Intake II (8,000’) – Patchy – (10 – 50%) – Lime and yellow, scrub aspen on the hillside have turned.
Big Trees Campground (7,800’) – Just Starting – (0 – 10%) – Still green
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Need we say more?
When Should I Go?
“When should I go?” is the most common question we receive.
“Go Now!” is our response. Don’t put off visiting an area if it is Near Peak or, certainly, at Peak. As, when a location is peaking it only has two weeks – at most – of peak color to be seen at that elevation.
Each photo posted on this site, identifies when and where it was taken. We try to post photos not older than a week. What you see in a photo will be different by the time you get there.
Above, Josh Wray captured yellow and lime aspen leaves on his hike up Laurel Canyon, near Mammoth, this week. Today, many of those green leaves have turned to lime, the lime leaves to yellow, and some of the yellow leaves have fallen.
If you want to see a specific area at peak, go to “Categories” on the left side of this site and click on the region you plan to visit. Then, scroll back in time to see where it was peaking and when in the past.
If you can only travel on a given date, click on “Archives” on the left side of this site and scroll back in time to see what was peaking. Then, go there.
If you want to see reports for specific locations (e.g., Laurel Canyon), enter the location in the Search bar above the map.
But mostly, GO NOW!
Bishop Creek on Video
Bishop, Calif. shows us how artists, climbers and riders are seeing fall color this week in their backyard, Bishop Creek Canyon.
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Hope Springs Eternal Fall Color
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Color spotter Vince Piercey visited the Hope Valley yesterday and returned with these photos of Near Peak color springing out.
It would take an essay to fully describe this lovely valley on the east side of Carson Pass (CA-88), but this editor is no Alexander Pope.
Instead, just a lover of Hope.
Hope Valley (7,300′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!