Fresh Snow and Fall Colors

Oct 14, 2013 | Blog | 0 comments

Well if you didn’t already hear, we got another early season snow storm in the Sierras last week. Not a whole lot stuck in town, but the higher elevation got a decent amount of accumulation. But what really made this little storm great was the lack of wind. So often during the autumn time here in Mammoth the aspen leaves will be in the middle of their amazing change in colors when an early season storm comes in with fierceness and blows all the leaves off. Well that thankfully didn’t happen this time. Instead we got a good dusting of snow with light winds that allowed for the changing leaves to continue their course. And as a result, we are left some of the spectacular imagery seen below!

So if you haven’t been to Mammoth Lakes (or the surrounding Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains) recently, now is the time to visit if you are looking to experience sheer beauty within the mountains. But don’t wait too long, these leaves won’t stay on their trees too much longer. As they transition from green to those golden yellows, the next stage of the oranges and reds is a quick one. Just a matter of days and that same glowing leaf might already laying on the ground.

Now the nice thing about these annual change in the aspen leaves is that they all “turn” at different times depending on that localized climate and elevation. So just because one canyon might be done with the colors, doesn’t mean that another canyon might not still have amazing vibrancy. The “visit Mammoth” website can provide you a Fall Colors Pocket Guide that recommends some of the best laces in and around the Mammoth Lakes area to see, drive through, and hike within the fall colors. http://explore.visitmammoth.com/download-your-fall-colors-pocket-guide. There’s also a video they put together that has some of John Wentworth’s favorite recommendations to see the fall colors: http://youtu.be/6XvORIQRbG4 The hike up to Heart Lake that he recommends is one of my favorites for a quick Mammoth Lakes Basin hike. If you are ever over there, don’t miss out on exploring the historical Mammoth Consolidated Mine area that is just a minute’s walk from the Coldwater Campground parking lot and Heart Lake trailhead.