Natural History Wanderings

Michael Frye Photography reported

Autumn arrived early on the east side, and then a storm came through just before the workshop, closing many Sierra passes and blowing leaves off the trees. But we still found some beautiful color; I’ve included a few photographs here made during and just before the workshop.
Though the color is fading in the eastern Sierra, the autumn foliage in Yosemite Valley typically peaks around the end of October and beginning of November. I made a detour into Yosemite Valley on our way over to the east side on October 13th. At that time it looked like the color was changing early – especially the big-leaf maples. I haven’t been back to the valley, but I talked with Evan Russel at The Ansel Adams Gallery today, and he said that there are some colorful dogwoods along Highway 120, and the big-leaf maples are still vibrant in many places in the valley. The oaks, cottonwoods, and dogwoods in the valley still have a way to go, so there should still be some good color in the valley for another couple of weeks.

See photo at  Autumn on the East Side – Michael Frye Photography