Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

Thanks SS - I shot the South shore last year and may do it again this year with a light as you suggest - this year I have more time and will be shooting there part of 2 days - I do want to get some "light painted" shots as well as the MW over Mono so I'll be up most of the night to do so. I have been watching tutorials on long exposure (20 sec) night shots with light painting. As this is such a long drive with so many great photo ops it is going to be interesting to see just how many of my plans turn out. We will just have to wait and see.
Harvey

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Harvey, have you lost your sense of adventure? You ought to plan a trip to my neck of the woods. Our little valley is only 3600', but I can have you at 8000' in a short scenic drive. Of course, it's more fun in winter with slippery snow; you feel like a pin ball coming down.

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

If you are talking of the valley the of Genoa, Minden and Gardnerville I lived up at So.Lake Tahoe from '63 to '78 heck 71 - 75 I worked in a grocery store at the bottom of Kingsbury on the Lake side and know quite well the "fun" of Kingsbury both summer and winter. Still like the area but sure glad I am - like you - living at 3,500 ft - just enough snow to tell it's winter.
Harvey

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

Good timing for this thread. We're going to the area next weekend for some (hopefully good) fall colors. I don't mean to hijack this thread, but any tips or information on the outlook for fall colors in the area would be appreciated.

We're driving from the East Bay up over Sonora Pass to Mono Lake on Saturday, then driving the June Lake Loop and then to Mammoth for the night. Then Tioga Pass and through Tuolumne Meadows and back home on Sunday. We've never been to the area in the fall and are looking forward to it. I love the drive from Pinecrest up over Sonora pass, especially on a late spring day, but have never stopped at Mono Lake, which we'll do this time; my other similar trips have been one day trips. The weather looks great for the weekend, but too cold for the high performance summer tires on my Mazda, so we'll have to take our Subaru with the all-season tires (and have a little less fun in the twisties). This will be my first time with a DSLR, so I'm looking forward to it. Tuolumne Meadows is one of my favorite places on the planet.

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

Hello and welcome - I know you are going to be on the south end of my planed trip area but know you are going to find lots of fall colors pluss other great photo op - - as you will be pushed for time my suggestion for Mono Lake is to go to the South Shore Tufa area - the turn off is right near the Tioga Pass rd - I too will be making the June Lake Loop as I just found that it was closer than I thought. I also found info on the Dudenberg Meadow which is the west side of Conway Summit - again a popular place I was going to miss. Hope You have a safe and enjoyable trip - be sure to post images.
Harvey (from Oakley, Concord)

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

Harvey,

Thanks for the info. I was not aware of the Dudenberg Meadow; is it readily accessible? I will post some images and am looking forward to yours as well.

Dennis (from Clayton)

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

Yes - the turn-off is north of Conway Summit just a short distance -Here are some dirrections

Come autumn, eastern California travelers taking U.S.
395 over 8,138-foot Conway Summit often pull off the
road to gape at – and photograph – aspen-dotted
Dunderberg Meadows below. What most of these travelers
don't realize is that they can actually drive down to
the meadows and view the spectacle close-up, taking in
sweeping mountain vistas and admiring the way the
aspens' brilliance is set off against the dark green of neighboring pines.
From Bridgeport, drive south on U.S.
395 about 5 miles to Green Creek Rd. and then turn
right (west). Drive south 4 miles, go straight at the junction
(you're now on Dunderberg Meadows Rd.), and continue
for another mile. Although
Green Creek Rd. is dirt and gravel, it's satisfactory
for standard passenger cars.
When: Fall color generally peaks toward the end of
September. But weather plays a huge role in the Sierra
Nevada, and predictions can easily fly out the window.
Contact: Call the California Department of
Transportation (800/427-7623) for road conditions on
U.S. 395. For leaf status, call the Bridgeport Ranger
District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (760/932-7070)

Harvey