I recently had the good fortune to be in the Eastern Sierra during an unusually heavy early October snowstorm. It is common for dustings of snow to happen in late September and early October, but rare for a heavy storm. We left San Francisco 12 hours ahead of the storm, which closed Tioga Pass. We bedded down in Bishop for 2 days, mostly spent exploring in the rain. Then south to Lone Pine. We were able to photograph the Sierra crest as the storm was clearing, so there were beautiful fog and clouds. Then off to Lee Vining for three nights, exploring all the side canyons. There was significant snow above 7000 feet, like impossible to turn off on any of the dirt roads to explore the Virginia Creek area. The color had peaked in most of the Eastern Sierra before the storm, but there was still some left after the storm. The star of the show was not the color. It was the magnificant mountain peaks covered with fresh white snow, the crisp clear air, and occasional large billowy clouds. I’ve been travelling to the Eastern Sierra for autumn for 40 years, since we lived in Bishop 1980-1984, and this was the most beautiful I have ever seen it. I knew at the time that it would be impossible to capture the essence of how utterly gorgeous it was, and I was right. I did manage to take some OK photos. Here are a few:
Before the storm
After the storm
And to finish an absolutely memorable trip, we managed to leave Lee Vining and drive up Tioga Pass just after the highway re-opened. There were no other cars. We pulled over, stopped, got out of the car and gasped at the beauty many times, including at Tuolemne Meadows. We were able to experience several miles of the Yosemite High country at 10,000 feet, alone in the silence and fresh white snow. What a blessing it was!
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Man, oh man! What a series. I love the eastern Sierra too, especially when the aspens are turning. The snow is “icing on the cake”. BTW, did you happen to check out Lundy Canyon?
What a fine series of images, Tony! You had conditions I have only dreamt of even after many years of being a Sierra denizen.
All of these are nicely composed and processed, but I would like to see a tad more detail in the Alabama Hills in the Lone Pine Peak image.
Just curious, but which canyon and peaks are in the image following the LP Peak shot?
I love the Autumn color in these images in contrast with the stormy weather!
-P
Thanks for the comments! No, after driving up the paved road to Virginia Lakes I was planning to turn right on the dirt road that goes to Dunderburg Meadows but it was covered with at least six inches of snow and impassible. I decided not to try Lundy because the last part to get past the beaver ponds is a dirt road in crappy condition and figured it would not be worth it.
Thanks for the comments Preston. Yes, the conditions were a miracle. I felt like I had entered into a beam of grace. The canyon and peaks you asked about are McGee Creek, taken from about a mile and a half up the trail.
Thanks, Tony. I thought the place looked vaguely familiar but couldn’t place it. Dan Baumbach and I did some LF stuff around McGee Creek but didn’t go very far up the trail. We camped at the campground there and also saw Micheal E. Gordon there: It was a nice party!
Funny story about camping there…
There was a pretty decent thunderstorm on the crest. although we only got a little blowing rain, the outflow wind gust was likely around 40 mph. I was sleeping in a bivvy sack and Dan was in his tent. A big gust of wind hit his tent and pulled every peg!
I hopped out of my bag, grabbed my ice hammer and re-drove the pegs while shouting expletives at the gods. He wanted to help, but I hollered at him over the roar to stay in the tent in order hold it down while I fixed things up.
The wind finally stopped early in the morning. A fitful night’s sleep was had by all.
Were you able to get into Rock Creek/Little Lakes Valley. I imagine the conditions prevented it because it’s so high.
I hope you have more images from your trip to share!
-P
Great story! It’s amazing how fierce the winds can get at the crest. Back in the day when I was still young and a back packer my wife and I hiked up from North Lake over Lamarck Col and camped just below the crest staring down at the Darwin Lakes. I was putting up our tent and the same thing happened, although she was not in it and I had to chase the tent around to stop it from blowing away.
As requested, here are additional photos from this trip. And thanks for the comments.
Nice images, Tony. Thanks for sharing.
I heard that a hiker fell 900’ off the Mt. Whitney trail in the area of the ‘switch backs’ due to icing on the trail from that storm.
Even though thousands of people hike that trail every year, it is very dangerous in spots and people have been hoodwinked on it many times because they were unprepared. I’ve hiked it several times both up and down, and it’s no cakewalk.
-P
Thanks again for the comments. I really appreciate them. Here is a link to all of my finished favorites from this trip that I posted on my web page: https://tonysicilianophotography.smugmug.com/Fine-Art-Photography/EASTERNSIERRAOCTOBER2025/i-JmkhT7Q
