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🐾BillinGlendaleCA
I made two pilgrimages up to the Sierra for Fall Color this year; the first was up to Bishop Creek and it was just a bit before peak color, the second was this trip in mid/late October to Big Pine Creek. This is my fourth trip up the North Fork of Big Pine Creek, the first was just a hike to the top of the First Falls in 2021 for a view of Middle Palisade Glacier, I made two trips up there in 2022, the first was pre-Fall Color in late September where I was just going to hike to Lon Chaney’s cabin(about the halfway point between the trailhead and First Lake) and ended up at Second Lake and the second was late October when I did just hike to Lon Chaney’s cabin and was post peak after the First Falls. The intent this year was a repeat of my second trip last year, hike to Lon Chaney’s cabin since I had to work the next afternoon; I ended up at Third Lake this time.
Fall Color was a few days pre-peak at Glacier Lodge and the trailhead and just after peak above the First Falls. Many trees above the falls still had a good number of golden leaves but you could see that many had fallen. This was a strange year for the Sierra, due to the massive amount of snow that fell and the slow melt-off, I was seeing Spring flowers and Fall Color at the same time.
All of these photos were taken with my Sony A7iv and a Tamron 17-28mm lens. I also took my Sony A7r with me as well for some infrared shots. If want to see more of my shots, consider being one of my patrons(here).
Fall Color along the road leading to the site of Glacier Lodge. While there are still cabins and a small store, the actual Glacier Lodge was destroyed by fire many years ago.
Fall Color along Big Pine Creek from the bridge to Glacier Lodge.
The trout pond by Glacier Lodge, you can see a bit of Middle Palisade glacier in the distance. While the pond didn’t have any ice on it, the grass surround the pond had frost.
The trail starts off following Big Pine Creek for about a quarter mile before crossing a footbridge over the North Fork of Big Pine Creek offering a view of the First Falls. In comparison to last year it is still pre-peak and there is a lot more water in the creek.
A grove of aspen along the road by the top of First Falls, the road originally headed down the trailhead, but a good portion has washed out. The aspen have had a good portion of their leaves blown off by wind a few days earlier.
After the grove of aspen, the trail crosses a footbridge over the North Fork of Big Pine Creek, as you climb towards the Second Falls you have a nice view of the valley below.
A bit before Lon Chaney’s cabin, you pass another grove of aspen, these trees were completely baren last year. They are past peak, but still leafy.
At Lon Chaney’s cabin, I decided to continue on to see another grove of aspen further up the trail that looked really nice last September(they were baren). Before getting there, I stopped again at this cascade which was sporting some nice Fall Color.
After arriving at the baren aspen, I looked at the map on my phone and realized that I was almost at First Lake, I continued on to Second Lake for the iconic shot of Second Lake and Temple Crag. The water in the first three lakes was a much darker green than they usually are, probably due to more snow melt than glacial melt they usually have.
I figured I had enough time to hike the 1/4 to 1/2 mile to Third Lake since I had never seen it before. Third Lake is much more shallow than First Lake or Second Lake. I decided to turn back here and return to the trailhead for the drive back to Glendale.
WaterGirl
Just gorgeous, Bill!
Is everyone sleeping in this morning?
Baud
@WaterGirl:
I missed this post because it was sandwiched between the early morning post and the COVID post.
Baud
California is so lovely.
Steeplejack
@WaterGirl, @Baud:
Despite the timestamp, this post didn’t actually appear until well after the COVID update, so I assume some (many?) people missed it.
ETA: And when it did appear, it was tucked in chronologically, as Baud pointed out, so it never appeared at the top of the front page.
UncleEbeneezer
Very nice! We only tried this hike once but it was on a pretty warm day and we had an elderly dog with us and we were all struggling with the altitude so we didn’t even make it to the first lake before we needed to turn around. It seems like Big Pine gets far less attention on CaliforniaFallColor than Bishop. I’m guessing that is because Bishop Creek just has way more aspens. When I researched Big Pine as possible destination I really didn’t find many fall color pix, and I looked everywhere. But it’s such a lovely place. We camped there years ago and scored the most amazing walk-in site (#22, I think) that is right by the creek with your own little beach and a very nice campsite.
Yutsano
The mountains of California always enchant me. Of course they’re connected to the mountains up here so I feel like the Left Coast will always have some kind of connection. I can’t pick a favourite here!
Scout211
Thank you, BillinGlendaleCA. Beautiful photos and a wonderful trail guide through an amazing hike.
I love the Sierras and I miss hiking and backpacking through them like we used to do for decades. We rarely ventured down to the Southern Sierras though, so your photos are new territory for me almost every time you post them here. So thank you.
mvr
Beautiful place. Some day I’d like to spend time there.
Thanks!
MelissaM
All are lovely but for some reason, I’m a sucker for trees against the bright blue sky. Green leafed trees, autumn trees, bare trees, icy and snowy trees — <3
hotshoe
Last week I was telling my sister about the photographer “I know on the internet” — that is, you — and about his photos of the aspens in the eastern Sierra. Then I was thinking I must have missed this year’s fall color post. Glad to see your page today!
WaterGirl
@Baud: oops, it was the post that was sleeping in, not the commenters! It didn’t publish at 5 am like it should have, so when it was forced to post much later, it may have ended up in a weird place.
BigJimSlade
Very nice! (and yet another year I have failed to make it up to the eastern Sierra to see the fall colors :-/ )
Elma
Being from Wisconsin, the idea that “fall color” is all yellow is very strange. Where are the reds, bronzes, and dark purples? Still, the pics are beautiful.
Dmbeaster
Love it.
I have hiked up the North Fork seven times (been up to the glacier a few times and Sam Mack Lake. Wanted to do Sill, but my nephews did not want to go above Glacier Divide at 13,000. Later did Sill from the South Fork), including a Fall backpack last year with my daughter. I was lucky and had better color last year.
In addition to aspens, the North Fork has nice cottonwoods down low and beautiful water birch in the area between Second Falls and First Falls. The water birch is particularly beautiful with its more golden than yellow leaves, and it’s unique copper colored bark creating a tremendous color compliment to the leaves. The North Fork is one of the better places for Fall color in the Eastern Sierra.
I like the South Fork even more as a hiking destination because of its mountaineering features (Finger Lake, Elinore Lake as base camps). It is also a spectacular destination early season (late June) for wildflower displays in the lower portions of the trail (did this in 2022, though been up this trail 11 times). I have a favorite place to camp only five miles in, 2000 feet up at 10,000 feet, with spectacular views. It is a dry camp, but there is a reliable spring about 300 yards away for water.
Keep posting those pics.
Dmbeaster
@Elma: I grew up in Ohio, so know what you mean. Aspens can be red, but it is uncommon. It requires a combination of genes and the right seasonal conditions. Still, you can usually find some red aspens every year, and that occasional special year with a lot of red color.
Dmbeaster
Bill, getting all the way to Third Lake as a day hike is an accomplishment. 12.5 miles round trip and around 2,700 feet of gain. No big deal for those younger, but not the same for us older hikers.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@WaterGirl:
Yes.
@Baud: I stayed up until 3:30am waiting for the post to, well post; since I like to give the early risers replies. I gave up and went to bed.
@Baud: The eastern Sierra is really magical, the Sierra rise like a wall of granite from the Owens Valley.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@Steeplejack: I waited and waited…
@UncleEbeneezer: Thanks, I think Bishop Creek is quite a bit more accessible than Big Pine Creek. You really have to do some hiking to get the best of Big Pine Creek. Around Lake Sabrina, you can park and just walk along the road. I visited both this year, both were nice.
@Yutsano: The eastern Sierra and Owens Valley are very special with 14’ers on each side of the valley.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@Scout211: I hope to have more next year, this year had a very short summer due to all the snow(many upper elevation trails had snow on them though early July). When I visited Bishop Creek two weeks earlier than this trip, I hiked down the length of Lake Sabrina and as the trail started to rise out of the basin, there was still snow on the trail in early October.
@mvr: Can’t go wrong with a trip to the eastern Sierra, all of it is amazing.
@MelissaM: I like that kind of shot too, I took one at Convict Lake last year. I’ll admit there was a bit of Photoshop trickery to even out the sky.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@hotshoe: I may have another from Bishop Creek, it was a bit pre-peak when I went.
@WaterGirl: My posts should know better than sleeping in, unlike the photographer.
@BigJimSlade: There is always next year, this year was a bit odd on timing. Two years ago, Bishop Creek was at peak the first week of October, this year it was more the second week(probably due to the amount of snow this past Winter).
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@Elma: It depends on the kind of trees that are native to the area. We have mostly aspen and cottonwood in the eastern Sierra, so mostly yellow and orange.
@Dmbeaster: Next year, I plan on hiking to Fourth Lake and Summit Lake as a day hike(early start). There just isn’t enough time to do it in the fall at my age(I’m slow, but I get there eventually). I also want to hike up Mono Pass, it seems to be a pretty easy hike from Mosquito Flats(only about 2k elevation climb and not too long). I don’t have the equipment to do backpacking any more, so I’m pretty much limited to day hikes.
@Dmbeaster: Though even the yellow in a sea of green really stands out.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@Dmbeaster: I got an early start, just after sunrise. I got passed a lot as the day progressed, but that’s alright. I think with a daybreak start in the Summer, I can make it to 4th and Summit Lakes. If I wanted to attempt the climb to the glacier, I would have do an overnight, so not for a while if ever.
StringOnAStick
The sharpness of your images is always very striking. Lovely photos!
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@StringOnAStick: I shoot everything with two Sony cameras, the A7iv for visual stuff and the A7r for some of the astro stuff with some good glass.