Dogwood near Valley View yesterday
I taught a private workshop in Yosemite Valley yesterday, so that gave me a chance to check on the autumn progress. The big-leaf maples, which often provide the most vibrant fall color in the valley, are getting there; I’d say they’re about 60 percent turned. The best spots for maples right now are across the river from the junction of Highway 140 and the Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120), and along Southside Drive underneath Middle Cathedral Rock (and directly across the valley from El Capitan).
The dogwoods are also changing, though not as quickly as the maples. We saw some nice ones near Valley View, aka Gates of the Valley (Location 5 in both the book and app versions of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite), including the specimen at the top of this post. But there are still a lot of green dogwood leaves, so I’d say they’re about 30 percent turned. The dogwoods at higher elevations, along Highways 41 and 120, and in the Tuolumne Grove, usually turn earlier, so they should be looking good, but I haven’t been able to check them out.
As for the two notable non-native trees in the valley, the sugar maple near the chapel is brilliant right now, while the elm in Cook’s Meadow has just barely started to turn.
Something strange has happened to the cottonwood trees. In most years cottonwoods add a nice splash of yellow along the Merced River, but this year most of the leaves just turned brown and dropped off. Some of the trees east of Yosemite Lodge seem okay, but west of the Lodge most of the cottonwoods are now bare.
A similar thing happened with some of the black oaks: the oak leaves in El Capitan Meadow and a few other places have just turned brown and fallen off. The oaks around Cook’s Meadow seem fine, though they’ve just barely started to change color.
If this were a drought year I would explain these withering leaves as a response to lack of water, but it’s been quite the opposite—one of the wettest years on record. The oaks don’t like wet feet, so maybe that explains their behavior. But cottonwoods love water, so their situation is more puzzling.
However, the maples, dogwoods, and remaining oaks look like they’ll put on a good show during the next couple of weeks. There’s already some nice color in spots, and I expect it will be even better in a week or so.
—Michael Frye
Related posts:Â More Eastside Aspens;Â Autumn Has Finally Arrived in the Eastern Sierra
Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He is the author and photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, Yosemite Meditations, and Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters, plus the eBook Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom. He has written numerous magazine articles on the art and technique of photography, and his images have been published in over thirty countries around the world. Michael has lived either in or near Yosemite National Park since 1983, currently residing just outside the park in Mariposa, California.
I believe it was the sub-freezing temps that occured a couple of weeks ago when the pass was closed due to snow. It’s amazing how brown and barren El Cap Meadow is in particular.
I discussed this issue myself just the other day at http://www.yosemitesteve.com
Steve
Steve, I didn’t know you had a blog! Naturally I subscribed right away (though I had to use RSS, since the Feedburner email subscription doesn’t seem to work). For those who don’t know, Steve Bumgardner, aka YosemiteSteve, is the creator of the superb Yosemite Nature Notes videos.
But anyway, you’re probably right about the cold snap being the cause of the brown leaves. I didn’t realize it got that cold. Thanks for your input about this.
I only started posting last week. Thanks for the kind words. I gotta fix that subscription button!
What your explaining seems happen in Oregon almost every year, especially in the Willamette Valley. The leaves go from vibrant to brown and fall off. It doesn’t happen to every tree of course. I blame it on the wet, damp environment that is the Willamette Valley…….Autumn=rain in Oregon!!
Michael, autumn doesn’t usually equal rain here (luckily), but I think Steve may be right about that cold snap. But some of the oaks here never got to “vibrant” at all – just green to brown.
By vibrant I meant a deep green. No change in color. Just green to dead.
Okay, got it.
I do agree with your assesment of the west valley oaks. However, walking through Cooks Meadow several times this week, I’ve noticed brown leaves along side green leaves on black oaks there. Not sure what’s going on, but my hypothesis is that those brown leaves could blow off with any stiff winds we get in the valley, leaving perhaps a sparse but colorful canopy of black oaks at Cooks. The weather predicts a cooling trend in the coming week, so maybe that could entice those green leaves to finally turn this week??? I’ll agree with Steve B. on this: The early cold storm most likely played a part in west valley browning of leaves. The idea seems to parallel the southern sierra aspens poor color showing near Bishop, but a rather robust color display on aspens north of Convict Lake.
Isn’t all this speculating fun?! 🙂
Kirk, in my superficial assessment of the Cook’s Meadow oaks I didn’t notice the brown leaves you mentioned, but I’ll take a closer look next time I’m there. And yes, all this speculating is fun! Especially since no one can contradict anything with any real authority.
I found you through Sandy Steinberg’s blog, and have enjoyed following you for a while. From
everything I’ve read, It’s been a late, uneven year in E. Sierra, and “uneven” is likely due to that
big storm end of Sept. For the first time in years, I’ve been to the Valley very early spring, and
then June, and saw the wonderful pink of the oaks, and the dogwoods in flower. Found out some
waterlogged places from your photos in spring: thanks.
Due to comments on “Natural History Wanderings” I’m skipping obligations this week and heading
to Eastern Sierra before 120 closes.
PS I was in Pa. Mtns. where there is wonderful color in Oct., and many branches bare, or brown leaves–they had post “hurricane” very heavy rains this year. Similar to our “unusual storm”maybe.
Sorry, a senior moment, It is Sandy Steinman, and I had a funny feeling when writing that
familiar name, but too lazy to think a moment.
Judy, I’m sure Sandy will understand the error! Anyway, thanks for your note, and for following the blog. I hope you have a good time over on the east side. While the color may be late over there, it’s not uneven at all near Lee Vining. In fact it all seems to be turning at the same time, and it’s one of the best years I’ve seen there for awhile.
I agree about Lee Vining!
Conway Summit, Lundy Canyon, up near Parker Lake, all had good red, yellows and greens as of Weds/Thurs this past week.
Thanks for the update, Michael. I will be curious to see what the colors look like later this week. Here in Illinois, the autumn has been odd…only a few places with any splash of color. The rest has gone from green to brown to bare. I’m used to the maples in New England giving a blaze of color, so this has been very odd to me. (The only nice color I’ve seen has been from maples…)
Vivienne, according to Steve Gingold (in a comment two posts ago), it hasn’t been a great autumn in New England either, so it may just be this particular year. But you should find some nice color in Yosemite.
Thanks for the posting. My husband and I are going to Yosemite on a short photo trip later this week. I bought your iPhone app and looking forward to seeing the sights and capturing the beauty. This is our second seasonal trip, the first was early spring and the snow was awesome.
You’re welcome Marilyn. Good luck on your trip – I hope you find the app helpful!
I spent the past five days in Yosemite and noticed the same thing. The maples are looking increasingly great but the oak trees don’t look that good. This was my first time photographing the valley in fall and I was actually surprised by how pretty it was overall.
Richard, I’m glad you enjoyed your first fall visit to Yosemite. It is indeed very pretty in the fall. The colors will never rival New England, but the backdrop is hard to beat!
I was in the park this weekend and was surprised (and disappointed) at the cottonwoods, too–and wondered why they seemed to skip their usual color. I photographed the valley in fall for the first time two years ago, and happened to be there just as that huge cottonwood at the south end of Swinging Bridge was at peak, and it remains one of my favorite fall-in-Yosemite pics I’ve gotten; I was hoping I’d catch it that way this year, as it seemed to peak at the same time the sugar maple by the chapel did, but no such luck. Regardless, the valley as a whole is looking really pretty right now, mostly thanks to the maples.
Robin, as Yosemite Steve points out above, the lack of color in the cottonwoods is probably due to the cold temps in the valley earlier this month. But you’re certainly right about the valley looking pretty right now. The maples are great, and the dogwoods are getting better. And some of the oaks are even starting to turn.
Well, it is amazing. Beautiful moment, beautiful colors.
Thanks Perla!
Thanks for the informative site with updates on the fall foliage reports. We will head up to Yosemite through Tioga pass this Sunday (10/30) Any updates as to where to get best fall foliage colors at this time? Hope its not past peak by then
I too am heading into the park (from the west) on Monday, a very quick 1 day trip, and would love a color update as to the best locations to hit. I’ve been checking calphoto but no new updates this week. Will have your book in hand, and hope to see a new edition soon!
Thanks for all your great updates.
Mike, Barb, in case you didn’t see it I posted an update last night. Yosemite Valley is not yet at peak. I can’t tell you about the eastern Sierra personally, but I’m sure there’s still some good color there.