Sierra Sublime Blog

The Sierra is a magical place. You can say it is sublime. To truly get the most from this magical place if you are there a lot and you meander through it slowly. I have the luxury of doing both and this blog is designed to visually share my adventures.

Unbelievable - Time again for Fall Colors

Side Road on the way to South Lake

 

The forecast for the inland valleys in Southern California this past weekend is for 105! With that in mind it seems unbelievable that already Fall Colors season in the Eastern Sierra. Some web sites are already locations like Sabrina Campground and Rock Creek are at their peak!

For those looking to go to the Sierra to view the Fall Colors here are a list of links that will help you plan your hunt. I need to give credit to Sandy Steinman and her blog for the list of resources!

Be Sure To Look Down When Photographing Fall Colors

Places to See Fall Colors

South of Mammoth

  • Hwy. 168 through Bishop Creek Canyon, Aspendell, Lake Sabrina, North Lake, and South Lake - Awesome canyon and creek side shots everywhere.  Colors will peak at different altitudes at different times. - Along the road
  • Convict Lake - Along the road
  • McGee Canyon - Short hike
  • Rock Creek - Along the road and moderate hike

North of Mammoth

  • June Lakes Loop - Along the road
  • Lundy Lake - Along the road and hike
  • Parker Lake - Moderate Hike
  • Conway Summit - Along freeway 
  • Dunderberg Road - Along the road dirt graded road

Resources for Determining Where the Color Is

Fall Colors are very finicky and can change in an instant. One wind or snow storm can change a location dramatically in less than a day. To see the best colors you have to be flexible and have up to date information. Luckily, there are dedicated Fall Color fans who track and post information on a regular basis. Here are some of the better sources of information:

Get Off the Beaten Path and Away From the Crowds!

Photographing Fall Colors

For the first several years I struggled to get images of fall colors that I liked. So I did my homework and my images improved. Here are links to some great photographic tips to get the best image of your fall color images. I especially like Steve Siren's recommendations

Good luck on your adventures hunting the this year's Fall Colors. Just a reminder during the fall season there are a lot of folks, photographers and non-photographers, enjoying the spectacular fall colors. Be mindful you are not alone and show courtesy for others.

If you see someone setting up for an image up the road from you give them some time to capture their image.

If you are at an iconic spot where lot's of people want to take a photograph. Take yours and move on so others can too.

The Sierra are huge and there are plenty of beautiful scenes and plenty of room for everyone.