Word to the Wise
If you are planning on heading to Bishop this weekend I recommend that you make your reservations ASAP. Not only is the town going to be full of photographers, but the Fall Colors Car Show is this weekend. I can guarantee that the motels in Bishop will be full this weekend.
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Posted in Eastern Sierra |
all these fall reports are great! i love this time of year. i was curious, besides the aspens, what are the other main trees turning color, especially the reds?
as an aside, we had rain here in the oc (so calif) on monday, a surprize weather front with only a 20% chance of rain. it wasn’t a lot, but it kept september from being a bust, something that only rarely happens. unfortunately it’s also no indication of the winter to come.
Terry,
%90 of the trees you’re seeing in the pictures are aspens. The color of aspens can go from yellow to orange to red. Most years they don’t turn red. From what I’ve heard it takes special conditions for aspens to turn red. This year seems to be special with all of the orange and red that folks are seeing.
Some of the other trees that turn in the Eastern Sierra are the creek willow, water birch and cottonwoods. Also many of the shrubs turn too. The American Dogwood is very beautiful. It turns bright red and can be found throughout Bishop Creek. It’s more of a shrub than a tree and grows in amongst the aspens.
Here are a couple examples of the American Dogwood.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierravisions/2246054930/in/set-72157603857893672/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierravisions/2246056304/in/set-72157603857893672/
thanks Steven. i never knew that aspens would turn orange or particularly red. must be very special to see in person. i usually thought of the dogwood as being on the western side of the sierra.
i plan to head up bishop way early/mid november, but i expect most of the color will be gone by then except for the valley like last year.
Terry, it’s not the same dogwood. The Mountain Dogwood is on the west side of the Sierra. It’s the American Dogwood that’s up Bishop Creek. I just looked it up and the American Dogwood is considered a shrub not a tree.
thanks again Steven for the info. i learn more all the time.
I just checked the weather reports and it seems there will be a fairly significant storm coming into the Sierra this weekend.
Wunderground says 60% chance of rain for the Bishop area on Saturday, but at higher elevations in the region, they’re predicting Friday night “Windy…cloudy with a chance of rain and snow showers in the evening…then chance of rain and snow after midnight. Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. Ridge gusts up to 75 mph!!! (Not much gonna stay on the trees in those conditions.)
Also, 70% chance of SNOW and winds for both Lee Vining/Mono Lake and the Mammoth Lakes area. If this happens, pass closures may be in effect, at least temporarily for Sonora, Ebbets, Tioga, etc.
Ahh… October’s lovely weather.
If the winds blow that hard there won’t be a leaf left on a tree to shoot.
I guess for once our timing was perfect!! Here in Santa Clarita, we had triple digits yesterday. Today low 90’s and rain by Saturday, in the 60’s. What is it like in Wis.?
When we heard about Steve’s i.d. being found, we were wondering just how many people have been ‘lost’ to the High Sierra. Such a majestic place, with so many stories.
One more thing… When are you guys planning on getting away? We are so looking forward to your fall colors. Michigan is looking for frost, in a couple of days, will that cold snap hurt the fall back there?? Or is cold good? I am such a Californian, I have no clue!!
We are leaving on the 10th. Just checked the fall colors report and I have a good feeling about that weekend.
I’m not sure what a freeze would to to the trees back here. Remember, this is my first fall in WI. I’m still very much a “Californian” too
We had 39 last night, but the 5 day forecast is showing lows in the 50’s and highs around 60. So no freeze here…… yet!
Many have lost their lives in the Sierra over the years, planes have crashed, etc. Most often, they do find some kind of remains, but it does depend on the how the person died, whether animals might find the remains, etc.
I know of one person who has never been found and people are still hoping to locate some trace of him. That’s avid nature lover and photographer Fred Claassen. He disappeared in 2003 while on a hike in the Hoover Wilderness. Here are a copy of links about him: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/claassen_fred.html and http://www.yosemiteblog.com/2007/07/24/missing-fred-claassen/
I never met the man, but knew of his and his wife Martha’s contributions to Calphoto over the years. Not sure why, but I’ve even had dreams of where he was, how he died, etc., but no means to follow up. I do hope one day, someone will find some evidence of Fred. It would give such peace to his family if this mystery could finally be resolved.
I seems like every few years a hiker comes upon human remains in the back country. It always turns out to be someone who disappeared and was never found until the hiker found them.
Hopefully a hiker will happen on Fred in the future. I’m sure it would be a huge relief to his family.