Photograph: Aspen Grove, South Fork, Bishop Creek - brilliant fall color in the eastern Sierra Nevada

Aspen Grove, South Fork, Bishop Creek

Posted on 25 October 2010

Aspen Grove, South Fork, Bishop Creek

Brilliantly colorful fall aspens along the south fork of Bishop Creek.

I have been in this area many times in the past to search for aspens – and to backpack – but when I came into this part of the canyon this year I think I exclaimed, “Oh my God!” out loud, the colors were so intense and so widespread. While the trees in the lower portions of this watershed were still largely green, the colors in the upper canyon had gone fluorescent when I arrived – mostly brilliant yellow-gold with some orange and red, and stretching from the stream-side to the highest reaches of vegetation on the slopes above. I know that people from New England cannot imagine that aspen color displays can compete with their colors – and they are usually probably right – but this year I think they might have exclaimed as I did if they had seen this canyon.

This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Category: Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada
Tags: alpine, aspen, autumn, bishop, boulder, california, color, creek, dense, fall, foliage, fork, gold, green, grove, landscape, leaves, Mountain, nature, nevada, north america, october, orange, photo, photography, range, rushing, scenic, season, sierra, slope, south, stock, travel, tree, usa, valley, water, yellow

3 comments to Aspen Grove, South Fork, Bishop Creek

Dave Pidgeon

says:

October 25, 2010 at 6:09 am

Just returned from southern Utah, and that was my first glance at the brilliance of aspens in autumn. Having seen foliage from New England to the mid-Atlantic, I can say that aspens rank just as high in terms of scenery and impressive color. I had a few “oh my God” moments, too.

John Boyd

says:

October 25, 2010 at 7:54 am

Fantastic colors. I have photographed from June Lake to North of Bridgeport bun never in the Bishop area. My need to rethink next years trip.

G Dan Mitchell

says:

October 25, 2010 at 11:52 am

John, I think it may be as much a matter of (lucky) timing as it is of location. I happened to be at this spot at what might have been the very best day of the season, but I know that you can fine really wonderful colors in many, many parts of the Sierra.

I was talking to some friends about this over the weekend, and I mentioned that the best location advice for finding aspen color in the eastern Sierra might be “drive up/down highway 395 and look up!” :-)

Dan