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Anza-Borrego report I thought I should add another couple of comments. It's easy to get fooled by the disturbed roadsides where wildflowers always do best, but that tends to not be indicative of the larger picture throughout a region. The top two photos on this page http://www.anzaborrego.statepark.org/wildflowers.html are a good example of this. You can see the road behind the flowers! Having seen both of those spots, I can tell you that twenty feet away from those locations those flowers terminate. Around Borrego Valley's orange groves, one could also believe that things look great, but many of those flowers siphon water from the orange groves. Move away from those orange groves any distance and the flowers disappear. Also, the most flower-dense areas that I pointed out in my post are only showing two species in any abundance: verbena and dune/birdcage primrose. There are a few other species, but nothing in abundance like the usual verbena and primrose. Michael Gordon michael_gordon@verizon.net 3/8/04 Lake Street & Short Canyon I just returned today from a trip to the Eastern Sierras.
3/15/04 Merced Canyon flowers I drove down Highway 140 on Saturday, going from Yosemite Valley to El Portal and continuing past the Hite's Cove trail, etc. Poppies are just starting to come out, and it looks like it will be a good year for them. I suspect that this coming weekend will be good. There were few signs of other flowers yet; I saw a some redbud that were just starting to bloom, but they're at least two weeks away, maybe more. Michael Frye michael@michaelfrye.com http://www.michaelfrye.com 3/15/04 Carrizo Plain & Anza-Borrego I was in Carrizo Plain last Wednesday and Thursday, and the local verdict was that they needed one more good soaking to have brought out a big show. I've seen it much better there as far as wildflowers, but it's still a fascinating place, and I finally got to see what Mule Fat looks like (they had some growing at the visitor's center).... Anza-Borrego on Friday and Saturday, and I was surprised how little was blooming. I've seen more wildflowers there in late April in the past. Even the usual carpets of Bigelow's Mimulus were absent, and most of the Ocotillo was still not blooming. There's some Jimson Weed and Beavertail Cactus blooming along the Palm Oasis trail (and alternate trail), and there's lotsa sand verbena on DiGeorgio Road, and in the outback beyond the orange grove there's a nice field of various flowers. In short, I wouldn't recommend either one if your chief reason for going is to shoot a spectacular wildflower display, but they are both very cool places in many other respects. I went with a non-photographer friend, and that helped because I wasn't obsessed with shooting all the film in the cooler.... John "Buckeye" bobcat9.geo@yahoo.com 3/20/04 Poppy Reserve From today's L.A. Daily News: The 1,745-acre Antelope Valley poppy reserve, created more than 30 years ago on what was concluded to be California's most consistent poppy land, will open its visitor center today and Sunday for the spring wildflower season. On Friday, the reserve itself had few poppies, though the hills were green with grass and redstem filaree, and patches of poppies were blooming in a field facing the reserve's main entrance. Others bloomed along the roads leading there. Globe gilia, lupine, Bigelow coreopsis and other wildflowers are also growing beside desert roads west of Lancaster and in the hills south of the reserve. M. Pantazis jafpcu@yahoo.com http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20954~2029662,00.html 3/22/04 Pt Reyes (Chimney Rock) Report Went out to Pt Reyes (Chimney Rock) on Saturday (3/20) and was pleased to find quite an array of flowers blooming. We actually got off at the lighthouse and walked along the road back to Chimney Rock. Saw lots of Variegated Leaf Nemophila on the roadside as well as some Cranesbill, Common Monkeyflower, Goldfields, and many California Poppies. Out on Chimney Rock we discovered Pt Reyes Checkerbloom and Pt Reyes Wallflower in profusion, along with many Douglas' Iris. The fog rolled in while we were out there, but it was kind of nice to have it feel like early Spring instead of the end of Spring weather we've been having in Sacramento so far. Apparently the Gray Whale migration north was in full force over the last week. The ranger reported that they actually saw from the lighthouse an attack by some Orcas on a gray whale calf. All we saw was fog, no whales. Tom tcmocean@yahoo.com 3/29/04 Anza-Borrego 3/26 - 3/28 Anza-Borrego is cooked. The biggest/densest area bordered by DiGiorgio on the W and Henderson Cyn on the S - which looked fairly good two weeks ago - is near 100% gone due to the heat and winds. When I rolled onto Henderson Cyn Thursday night, gale-force winds were tearing south out of Coyote Canyon and sending clouds of sand into the night sky and into my eyes. Friday morning revealed that there is virtually nothing left in the area. However, cactus and ocotillo are at or near peak just about everywhere and look to be having a tremendous year (although I did see many desiccated cactus buds). Coyote Canyon and Collins Valley and its canyons look verdant, with the aforementioned ocotillo, creosote, chuparosa, brittlebush, pincushion, desert marigold, and more all looking nice. Drove the Jasper Trail through Culp Valley and back into Ranchita coming home yesterday, and even the higher elevation flowers and plants are starting to look beat by the recent heat. Michael Gordon michael_gordon@verizon.net www.mgordonphotography.com Subject: Banner year for Baja! I can't compare to previous years as this is my first, but northern Baja is putting on a magnificent show at the moment. I would have to rate this among my top drives in North America, in heavy competition with Alaska and the Northern/Canadian Rockies! Mexico 3 from San Felipe to Ensenada in particular has an amazing variety of wildflowers, flowering bushes and trees, and interesting and verdant agricultural areas, covering everything from desert flora to subalpine. For those with 4WD's, you can reach higher elevations in nearby national parks. I turned back after a few miles of each road, as I didn't have the courage to possibly get stuck in sand so far away. The continuation section of Mexico 3 from Ensenada to Tecate is very green and beautiful/interesting, but is much less prolific in bloom. It looks similar to the southeastern part of San Diego County, but is completely undeveloped so has more of a wilderness feel. As for San Diego County itself, I saw almost no bloom at all on my drive from Tecate back to the airport. The burn areas from last year have their own beauty to them, however. So those in Southern California who may not be seeing what they had hoped in nearby areas might consider a jaunt into the northern exempt area of Baja (checkpoints are just south of Ensenada and San Felipe). Mark Schmieder mark.schmieder@secondlook.com |
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Links checked and updated on: April 2, 2004 Text and photos are copyright © Sunny Walter (unless otherwise noted) For more information, contact sunny@sunnywalter.com |