Aspen Leaves. Bishop Creek, California. October 1, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

For many of us who photograph California, an important question this time of year is “when and where will the aspens reach their peak?” There are many pockets of astonishing aspen color in the Sierra Nevada every fall, especially in the eastern Sierra. In my somewhat limited experience, the peak typically happens during the first week or two of October, although there can be variations brought on by climate, the passage of storms or a cold snap, along with elevation and specific location within the range.

So I start keeping my eyes open for the first signs of a change when I visit the Sierra as early as September. I was in Yosemite earlier this week, and while I didn’t spend a lot of time in areas where there are many aspen groves, I did pass by a few familiar groves along Tioga Pass Road. Not surprisingly, the aspens have not turned color yet. (Though quite a few other alpine plants are showing definite signs of the autumn change.) However, I did see the first hints in one grove where the veins in some of the leaves were just barely starting to pick up a lighter shade that presages the switch to shades of gold and red.