Fall colors grace the Nevada's deserts

Fall is a sleepy, golden time here. The skies are almost palpable: a brilliant blue meeting the tangle of tawny golden hues covering Nevada's deserts. Rabbit brush, sage, bitterbrush, and faded desert grasses mingle easily, while higher up the gray-green mountains are accented with brilliant splashes of gold and red as the aspens prepare to shed their leaves. In the Sierra to the west the aspens stand interspersed among the pines, or in small groves where the terrain and climate are amenable.

Hope Valley is such a place, and on Sunday the pace was slow and easy as nature lovers stopped along the road to see the colors.

"The colors are just starting to peak. . . They should be good for about a week or two longer," Dania McAvoy, spokesperson for Hope Valley Outdoor Center said, noting that business has been brisk for the last two weekends, mostly due to the fall color.

"We come up just for the color," Ellen Laden of Tracy, California said.

She and her husband Jim are retired, and taking a four-day trip to see the fall color in the Sierra. They will be traveling south through Bishop before heading home. Jim paints landscapes, and gathers inspiration for his work here, and Ellen emphasized that the fall color neither begins nor ends with Hope Valley.

The Alpine County Chamber of Commerce had these suggestions for viewing fall color.

- Hope Valley: Groves of aspen dot this alpine valley, named by the Mormon Battalion in 1848. To get to the valley, follow State Route 88 west of Woodfords. While there, try a side trip to Blue Lakes and Burnside Lake.

- Woodfords Canyon: State Route 88 follows the Carson River's West Fork as it winds down to Woodfords. The color wasn't as good her as it was in Hope Valley Sunday. The aspens are still green with just a hint of gold, promising more color with time.

- Monitor Pass: Dense groves of aspen are found along this scenic highway, as well as fine examples of gnarled Sierra juniper, as well as views of the Sierra and Great Basin Desert. To get to Monitor pass, drive through Markleeville to State Route 89, which then turns east to meet U.S. 395.

- East Fork of the Carson River: Past Markleeville, California's State Route 4 follows Carson River's East Fork a few miles before veering west into the Sierra. Take a side trip by continuing south to Wolf Creek Meadows.

- Ebbett's Pass: Dramatic and beautiful scenery awaits those who brave the convoluted, (and sometimes one-lane) State Route 4 leading through Ebbett's Pass, where colorful aspen and juniper contrast with volcanic rocks.