Fall color update: North Mono Basin
October 6th, 2011 by Bartshé, Education Director
Trumbull Lake Campground Road, October 5, 2011.
Along the Virginia Canyon Road. Photos by Bartshe Miller.
This year is providing one of the latest fall color displays in memory. The timing is not surprising considering that last winter did not end until June and many aspens did not leaf out completely until then. On October 5 an early-season snowstorm blanketed the high country with snow. A quick scout up Virginia and Lundy canyons revealed minimal colors. Conway Summit aspens were displaying between one and two percent color change. Virginia Canyon had several stands of isolated colors and many groves with no color at all. Overall Virginia Canyon, above 9,000 feet, is splashed with yellow and reds. In the afternoon of October 5, 6–9 inches of snow was present around Virginia Lakes (9,800′). With warm ground and warming temperatures in the coming week, much of this snow will melt off.
Lundy Canyon is practically absent of color except for the pygmy aspen on north-facing slopes above 8500′. Typically the first week of October heralds brilliant colors in the lower and upper canyon—not so this year. The aspen galleries bordering the beaver ponds above the Lundy Lake resort are still showing a deep green. Cooler temperatures and sunny days this weekend will accelerate the onset of color. However, we are looking at one of the latest displays of fall colors. If the weather cooperates peak colors will arrive the second half of October at most elevations.
