Spectaculor fall foliage photos in the Sierra Nevada mountains, fall 2007...

Fall is my favorite time of the year for many reasons: The kids are back in school, and the worker bees are back in their hives, and the highways and byways are less-crowded and the prices much cheaper, a certain "softness" in the air, generally warm, dry temperatures, and spectacular fall foliage. Unlike the East Coast, California isn't noted for spectacular displays of fall foliage, but if you're driving through the Sierra Nevada mountains in early to mid October, you'll be treated to displays of yellow, gold and red leaves that will rival scenery found in the Rocky Mountains or on the East Coast.

Photo: Looking south from Highway 89 towards snow-covered Mineral Mountain, in Mono County, 20 miles in the distance. Note the high, alpine meadow scenery of Bagley Valley, and varied fall colors.

Photo: Looking south through a spectacular aspen grove toward distant Mineral Mountain, at intersection of CA highway 89 and dirt road to Leviathan Mine.

Monday, October 8, 2007, I left Bishop, CA, after spending the last night of a 10-day road trip to Mexico's scenic Baja California, and I found myself traveling home across the Sierra Nevada mountains on California Highway 89, just west of Monitor Pass, near the defunct Leviathan Mine, when I noticed that the aspen trees were displaying various spectacular shades of light green, yellow and gold, so a display like that called for me to whip out the camera, and take a few photos.

Photo: Here's a close-up photo of an aspen tree, in fall foliage, along CA 89, near Heenan Lake.

Photo: The east fork of the Carson River, about 5 miles east of Markleeville, a town of less that 200 in population that's the county seat for Alpine County, California's least populated county. I usually "blow through" this area on my way to the high desert country, as this area is only a scant couple of hours from my home in Roseville, but today, I stopped to smell the roses, errrrr... the sagebrush.

2007 turned out to be a rather interesting weather year, as the Sierra Nevada mountains endured a dry winter with only about 40% as much snow as usually expected, and several nights in January where the temperature dropped to as low as 40 degrees below zero, which is unusually cold for a region that rarely sees temperatures drop below minus 20. After surviving the summer without significant fire damage, the region received an early snowfall in late September, plus a few nights of sub-freezing temperatures, which set all the elements in place which would produce the most spectacular display of fall colors during the last 10 years.

Photo: I love this high alpine scenery, at the junction of CA Highways 88 and 89. This is the West Fork of the Carson river, as it flows through this meadow after emanating from a glacier near Luther Pass, just a few miles to the north. Note the lodgepole pine trees and the high alpine, tundra-like meadow. The elevation here is about 7500 feet.

Photo: I was surprised to see such spectacular fall foliage this low in the American River Canyon, along U.S. 50, about 5 miles east of the junction of Ice House Road, near White Hall. The elevation here is only about 3500 feet.

I found myself so impressed that I felt compelled to post a few photos of the beautiful fall foliage that I encountered on my way home to Roseville, while traveling through beautiful Alpine and El Dorado counties. Enjoy the photos!

However, my brother Michael had a somewhat different idea than I had, about how to enjoy the beautiful fall weather in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Albeit, he was somewhat farther south than I was, but quite higher in elevation, and these photos, taken by Greg Wilson, sort of illustrate the way Michael and his buddies enjoyed the fall foliage.

Photo: Michael and friend Dan Wier enjoy a delicious backpacker's meal around a warm, cheery, campfire, as the snow falls in the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness, east of Fresno, in the Sierra National Forest.

Every story seems to have a postscript, and this story is no exception. My brother Michael had invited me to a backpacking trip in the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness, in the Sierra National Forest, east of the beautiful California City of Fresno. I had eagerly agreed to the trip, but due to an unforseen scheduling conflict, I had to decline. So on September 19, 2007, Michael and his buddies left without me, on their planned, four-day trip into the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness.

Such plans are made for mice and men, as they were caught by an early snowfall, and naturally, they weren't equipped for several days of backpacking in the snow, e.g. white, cold, torture. Of couse they had brought all of the necessary equipment to survive, and and at the least, to barely enjoy the fall colors. But after a night of wind, freezing rain, and a couple of inches of snow, they wisely decided to return to the friendly trail head, and eventually their welcoming, warm homes, in Merced.

Photo: In mid-September, Dinkey Lake is normally a primo lake for trout fishing, or swiming, but not on this snowy day in mid September, 2007.

Photo: Greg Wilson, the photographer, enjoys a glass of red wine before the snow starts to fall. Thanks to Greg for the published photos.

My brother Michael had a slightly different idea of how to enjoy the fall colors than I did. To each his own! By the way, thanks to Greg Wilson, my brother-in-law, for taking these photos, and allowing me to publish them on this web site. Thanks Greg!

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