The calendar couldn't flip fast enough. September, the best month to be outside in California, is finally here.
April and May have their waterfalls and wildflowers. July has never-ending days that stretch into the evening. Even February, stuck in the middle of winter, has its own set of frosty charms.
But September trumps them all. Let me count the ways:
Where did everyone go?
Labor Day traditionally marks the end of the vacation season. Now that the kids are back in school, it's time for the adults to come out and play.
In September, it's possible to visit Yosemite Valley and not spend your day dodging foreign tourists.
"It's a different world up here once the crowds go home," said Kenny Karst, spokesman for DNC Parks and Resorts, Yosemite's concessionaire.
In September, campgrounds in destinations such as Tuolumne Meadows, Lodgepole and Hume Lake that are normally packed sit practically empty.
In September, wilderness permits are available for even the most popular trailheads.
In September, the only sounds you'll hear while hiking or mountain biking are those made by your own labored breathing.
Let there be light
Ever wonder why John Muir nicknamed the Sierra Nevada (Spanish for "snowy range") the Range of Light?
Go in September.
Something wonderful happens when the sun traces a lower path across the sky. Instead of bright light, mountains, forests and meadows become drenched in a soft, yellow hue.
September days are not as long (nor as warm) as those in midsummer. By late afternoon, when shadows begin their irreversible creep, you might even feel a tinge of approaching winter.
Alpenglow, that magical time between sunset and night, is more pronounced in September. As light fades, the sky becomes an even deeper shade of blue and mountain tops turn yellow, pink, red and finally purple before being overtaken by darkness. It isn't long before the entire sky is illuminated with stars.
Range of Light, indeed.
Show of colors
The Sierra may be noted for its evergreens, but that doesn't mean there aren't groves of deciduous trees anxious to show off their colors.
Quaking aspens, such as those found at McKinley Grove, Cold Springs Summit and above Springville, turn flaming yellow. Dogwoods, like those in Yosemite Valley, become crimson. Even grasses and ferns take on a golden hue.
Don't let New Englanders have all the fun.
Goodbye, mosquitoes
Remember that June camping trip you took to Big Meadows? Still scratching from those mosquito bites?
Go in September, and leave the DEET at home. You won't need it.
Mosquitoes perish in the fall for two reasons: most standing water dries up; and nighttime temperatures are too cold for bugs to reproduce.
Facilities still open
Even though business has dropped off, most summertime resorts remain open well into the month.
The Tuolumne Meadows Lodge is scheduled to close Sept. 21. If weather allows, the grill and store will remain open until Sept. 28.
At Edison Lake, the Vermilion Valley Resort is calling it a season Sept. 30 because of low lake levels. However, nearby Mono Hot Springs will be open through the last weekend of October, weather permitting.
Go now. You can thank me later.
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