Early-season aspens above Conway Summit (October 4, 2004)
If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile you probably know that Claudia and I go to the Millpond Music Festival in Bishop every September. We just got back from this year’s event, and I can report that we had a wonderful, fantastic, amazing time. This is either the 13th or 14th consecutive year we’ve attended this festival, so we obviously love it.
This festival always takes place around the third week of September, so our trip gives us a chance to check out the early fall color on the eastern side of the Sierra. I’ve been hearing reports that the aspen leaves are turning early this year on the east side (and in Colorado too according to Jennifer Yu). On our way home yesterday we took a quick drive up Rock Creek Canyon. I didn’t take any photos, but I can confirm that the colors are indeed changing quickly. Rock Creek isn’t at peak yet, but it won’t take long, and by this coming weekend the upper reaches should be at or near peak.
We didn’t have time to go up Bishop Creek Canyon, but that area should be approaching peak too, and Sandy Steinman’s post today seems to confirm that.
Rock Creek and Bishop Creek canyons are at higher elevations than most of the aspen groves on the east side, so the show is just beginning. As the leaves fade from these early-season hot spots the color will progress down the slopes, and you should be able to find great color on the east side through at least the third week of October. After that the autumn display shifts to Yosemite Valley, with the peak color usually coming around the end of October or beginning of November.
An article I wrote several years ago outlines the timing and locations for the typical fall color progression in the central Sierra. My Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite book and iPhone app gives more detail about the best locations to photograph colorful leaves in and around Yosemite.
Of course every autumn is different. Although fall seems to be starting early this year, warmer weather is supposed to arrive later this week and that may slow things down. Then again, an early October storm could disrupt the progression. I’ll let you know what I see and hear during the coming weeks, but here are some other resources to help you keep up with the latest fall-color developments:
- Natural History Wanderings, Sandy Steinman’s blog
- Carol Leigh’s Calphoto web site
- Calphoto, a Yahoo discussion group with reports from photographers around California
- California Fall Color
And if you’ve heard other reports, or have one of your own, please post your findings or a link in the comments.
Autumn is such a wonderful season. Here we go!
—Michael Frye
Related Posts: Autumn in Yosemite; Early Fall Color; 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 eBooks Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, and Exposure for Outdoor Photography. 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.
Thanks for the mention. Other sites I would add to your list of fall foliage resources for California are:
The Sacramento Bee’s Fall Leaves, which has not yet posted foliage reports or maps yet for this season. http://www.sacbee.com/leaves/#vmix_media_id=122565691
Parchers Resort has good reports for Bishop Creek Canyon:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Parchers-Resort-South-Lake-Landing/79705363136?sk=notes (you don’t need to be on facebook to access this site)
California Nature Photographers fall color forum should have postings soon: http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/bbs.cgi?a=vm&mr=72079&CGISESSID=6f6e150147d387a41447813f872e3aa4&u=12264
Lake Sabrina Boat Landing, usually mentions fall color for its local area: http://www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com/this_week's_report/this_week's_report.html
You’re welcome Sandy – you always have great information on your blog. Thanks for the additional links!
I like this with the different, crooked trunks. Here goes the Autumn craze. I think I’ll get more involved by photographing more Fall color myself this year.
Autumn craze indeed! Have fun out there.
Wonderful colors, my favorite time of year….thanks for sharing
You’re welcome Victor – and thanks!
Things do seem to be developing a bit early this year. Another good source–though fairly centric to the Bishop Canyon area–is Parchers’ weekly report. They usually update every Thursday, and include a lot of photos.
http://parchersresort.net/fallcolor.htm
Thanks for the info Robin. Parcher’s is a great resource for that area.
I spent Sept 22-23 photographing in Jordan’s Basin between Lundy and Virginia Canyons and confirm “it’s an early season”!
Nice – Jordan Basin is one of those early-season areas that not many people find, no doubt because of the rough roads.
Hi Michael, sorry I missed you at Millpond this year. I was only there on Saturday and didn’t camp this year. Well, there’s always next year!
We are headed up to the Bishop Creek area this Sunday to check it out. Looks like it will be a great fall here on the eastern side! Look forward to your postings!
I was just thinking about you today Kim and wondering if you were at Millpond. Sorry I missed you again! But I agree, it does look like it might be a great fall over there.
Michael,
I agree that the annual aspen color change is about 1 week earlier this year in Colorado and that it is, as always, partly dependent on both the latitude and the altitude. One week ago I ventured into the Tarryall and Guanella Pass regions and it was definitely at peak color. Yesterday I drove further south into the Dome Rock State Wildlife Area (near Cripple Creek) and would say that about 80% of the trees were at peak, 10% passed peak and 10% not yet peaked. Today we had a good (and welcome) rain in Colorado Springs and it brought down a lot of leaves from other deciduous trees that had changed. Whereas your autumn is beginning in the eastern Sierras, our Colorado fall is starting to end. To all who follow your blog and who await this special time of year: Good Shooting!
James, wow, it’s amazing that the Colorado fall is already starting to end! It all happens so early there. Hope you got some good photos while it lasted.
This is a web site published by the Plumas County Tourism, Recreation and Hospitality Council. The report on the Fall colors in Plumas County.
http://plumascounty.org/Things%20to%20See%20and%20Do/FallColors.htm
Thanks for the link Ed.
Looking forward to fall & as one who is attending your Easter Sierra workshop in October I hope it slows down just a bit! Living in SoCal I’m looking forward to my first visit to this part of our wonderful state! We vacationed in Grand Tetons & Yellowstone two weeks ago & fall colors were early for that area as well.
Thanks to all who posted different sites for checking our fall 2012
Well I hope it slows down a bit too Denise. 🙂 But I’m not too concerned, as the color isn’t really that early so far, and I’ve always found color around the Lee Vining area the third week of October.
Thx Michael. Either way, I can’t wait for the workshop!!
I like this! thanks for share