We headed south on US-395, hoping to see the fall color of the Eastern Sierra. Things started out well when we passed through Antelope Valley just south of Topaz Lake. The color was at its peak there, but we missed peak color on Conway Summit and the June Lake Loop by about a week. That actually worked out well because there was still a lot to see and we didn't have to contend with the Instagram hordes who now seem to overrun everything.
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| Fall Color on June Lake Loop |
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| Fall in the Valley, Early Winter in the Mountains |
When we checked in at the lodge at June Lake, we were immediately reminded that we were subject to California's mandatory power outages. The idea was to avoid electrical fires from downed power lines, but the real result was that on the desk in our room there was a battery-operated lantern and instructions on where the extra blankets were stored.
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| Preparing for Power Outage |
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| Autumn at Double Eagle Resort |
Snow hadn't come yet to Tioga Road and we made the drive up through Lee Vining canyon to Tuolomne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. The road climbs up into the mountains and then down to Yosemite Valley. It's one of the great scenic roads in America.
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| Tioga Road Hugging the Mountain |
The Tuolomne Meadows facilities were closed for the season, but there were still a lot of visitors. I'm still surprised at the number of foreign visitors that come to Yosemite. The Olmstead Point parking lot was filled with cars and the overlook had people speaking a lot of different languages. The view to the back of Half Dome is one of my favorites.
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| Back of Half Dome from Olmstead Point |
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| Tenaya Lake from Olmstead Point |
We made the drive home and were reminded just how colorful Reno is in the fall. It's really not necessary to go very far to see great fall color.
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| Looking Down to the End of the Cul de Sac |
