Dan's Outside

A Bit More About My Tuolumne Weekend

I mentioned earlier that I was in Tuolumne Meadows last Friday through Sunday. September weather in Tuolumne (and the rest of the Sierra) can go just about any direction you can imagine. I’ve seen it snow and I’ve seen it warm and sunny.

This weekend was mostly sunny – with the addition of a few photogenic clouds – but it was also unusually cold. It was in the mid-20s at night at Tuolumne, which seemed to surprise a few late season campers. It was even getting cold before the sun went down, which made it seem almost winter-like.

On Sunday I was out at Parker Pass at 11,100′ on Yosemite’s eastern border and right on the Sierra crest. It was cold! I was wearing three layers and should have worn another. Other people out near the pass were wearing gloves – except for a few hardy backpackers I saw who were hiking in shorts! Not only was it cold that afternoon, but the wind was howling as well.

This is the time of year when everyone begins to anticipate the fall colors, especially on the east side of the crest where the aspens can turn astonishing shades of yellow and gold. So far, not much has happened. I saw just a few trees that were barely starting to turn colors.

On the other hand, most of the meadow plants and grasses – except in very moist areas – have gone dormant and turned golden brown. A few plants are beginning to turn yellow or red. (See this photo near Spillway Lake.)
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September 20, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Trips | Comments Off on A Bit More About My Tuolumne Weekend