2008 Fall Color Summary Part 1

I started planning my Fall Color Safaris for 2008 in December of 2007. Little did I know, that some of these plans had to change! The company I worked for (Nektar) laid me off on February 11, 2008….
My plans for any trips in 2008 were in limbo. Good luck had it however that one of my former directors hired me as a consultant at Proteus Biomedical and good fortune has it that I am still here.
I could not do all the travel I had planned, because as a consultant you only get paid when you work, any vacation is coming out of your pocket. Enough of this sad stuff and let’s go on with Fall in Northern California!

If you don’t want to read thru this report you can view all my Fall Colors here:
Fall Color Collection


In September I always drive into the Napa Valley, because there are early small shows of grapes and colored leaves.

Napa Valley Color. September 20, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau


This year I had a shooting partner; Photographer Randy Walton and his wife Diane joined me for 6 days during my first Safari. We started on September 27th and got our first glimpse of Fall Colors (or not) down the Lee Vining Canyon. Lee Vining Canyon was still green, the Aspens were still in Summer mode. We stopped at the Tioga Mobile Station and then made our way up to the Dunderberg Meadow. Even here along the dirt road we found a lot of green amongst some colorful Aspens. My favorite Aspen grove was about 50% turned.

My Favorite Aspen Grove. September 27, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau


We checked out Conway Summit and it was still mostly green. As we were making our way to Bishop, we took the June Lake loop and found most Aspens were still green as well. Rock Creek Canyon up at Lake level and above had the most color. Once we passed a certain altitude the color was just exploding. We took a bunch of images ….who says you can’t get good shots in the midday sun.
The afternoon was spend along Bishop Creek Canyon from the North Fork to the South Fork. The theme was the same colorful with some green at the upper elevations and mostly green at the lower elevations.

Randy at work at North Lake. September 27, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau

Bishop Creek Canyon Fall Colors. September 27, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau



The next day we got up real early to make the traditional (for me anyway) stop at North Lake for the sunrise. Thinking it was Sunday, it would be less crowded…think again. Two workshops had already set up and it was tripod to tripod at the shores.

North Lake Photographer Jam. September 28, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau


The big Aspen Grove at North Lake was beautiful and we spend this day all along the Bishop Creek Canyon from one end to the other. This day was also the only one with a decent sunset.

Another side of Bishop Creek Canyon. September 28, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau

Colorful Stream along the North Fork of Bishop Creek Canyon. September 28, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau

Only Good Sunset we had during my first Fall Color Safari. September 28, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau

Monday 9/29/08 we drove up to Rock Creek Lake and got there when it was still dark. The sunrise was not with the red clouds we had hoped for, but nevertheless it was beautiful. It was cold and the lack of wind produced a mirror image on the lake. Rock Creek Canyon had one of the best fall color displays I have seen. I was always wondering why others said Rock Creek colors are awesome, in the past I had gone up there when a lot of leaves had already been blown off. NOW I understand…..Starting at the Palisades Group Camp all the way to the Mosquito Flat, the colors were popping. When we were done working this area, we returned to Bishop Creek. Clouds were building and it became very windy with a few rain showers. We spend the rest of the day at Bishop Creek working the spots that had gorgeous fall colors. With all the clouds a good sunset just did not develop.

Rock Creek Lake at Dawn. September 29, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau

Rock Creek Canyon. September 29, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau

South Lake – Bishop Creek Canyon. September 29, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau

North Fork – Bishop Creek Canyon. September 29, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau

The Colors of Fall – Bishop Creek Canyon. September 29, 2008. © Copyright Inge Fernau .

This photograph is not in the public domain! It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance written permission from Inge Fernau


View my entire - Fall Color Collection

Getting this summary written takes longer than I thought so….Part 2 to follow soon