High Sierra Topix

Such a neat report and a super cool group of friends and family to bring along. On top of all, though, I couldn't help noticing how vivid the fall colors were, which, of course, is accentuated by the terrific rock colors and textures of the Convict Canyon-McGee area. All the places I've been to this fall for "not there yet" sort of fall colors where the leaves are mostly green with a mix of yellow, with the exception being the aspen near the 89/88 split (also noted by WD) which I went through with Lee in early October. Last weekend up in the N Sierra it was still a matter of "not there yet". Perhaps it's mostly an altitude/lapse rate thing, given the lower elevations of the N Sierra places I visited, although Convict Lake itself isn't that high (about 7600).

Thanks giantbrookie John, regarding the early showing of peak fall colors up in Convict Creek, I will refer you to an earlier post I made about it in the Photography section: viewtopic.php?t=23912

Here are the salient points in my reply to wildhiker:

p.s. Also, there are relatively few aspen trees in those photos. Most of that burnt orange color is from the small water birch trees growing on that slope, which is south and east of Mt. Laurel. This may be a pretty dry habitat for their species. Perhaps that stresses them, and causes them to shorten their growing season. One way or another, it was fantastic to see it.

And, as stated in the other post:

Note that the greenish-yellow trees below and to the right in the frame are also the same Water Birch plants; so it does appear that the birch trees higher up the slope are turning color ahead of the others.

So it may be both a simple matter of the water birch leaf colors peaking earlier, due to species variation between birch and aspen, or a matter of the relative stress levels of individual plants in different microclimates. Recall from botany 101, that in general, deciduous species lose their leaves each year as a strategy to minimize stress, and to maximize overall vigor. My guess is that the water birch--as their name suggests-- are less tolerant of cold, dry weather, and a dry, rocky growing environment, than the aspen. And that higher up the slope individual plants selectively lose their leaves earlier than the lower down plants, closer to moisture.

Wonderful report and photos. Like GiantBrookie, “ I couldn't help noticing how vivid the fall colors were, which, of course, is accentuated by the terrific rock colors and textures of the Convict Canyon-McGee area.” My wife and I stayed at Rock Creek Lakes Resort the second week of October so we also got a change to see this year’s fall colors including the startling burnt orange along the Rock Creek corridor and McGee Canyon. (We had such a good time we booked for next year, too.) One trip I’m considering next year is to Dorothy Lake so this was very informative. And your getting to do it with your friends and the joy you all had really comes through in the photos.

I really like that area for photography as well as fishing. The fall colors go so well with the color of the rock. I have always liked the contrast with early season green grasses, but your late fall yellow grasses also provided a wonderful color scheme. It really is "other-worldly" up there in any season. Too bad you could not go out McGee - it too has wonderful fall colors.

Harlen wrote: ↑Fri Oct 25, 2024 1:48 am I had met Shaun and Tim on the border between Pakistan and far western China in 1987. We traveled together through troubled Tibet, and into Nepal-- Tim and I on bikes from Lhasa to Kathmandu.

It would be great to read more about that trip. Maybe in Beyond The Sierra Nevada section.

It would be great to read more about that trip. Maybe in Beyond The Sierra Nevada section.

Another nice TR, Ian. Thanks.

[Note to self and HST brethren: always include headlamps on climbing trips; we had to creep along using a couple of cellphone lights

Given your extensive wanderings, I am surprised the occasion to learn this lesson did not occur donkey 'ears ago! The alternative is scheduling trips to occur when a gibbous moon occupies the sky during the early evening. Alas such was not your luck. Our lesson was learned in scouts, when two of our crew lagged behind while returning from peak bagging, and ended up spending a cold night marooned in a sea of pitch black sky. They froze their nuts off, too manly to spoon.

Ed

Harlen wrote: ↑Fri Oct 25, 2024 12:48 am

I had met Shaun and Tim on the border between Pakistan and far western China in 1987. We traveled together through troubled Tibet, and into Nepal-- Tim and I on bikes from Lhasa to Kathmandu.

Tomba and Mav wrote:
It would be great to read more about that trip. Maybe in Beyond The Sierra Nevada section.

That would entail first cleaning, and then scanning a mass of images. But I recently finished a major roof-beam rebuild, and "hazard pay" roofline re-painting of my computer geek buddy's house. He and I do "work trade," and so now I am ahead of that game, and may ask him to perform the scanning work for us. Here are a few that he scanned (pre cleaning of the slides) from that trip:

Backpacking trip in the Tien Shan Mountains; our tent seen in the red circle.


Me and Shaun in 1987, getting to know local Tibetan Yak herders. This guy taught us how to use his sling, with which he was deadly accurate.


And here's Tim and me on our cycling trip, with Tim making the lads laugh per usual.


Mt. Everest--better known there as Chomolungma-- from the north east. We were doing this trip in November, and ran into fierce weather on our last pass in the Himalaya.


I will get this together some winter day; I appreciate your interest.

Thanks for the tease, Ian.