Greetings from Mammoth Lakes!  We just finished our second day of shooting and “chasing” fall color, amid what’s been called an atypical year.  After leaving work on 10/8/09, we drove to Lone Pine and camped in the Alabama Hills.  On Friday morning, 10/9, we drove up Bishop Creek Canyon, and found–as expected from reports–very little in the way of prime fall color.  That said, many thanks to Inge Fernau, who tipped me off to a good grove at Cardinal Pond, as well as some decent trees in the South Fork, near the “fake” waterfall.  It was nice to finally meet Inge in person at Cardinal Pond as well!  Here’s a shot from Bishop Creek Canyon:

Aspens and Sunburst, Bishop Creek Canyon, CA, October 2009

This morning, 10/10, we drove to Mono Lake for sunrise, then headed up to Lundy Canyon because we had heard word about a small grove in the day use lot.  We found the trees, as well as about 7 photographers.  However, on the way to Lundy, about 400 yards north of the Tioga Lodge on the north end of Lee Vining, we saw the best trees of the whole trip, with yellows, oranges, and reds:

Aspens at Moonset, Mono County, CA, October 2009

From what I could tell, there were few, if any, brown leaves.  This grove is best shot from the highway, as, in the interest of full disclosure, I may have been trespassing onto this grove.  I accessed it via a sagebrush escarpment to the south, and did not see the “no trespassing” signs until I walked back down the road to the south.  

After photographing this grove, we hiked into Cathedral Lakes in Yosemite.  Driving up Lee Vining Canyon, I saw little color at all from Hwy 120.

Thanks to all who offered advice, for the hard work on the Flickr group, etc.  

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