CalPhoto Digest

Fall
10/4/04 - Hope Valley Just got back from Mono Lake. Driving along highway 89 passed through Hope Valley. What an amazing site. Color everywhere. Unfortunately when I came through it was cloudy and starting to rain so, I didn't get any images. However, I will be headed back up there this coming Sat. Hopefully the color will last at least until then. Jim Taylor 10/4/04 - Little Walker River Road I went up that road yesterday (Oct. 3). It is fabulous and passable by passenger car. About 3 miles in is Obsidian Campground where one can camp amongst the aspen trees. Just past the campground going south is a turnoff, Forest Road 66-Burt Canyon, that goes into a private meadow. I continued on the main forest road to its end, another 3 miles from Obsidian Campground. From roads end the views are amazing. To the east is high desert with numerous aspen groves in full color. All along the drive in are numerous aspen groves mixed in with the pines. The area is well worth the drive. I have lived in Reno for 22 years and go fall color touring every year. Thanks to your website I made my first fall foray over Sonora Pass and then explored the Little Walker River road your are talking about. I also went in to Virginia Lakes and explored the Dunderberg Meadows area. I'm going back next week to see Lundy Lake and further exploration around Twin Lakes. Jerry Eykelbosh 10/2-3/ 04 Eastern Sierra fall update I was in Lee Vining this last weekend, and there's some great fall color in places, but don't panic folks -- there will be more. I didn't get to the June Lake loop (although I heard there is good color there), but I did get to Lee Vining Canyon, Lundy Canyon, Conway Summit, the road above Conway Summit to Virginia Lakes, and a distant look at the Upper Summers Meadow and Dunderberg areas outside of Bridgeport. Lee Vining Canyon is almost entirely green. It usually turns later than most other spots, and is still at least two weeks from peak. The upper reaches of Lundy Canyon are beautiful, yet there are still some green trees in even the highest reaches of the canyon (past the trailhead, past the waterfall, past the last beaver pond). About a quarter of the trees above the "resort" at the end of Lundy Lake are green, so I would say even this upper portion of the canyon has not quite peaked. Below the lake the trees are about three-quarters green, so peak there is still a good week or two away. About one-third of the aspens at Conway Summit are still green. This area is always a bit schizophrenic, with some trees turning early and others turning late. Just above Conway Summit, along the road to Virginia Lakes, there is some great color -- this area is at peak now. As I said, I only got a distant view of the Upper Summers Meadow/Dunderberg region outside of Bridgeport, but it looked very nice -- probably about peak, which is what I would expect this time of year. Overall, I'd say things are perhaps a bit early compared to last year, but not by much -- maybe four to seven days ahead. Although there are some bare trees at higher elevations, they are outnumbered by the green trees at lower elevations. The next two weeks should be great as the color gradually moves down the slopes. I think there will still be good patches of yellow trees even in the third week of October. The leaf change in the eastern Sierra is really a pretty long, drawn-out affair. Right now some spots are at peak, others are past peak, and still others are well before peak. Michael Frye 9/30 - 10/4/04 Eastern Sierras Trip I just spend 5 days up in the Eastern Sierras (9/30 to 10/4). After reading all the reports I have only a little more to add: Upper Summers Meadow, beautiful fall color carpet along the mountain sides. Green Creek Road, yellow aspens along the road, still some green in the mix. Mountain sides have great colors. Dunderberg Meadow Road, too many bare trees. Parker Peak Mountain side spectacular fall color carpet, you have to take a bumpy and rocky dirt road (a side road from Parker Lake Rd) to get there, but it leads you right into the aspen groves. Tioga pass has a few nice aspens spots. ( before Ellery Lake, around the Yosemite Creek area, across from Siesta Lake) Yosemite 120 West between Crane Flat and the West entrance – the Dogwoods are turning, they are yellow, light pink, dark pink and green. 120 West, take the Harden Flat Road, it has several dogwood groves, they are still green and only a very few leafs started to turn. Not sure when they are going to be ready – maybe in a couple of weeks. Inge Fernau
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