Fall Colors: Tuesday Update – We still have lots of peaking Fall Colors with a backset of snow in the Eastern Sierra. The ground above 8000 feet is white with most of the colors surviving the cold so far.

There have been freezing temperatures in the area the last few nights. Last night there was a hard freeze, will have to see how the trees react to it getting that cold.

If you’re coming up for Fall Colors this week I would expect it to be cold into Wednesday morning. The rest of the week will be warmer with some clear blue skies and clear air to get some great Fall color images.

Best areas for Colors Now: MC Gee Creek, Upper Rock Creek Canyon Road, Bishop Creek Canyon, Old Mammoth, and the Twin Lakes area 

There will be an update mid-week after we drive around the area and see what has happened to the leaves from 2 nights of hard freeze’s.

Mountain Biking: We went from some great warm days of fall riding to winter quick this year. While we expect warmer Fall days later this week, be aware that trails above 8500 feet are going to be snowed in for a while now. High country trails could be done for the season, depends on what happens in about 10 days from now.

The good news is we have some of the best mountain biking around in the lower elevations during the Fall and Winter months. My go-to spots for the next few months will be Rock Creek Canyon by Tom Place, The Big Buttermilk – Tungsten Loop area, and Chipmunk Canyon out of Bishop.

Late morning to mid-day is the perfect time to get out for a long ride with great riding tempratures. I will update the Mountain Bike Report page in a few days as time allows

Hiking: You will find snow on the ground from 8000 feet up now. If you’re not used to hiking in the snow get some poles and a good pair of waterproof boots before you hit the trail. Footloose Sports has all the hiking gear you need and the staff knows the local hiking trails well. Check them out when you’re in town and be properly prepared for hiking in the snow.

You also have the option of using the local paved paths around town. Those paths get plowed out and should be awesome for a hike right now. I have spent hours with my kids on those paths, they are one of the best improvements the town ever made.

Another great hike right now would be around Convict Lake. That trail gets lots of sun so the snow should melt out the next couple of days.

For a steeper trail hike with snow but not much, would be the Sherwin Lake Trails just outside of town. Last but not least lots of people like to hike the Lower Rock Creek Trail, it’s a great option when there is snow in the higher elevations.