Winter, fall, and summer mingle in ‘the Switzerland of California'

AUTUMN IS IN THE SEMI-CRISP AIR, but its two timeless bookends — that would be summer and winter, of course — made their presence known in spectacular June Lake, a colorful community that is often called "The Switzerland of California." It isn't unusual for the Eastern Sierra, especially the higher peaks, to receive a bit of snow before summer concludes, and that is just what happened Sept. 16, just under a week before the autumn equinox. The picturesque snowy summer scene, which also graced the Tioga Pass and Rock Creek Canyon, provided a portrait of three simultaneous seasons: A bit of frosting, some bright gold flowers, and, yes, the final official days of summertime. The meet-up of this timeless trio — summer, fall, and winter — is something of a September specialty around the Eastern Sierra, though catching the magical moment definitely involves some lucky timing.

BUT BE CHEERED: The 2024 fall foliage season is wonderfully underway around June Lake and, just a pinch down Highway 395, Mammoth Lakes. The region is getting into the scenic seasonal swing, with Virginia Lake at 10%-50% color as of Sept. 19 — this is deemed "patchy" — and Sagehen Summit at 50%-75%, which is "near peak" (yep, leaf peepers, that means you'll need to "go now"). For more updates, check the Visit Mammoth Lakes social pages, as well as Mono County Tourism. The popular California Fall Color blog also offers a leaf-peeping map, with current color levels and recent photos.