March 2016

I was in Southern California visiting friends when I found I had a few days to spare, so I took advantage of the opportunity and roamed around the desert Southwest, primarily motivated by the fact that Death Valley was experiencing what is called a 'superbloom' - a combination of rainfall and temperature that promotes exceptional wildflower germination and blooming. Superblooms happen roughly every decade, so it sounded like the right time to go.

I went with a friend to Anza Borrego State Park for my first stop. It's a pleasant drive from San Diego that takes you down quiet highways and offers an opportunity for a damn fine cup of coffee and a slice of pie in Julian. We visited the visitor's center and were encouraged to take a trail nearby where both flowers and bighorn sheep (possibly including some babies) might be seen. Well, we didn't see any babies but we did encounter a quite placid group of male bighorn dining by the side of the trail, happy to be photographic subjects.

Here are a few flowers found in Anza Borrego - I will try and give common names when I have a decent guess from flower guides.

This is (probably) Indigo bush and desert sunflower

Desert paintbrush

Brittlebush

Beavertail cactus

Bighorn sheep stalking a tourist (and ocotillo)

I headed on solo to Death Valley. Whether I was actually there during the official superbloom or perhaps a bit afterwards (as the Park Service website stated), there were still a whole lot of flowers. My best luck in finding interesting blooms was to park by the side of the road and hike maybe a quarter mile up a side canyon, looking for interesting items. The weather was perfect - maybe 70's at the top of the valley and about 90 at the bottom. For starters, here's a picture of the valley floor from Dante's View.

I was amused by this meandering rivulet on the valley floor

When I got to the bottom, near Furnace Creek, it's hard to call what I say anything less than a superbloom. The valley floor was covered in blossoms of the Desert Gold plant. Here are pictures from a couple of locations northwest of Furnace Creek, along highway 190.

And here are pictures from my wanderings in the hills above Death Valley

Foothill deervetch

Desert sunflower and wooly daisy

Orange lichen

Gold poppy and desert filaree

Bigelow's monkeyflower

and something purple....

I wandered on south and dropped into Phoenix to watch the Giants whip the Padres....

then headed south to Tucson where I visited Kitt Peak Observatory and found some very nice wildflowers growing along the highway

Desertbells

Chia and California golden poppies

Poppies and something pink

Fairyduster

Something orange (Jewelweed - thanks, Mary!)

I spent an afternoon in Saguaro National Park as well - very cool place.

On my way out of the park I took this sunset picture which seems to be a good choice to end this brief entry.