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Archive 2013 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

gdanmitchell
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p.3 #1 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

dswiger wrote:
Well I gambled on Sept 29 through Oct 5
I usually pick two date-ranges & switch/cancel at the last to respond to reports.
But this year I went for the nominal case....
From the sounds of it, the higher elevations are going strong now.
So I'll be about a week+ behind that.
But as gdan said, the lower elevations should be peaking in a week or so.
Hopefully when I get there.
In any event, I suspect there will be plenty of things to see & photograph.

Just different

Dan

I'm not believing the reports of it "going strong" already up there. There is color in some of the photos at the Parchers site, but if you have seen the place in full swing, this isn't it. Early? Quite possible. Now? It doesn't look like it.

A tricky combination of things to keep in mind. There is a very good chance that this year will be early, both based on two dry years and the reports that we are reading. (I saw a lot of willow and other color and a tiny bit of aspen color yesterday.) However, to balance this, every year we read reports that "the colors are changing early this year!" - so early reports a week and a half before the end of September do not necessarily mean that things will be weeks early.

It is all hunches until we see the color. My current hunch is that the very beginning of October may well be better than usual this year, and that things may well (guessing again!) happen up to a week earlier than usual. (Notice my liberal use of words like "hunch," " than usual," "may well," "guessing" and so forth... ;-)

I think that if there is a year when your 9/29-10/5 dates might work, it could be this one.

Good luck!

Dan

Sep 20, 2013 at 07:01 PM

michaelnel
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p.3 #2 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

I fully expect to see not much aspen color (other than green) this weekend on my trip over 88 and 89, but I think I will still find some pretty stuff to photograph.

Sep 20, 2013 at 07:06 PM

dswiger
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p.3 #3 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

Dan2,
I'm good with it anyway it happens.
I haven't been up there in 3 years and want to explore areas I haven't, such as Convict Lake, Rock Creek. I never seen June Lake Loop at peak either.
Then there's Alabama Hills, which isn't an Aspen den.
On top of all that, I'm bringing the film gear, view camera & such.
Since it's my third extended trip up there, looking to explore a bit more & try some different comps.

Dan

Sep 20, 2013 at 07:14 PM

gdanmitchell
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p.3 #4 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

dswiger wrote:
Dan2,
I'm good with it anyway it happens.
I haven't been up there in 3 years and want to explore areas I haven't, such as Convict Lake, Rock Creek. I never seen June Lake Loop at peak either.
Then there's Alabama Hills, which isn't an Aspen den.
On top of all that, I'm bringing the film gear, view camera & such.
Since it's my third extended trip up there, looking to explore a bit more & try some different comps.

Dan

Hey, Other Dan, it is always a great time to photograph in the eastern Sierra, aspens of not! ;-)

G Dan

Sep 20, 2013 at 07:23 PM

michaelnel
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p.3 #5 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

When we go down to Bishop on Oct 7th we are going to hit up the Bristlecone Pine forest in the White Mountains first. Not much fall color there, but always interesting and photogenic. I photographed in the Alabama Hills with my 4x5 back in 1981, would love to revisit that place too.

Sep 20, 2013 at 07:26 PM

nugeny
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p.3 #6 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

I have never been to Alabama hills. What I the best time of the day to shoot? Morning or evening?

Sep 20, 2013 at 08:55 PM

michaelnel
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p.3 #7 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

Morning, early. They are east of the eastern slope of the Sierra, so sunrise lights the Sierra peaks first and then crawls down the mountains until the Alabama Hills rock formations are in the sun.

Personally *I* like it there at sunrise. I think everything would be shaded there at sunset, but I guess some great light probably spills over the Sierra peaks at sunset too.

I made this image with a 4x5 back in 1981. I was there before dawn scouting a location, and I remember it was a very cold morning. Not the best quality unfortunately, as this was an Ektrachrome transparency that I scanned on a scanner recently.

Sep 20, 2013 at 09:02 PM

michaelnel
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p.3 #8 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

Sunday morning I left San Francisco very early in the morning, headed up Hwy 50 to Mormon Emigrant Trail (MET). Climbing up MET, I started encountering snow on the ground and the trees, and by the 7000 foot level there was a LOT of fresh snow. It got to the point where I had to engage 4WD because I was slipping and sliding all over the place, and almost fell down three times when I stopped to take photographs. The snow cover continued all the way over Carson Pass on Hwy 88, then became just a dusting on the eastern slope.

I was looking for aspens turning. I checked Hope Valley, Monitor Pass, down 395 to Conway Summit, nothing, they were all green with an occasional tree that had a few yellow leaves.

After Conway I turned onto the Virginia Lakes road and explored the Aspens in that area, same thing, a few with some yellow, no all yellow trees that I could find. I even 4WD up some dirt roads as far as I could go, same story.

It wasn't looking good so I detoured out to Bodie and wandered around there for a couple hours trying to find stuff I had not photographed on previous visits.

I checked Dunderberg, June Lake Loop, Lundy Lake, and continued checking all the spots I knew about on down to Bridgeport. It wasn't until I got to North Lake very late in the day that I found any real color. In that area yes, the change is underway. Most trees are yellow, many are orange. Looks like it will be in full glory in a week or so.

I didn't go to Lake Sabrina or South Lake, I figured they must be similar to North Lake and I really didn't want to see them in their drained state.

It's looking to me like my planned return on Oct 7th may hit it just about right.

I'll give a detailed report later with photos.

Edited on Sep 24, 2013 at 11:19 AM · View previous versions

Sep 23, 2013 at 08:36 AM

gdanmitchell
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p.3 #9 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

Michael, thanks for the report. It seems to confirm what is often the case - that the annual reports of "early color" are often based on a few early-changing trees plus optimism - and that things are probably moving along on a close-to-normal schedule, though the color may come on a slightly earlier schedule this year as a result of the drought.

It is entirely normal to see a few trees picking up a bit of yellow/orange by late September and to see a number of other plants turning yellow by then... but the peak color is still likely a week or two away.

Dan

Sep 23, 2013 at 09:52 AM

dswiger
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p.3 #10 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

That does it, now I'm thoroughly disappointed!!
This will be the 3rd time I hit the peak at the high elevation and seen all the color.
I was beginning to look forward to finding it at the low elevations for a change.
Now I'll be forced to go to the same haunts, run into the same workshop crowds.
Bah Humbug

jk

Seriously (if I can be), plenty of places to go I haven't been.
Noted that there was a dusting of snow at Parcher's. That would be a nice scene

Cheers!

Dan

Sep 23, 2013 at 11:34 AM

JimFox
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p.3 #11 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

Hey Michael,

That is a great report. As usual the trees around North Lake are going first, that is very typical. Something to watch for though with the sudden snow is that the colors can begin to change rapidly, especially in the higher elevations.

Jim

Sep 23, 2013 at 12:14 PM

Jeffrey
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p.3 #12 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

nugeny wrote:
I have never been to Alabama hills. What I the best time of the day to shoot? Morning or evening?

Yes, those times, unless there is a storm passing thru or other good atmospherics. Then it could be good all day.

Sep 23, 2013 at 01:38 PM

dswiger
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p.3 #13 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

Jeffrey wrote:
Yes, those times, unless there is a storm passing thru or other good atmospherics. Then it could be good all day.

Succinct & subtle. I'm glad there is something for me to do between the sun's entry & exit!

Sep 23, 2013 at 03:41 PM

PV Hiker
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p.3 #14 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

Possible storm front moving through Wednesday?? Thanks for the updated (real) report for the area. My gal will be pleased when she returns that she can still go next week and find some nice stuff and not have missed it.

Sep 23, 2013 at 07:14 PM

michaelnel
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p.3 #15 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

I extended my exploration today. Yesterday I spoke with a photographer at North Lake who tipped me to Rock Creek Canyon... he said it was developing nicely, better than North Lake.

So, although I drove from Bishop back to my poorly chosen motel room at the Topaz Lake Casino/Motel, when I awoke this morning I decided to make the trek back down there. I drove down to the turnoff to Rock Creek Canyon.

Another long, long climb. But as soon as I got into the canyon I did start seeing lots of small aspens that have turned from green to yellow to orange. As I drove up higher, it got better. Finally I parked at the parking lot for Mosquito Flat Trailhead and grabbed my tripod and camera and started hiking up. Now keep in mind I am old and feeble, I live in SF at sea level, and the parking lot is at about 10,500 feet. I took it easy, stopping to rest when I got winded, and made it OK. I made a few photographs, but it seemed that the higher up the trail I got, the fewer Aspens there were, so I turned around and came back.

That area seems to have lots of small aspens that are definitely in the change, but the larger trees down lower are still green.

I drove home via Tioga Pass Road, and that was a real mistake. $20 toll, very slow speed limits, bupkus for color, and the middle to end of the road was really depressing because of the damage from the Rim Fire. I think that fire must be out or well-contained though, as I didn't encounter smoke on either day. It's a real disaster though.

I have a lot of images to process and just now got home, so it will be a day or so before I have anything to show you. I still feel that a week or two from now it will be Prime Time.

Sep 23, 2013 at 08:29 PM

JimFox
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p.3 #16 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

michaelnel wrote:
I extended my exploration today. Yesterday I spoke with a photographer at North Lake who tipped me to Rock Creek Canyon... he said it was developing nicely, better than North Lake.

So, although I drove from Bishop back to my poorly chosen motel room at the Topaz Lake Casino/Motel, when I awoke this morning I decided to make the trek back down there. I drove down to the turnoff to Rock Creek Canyon.

Another long, long climb. But as soon as I got into the canyon I did start seeing lots of small aspens that have turned from green to yellow to...Show more →

Hey Michael,

It sounds like you haven't explored too much in that area before. If you had asked any of us, we would have told you exactly what you found, and that from the comfort of our living rooms...

But that's good that you got to explore, and as to the $20, if you are into landscape photography and you live in San Fransisco, you really should have just bought an annual NP parks pass for $80 and then you could go visit Yosemite, etc any time you wanted. Plus since you said you were old, there is a Golden Eagle pass that is dirt cheap and last I looked I thought it was a lifetime pass...

Clearly at this point the better color in the Eastern Sierra is a week away.

It's still good to hear from eyes on the floor, so your update is appreciated.

Jim

Sep 23, 2013 at 08:47 PM

michaelnel
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p.3 #17 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

Thanks Jim

Retelling it is as much for me to re-live it as it is for you guys to be able to say "I coulda told him that". ;-)

I enjoyed the trip immensely (first outing for a new camera) and saw so much jaw-dropping scenery that my head is still spinning with the rugged beauty of that area.

Sep 23, 2013 at 08:53 PM

michaelnel
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p.3 #18 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

If I want to post pictures from this adventure, I think I need to pp them and upload them to my smugmug site, then post a pointer to them here.

Sep 23, 2013 at 08:55 PM

gdanmitchell
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p.3 #19 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

JimFox wrote:
... as to the $20, if you are into landscape photography and you live in San Fransisco, you really should have just bought an annual NP parks pass for $80 and then you could go visit Yosemite, etc any time you wanted. Plus since you said you were old, there is a Golden Eagle pass that is dirt cheap and last I looked I thought it was a lifetime pass...

I was just about to point that out! The senior pass, I've been told, is cheaper and does not need to be renewed. A great deal!

I'm betting that some good color will start to appear around or just after Oct 1 - a week to two weeks away.

We'll see...

And, a reminder, back in an earlier post in this thread, I shared a link to some information that those investigating the eastern Sierra aspens might find useful.

Dan

Edited on Sep 23, 2013 at 11:11 PM · View previous versions

Sep 23, 2013 at 09:29 PM

jdc562
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p.3 #20 · Eastern Sierra Fall Color Reports

I just spent 4 days traveling with friends around Bishop (9/20-9/23)--observing, but no photos. While I was there, the cottonwoods on the valley floor were rapidly yellowing. At this rate, they should be very colorful in a week, or so. Also, the rabbitbrush was in full bloom, forming acres of bright golden yellow--great foregrounds and framing for the stands of cottonwoods with the Sierras and White Mountains in the background. All of this can be found from Hwy 395, then turning on side roads.

NOTE ADDED: On Saturday night (21 Sept) a blast of cold weather hit the area, dusting the higher elevations of the Sierras and White Mountains with snow. This could have accelerated the color change.

Edited on Sep 24, 2013 at 03:31 PM · View previous versions

Sep 23, 2013 at 09:56 PM

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