High Sierra Topix

I just got back from three days of fall color photography and fishing - posted a quick n dirty report to my blog last night:

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There is still a lot of opportunity for color - lots of green - but the current windy weather may ruin those chances. Glad I got out when I did, that's for sure.

calipidder wrote:...There is still a lot of opportunity for color - lots of green - but the current windy weather may ruin those chances. Glad I got out when I did, that's for sure.

At this stage of fall, windy cool storms such as the one moving through today won't do much damage to all the mid and lower elevations areas of green and slightly yellow aspens. It is mainly the higher areas, especially those exposed to winds that will suffer. Even at the higher areas like North Lake, from reports I've seen, there are still areas in wetter areas like the road tunnel that have barely changed. When a tree undergoes leaf color changes the petioles (tiny branch) between leaf blade and branch weaken in strength as their water transport path narrows and dries. That is why such leaves can be blown off far more easily than green leaves. Generally trees on wetter sites at given elevations change later than nearby trees at the same elevation on drier sites. Of course trees on wetter sites also tend to be taller and often have more colorful leaf displays. Such tree areas won't be too affected. What can really ruin a fall season is the arrival of especially cold air below 20F degrees. A few years ago one such record cold storm hit during the first week of October and temps got down in the single digits and within two days many green trees in lower groves went directly to brown and what color was left in trees were dull colors. In other words not only does cold cause brown spotting but also diminishes the wonderful translucent brilliance one can best see when leaves are backlit.

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Much colder storm now set to bear down on the Sierra Friday night into early next week also making for very gusty conditions. Storm is more an inside slider into the Nevada Great Basin so there is not apt to be much precip south of I80 unless forecast changes occur. I can handle the cold but avoid windy conditions so will bail on a 2-day road trip this weekend and instead will hope to get a 3-day trip in the following weekend. Pretty futile trying to take highly detailed tree and leaf images with winds moving everything. OK for pun web sized pics. Also if it snows, leaves atop snow can be nice for closeups, but not worth a long road trip for just that. More likely to cause leaf color damage than the last storm.

Oh well there goes my weekend jaunt to the woods.
I saw the snow and the wind in the forecast, and like Dave, I can handle the cold but
wind is a photographers worst enemy.
Hopefully the lower elevation leaves will survive without to much damage though I am not
banking on it.
I will be honest in that our fall colors are pretty weak when compared to that of the
East, though the mountains are a nice touch here, but Conn, NH, Vermont, Maine are
just so much more colorful.
I have looked at several hundred photo's made in the Sierra, and though some very nice
they just do not speak to me as the ones from the East coast.
When I was in the Marines I did a Fall color road trip while stationed in North Carolina
back in the 80's, up and down the coast for 12 days, and I have never seen anything that
comes remotely close that, I guess I got spoiled.
I hope to make a road trip out east next year to quench my yearning for some fall colors.
Two things I miss from the Sierra is wildlife and fall colors, otherwise it is the perfect
place for me.

maverick wrote: I will be honest in that our fall colors are pretty weak when compared to that of the
East, though the mountains are a nice touch here, but Conn, NH, Vermont, Maine are
just so much more colorful.
I have looked at several hundred photo's made in the Sierra, and though some very nice
they just do not speak to me as the ones from the East coast.

I hope to make a road trip out east next year to quench my yearning for some fall colors.
Two things I miss from the Sierra is wildlife and fall colors, otherwise it is the perfect
place for me.

Hey Maverick, just to whet your appetite....
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Hi Tom

I have not been there, but I have seen some great fall colors in Great Smokey NP.

We were just up Bishop Creek today. Still some nice color up at the lakes but the freeze is burning many of the leaves. Still a lot of green lower in the canyons though.

John

September 19, Sawmill Meadow below Sawmill Pass - about as fall-colored as thing got during that week up there

last week in the Cathedral Range

I'm not sure if this counts as "Fall photography", but at 7150' in the Trinity's at Ward lake on 9/28-9/29, we got an inch of snow over two days:
Russ