Alpine County Fall Colors - October 2014

It is always a challenge to pick the first picture for each posting. Do I post my best picture first or slowly build up to it? In this case, I decided to put my best foot forward so to speak. As you would expect, Alpine County in California is rather remote. This sparsely populated county is south of Lake Tahoe nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains with altitudes over 7,000 ft. This area is high enough to have extensive aspen groves that glow yellow in the fall when the conditions are right. The crisp blue skies are clear of pollution and dotted with just enough clouds for a pretty picture.

My route was rather long, beginning early in the morning heading up Highway 50. It was touching to see so many signs in Placerville thanking the firefighters who battled the King Fire this year. Just before you hit South Lake Tahoe, there is a turnoff for Highway 89 heading south into Alpine County. California Highway 89 reminds me a lot of the sheer beauty of Arizona Highway 89 heading from Flagstaff to Sedona. This route takes you through Luther Pass and Hope Valley. Both are well worth a stop and a hike. I stopped in Markleeville for lunch as pictured above. There are a couple of cute restaurants for lunch, but it is a hotspot for motorcycle clubs so keep that in mind.

I shot this beauty over Monitor Pass. While driving down the highway, I saw this cloud formation out of the corner of my eye and immediately pulled over to take a picture. Clouds like these are common over the crest of the Sierras due to the unique wind and moisture currents over the craggy terrain. The dark blue sky is mainly courtesy of my polarizing filter.

For this trip, the main event was waiting for me at Ebbets Pass over Highway 4. In this area, Highway 4 is really a "highway" in an academic sense. It is really a paved sidewalk running crazy up 20% grades and switchback turns. In most places, it is a tight squeeze for two large vehicles to pass. It is a definite white knuckle ride, but worth the effort for the remote desolation and gorgeous pictures.

Coming back down the grade, there are many small mountain lakes and reservoirs. This is where California's water comes from. Up here it just looks pretty, but it is the life-blood for our booming agriculture and drinking water for nearly 40 million people. After a long drive, I had the fortune of spending a nice evening with friends in Murphys before heading back to Sacramento.

It is always a nice time to take a drive through the mountains, but something about the fall always makes it more spectacular. The air is clean and crisp; the trees are full of color; and you can just feel something special in the air. Please enjoy the rest of my pictures below.