On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions. From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
This series was created by Alain Chamot (1971-2020).
UncleEbeneezer
In non-Covid times, we try to go somewhere for Fall Color every year. Living in Los Angeles, the easiest option is usually a trip to the Eastern Sierra where you get to see a ton of aspens (and some other trees/colors too, but mostly gold). After going a little too late and a little too early in the previous couple years, we finally got the timing right in 2017 and got to se near-peak or peak color at multiple locations. Here are some pics. Enjoy!
Our first stop was at McGee Creek, which was gorgeous. We didn’t really have time to hike, since we still needed to get to Mammoth (where we were staying) and we were already pretty tired from the long drive.
The second day of our trip we ventured up to Lundy Lake which is way North from Mammoth just past Mono Lake. We discovered Lundy on our second Anniversary trip from CA up to Crater Lake OR and back. Lundy was our first campsite and we absolutely loved it. It’s very popular in the Fall because it has fairly easy access off the 395 and you get good color as soon as you reach the campground which is right in the middle of a grove of aspens.
Aspen Canopy!!
The June Lake Loop, is another of the more popular spots for leaf-peeping. You can take a nice long drive around June and Silver Lakes and see a bunch of color.
Here is the view from the Parker Lake Trail in June Lake. It’s a lovely little hike that isn’t too hard.
This is the view from the Twin Lakes Overlook in Mammoth.
Down in Red’s Meadow there wasn’t a ton of fall color, but it was still lovely and we found this great meadow where some mules were happily grazing in the Fall sunshine.
Comrade Colette
Oooh, lovely! June Lake is just gorgeous any time of year, but especially with the fall colors. I miss going to the Eastern Sierra – my old company used to treat us all to a deluxe outing to Mammoth Lakes every fall. Local taxpayers won’t do the same now that I’m a municipal employee, go figure. After Covid, this will be our first road trip. Thanks for the flashback
PS Thanks for the tip about Lundy Lake – never been there, but it’s on the list now!
lashonharangue
We love Lundy Lake in the fall! Thanks
JanieM
Gold indeed. Each one is lovely in a different way — I’d be hard put to choose a favorite. But I like the reminder, in the 2nd to last one, of how it feels to look back across a landscape from a high vantage point.
susanna
Beautiful aspens! And the soothing sounds they make in the wind. The picture of foliage next to Sierra rock formations that display strength is my favorite. Thanks for posting.
SoupCatcher
Beautiful pictures!
We camped at Lundy Canyon Campground early June of 2019 and had no problem finding a space. Granted, it got down into the thirties at night and there was still snow that hadn’t quite melted.
A few days later we were down in Bishop and the temperature was close to 100. The town was overrun for the California state high school rodeo championships.
I love the Eastern Sierra.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
I was going to head up to the area around Bishop this year, but the ‘rona and the fires changed my plans. I’ve heard there’s some nice fall color in Big Bear, I’ve only been there once and that was Winter. I hiked a bit up Arroyo Seco on Sunday and the sycamore trees were pretty colorful, unfortunately most of the trees close to the stream are alders and they don’t change color.
Mary G
Bishop Bag
Hey guys…Love that you are mentioning Lundy Canyon. It is so pretty up there and has many many beaver ponds. My daughter and I took my grandson (6) up about 5 weeks ago and he was very impressed with the beaver ponds. Hardly any people were there due to Covid. Last year there were soooo many people there looking at the colors. A little further up 395 the North side of Conway Summit is always magnificent! Fall colors were really nice this year. Thanks for sharing this with the community.
stinger
These are gold, Jerry! Gold!
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@Bishop Bag: I didn’t realize y’all had beavers in the Owens Valley. When I went up to Big Pine earlier this year, I saw one crossing 395 and said, “did I just see a beaver crossing the road?”.
BigJimSlade
Yeah, along the lines of what stinger said – golden post! I’ve hiked out of some of these places 35+ years ago (hiking out of the June Lake loop is a beast!) so I have fond memories of them, but I haven’t tried them in fall – I’ll have to give it a shot.
TomatoQueen
Wow. I’ve been hearing about Mammoth from family for years and years as it was a favorite place in the summer, but have never been there myself. All the pics are lovely and that 2nd to last view is just stunning.
Prometheus Shrugged
@🐾BillinGlendaleCA: A couple of months ago, I watched one in McGee Creek (the Long Pond stretch, if you’re familiar with that hike) for about an hour. They’re pretty amazing to see going about their business. I hadn’t actually seen one since I was a kid, and that was on a camping trip in Canada. I don’t know of too many beaver lodges in the Eastern Sierra, but McGee Creek has several.
Sister Golden Bear
Love the Eastern Sierra!
Weekend before last I did a no-contact day trip up to the High Sierras from the western side. Ironically, the fall colors in my neighborhood have been far better, thanks in part to all the trendy Japanese maples planted by my neighbors.
I did get some nice photos of snow-capped mountains, thanks to a snow storm the night before.
Currants
@Prometheus Shrugged: That’s cool! They’re mostly nocturnal (at least in eastern MA they are), so although they’re often within 20-100 yds of me where I live, I can’t see them. Best opportunities are paying close attention outside (and quietly) in the late fall and early spring evenings.
UncleEbeneezer
@Comrade Colette: Lundy is getting more popular in the Fall (I think it’s because CaliforniaFallColor.com has featured it several times) but most of the time it seems like it is pretty easy to get a campground there, compared to say Convict Lake or the several June Lake/Mammoth Campgrounds that fill up fast.
UncleEbeneezer
@Sister Golden Bear: Those Japanese maples are really something else though! We’ve been recently spending hours of decompression time, watching videos of fall color in Japan. It is truly spectacular. And so different, due to the tree species, terrain and architecture than the fall color in New England or the Sierra. Glad to hear you got out to the mountains. This is the first time in almost a decade that we haven’t gotten up there (due to Covid and the fires).
UncleEbeneezer
@🐾BillinGlendaleCA: This sounds like a raunchy, dad joke: why did the beaver cross the road? We’ve never SEEN any beavers in the Sierra, though I do think we’ve seen dams here and there. The last time we actually saw a beaver was up in Klammath Falls, OR. We stayed at this great place (Crystal Lodge) that is right on the river and part of the nature reserve and could see/hear one going at it’s work near dusk.
As for local Fall Color, we have never found much in the San Gabriels. But there is some nice color at the LA Arboretum.