In Search Of Wildflowers At Joshua Tree National Park...

After all of the rain we've been having here in Southern California, I was expecting a big payoff in terms of wildflowers at the park.

We checked in at the Cottonwood Visitor Center, and I chatted with a Ranger for a few minutes.  Despite the Ranger's almost apologetic statement that there was no "super bloom" this year, we were not really disappointed.

True, the flowers were not carpeting the ground to the extent that they have in previous years.  Nonetheless, there were enough of them to provide some spectacular viewing, especially when viewed against the backdrop of the Cottonwood Mountains.

The majority of the wildflowers can be found along Cottonwood Springs Road, which is at the southern end of the park, off I-10.

   Photo by Scott Schwartz.  All rights reserved.

Photo by Scott Schwartz.  All rights reserved.

     I said that "most" of the flowers were of the Desert Dandelion variety.  An exception was this Chia.

Photo by Scott Schwartz.  All rights reserved.

As you can see, the flowers gave a pretty good account of themselves, despite this not being a "super bloom."  The Cottonwood Mountains can be seen in the distance.

Photo by Scott Schwartz.  All rights reserved.

Desert Dandelions.

Photo by Scott Schwartz.  All rights reserved.

Desert Dandelion.

Checking out the wildflowers at Anza-Borrego State Park...

 According to its Visitor Information Guide, Anza Borrego State Park is the largest State Park in California.  

The park covers over 1,000 square miles!

Since our time was limited on this Sunday afternoon, picking one area to explore was the most logical course of action.

But which area?  

Of course, there's the Wildflower Hotline (760-767-4684), but we felt that the best bet would be to just ask someone at the Park's Visitor Center.

When we arrived at the Visitor Center on Palm Canyon Drive, we found a park staff-member sitting at a table outside the building (a storefront in a shopping center, actually). Of special interest to us are Ocotillo plants, which we thought we would be blooming.

The staff member suggested that we try Coyote Canyon, which is accessed via a dirt road which begins north of town.  Several times, the woman asked us if we had four-wheel drive. I told her that we have an all-wheel drive small SUV.  She stated that that should be ok.

Once we were back in the car, I told my wife that we would go as far as we could, before turning back due to treacherous terrain.  

Our Subaru Forester is capable of light off-road use - which I take advantage of, frequently.  But, I have to be very careful.

As it turned out, I needn't have worried, as the trail was basically a hard-packed dirt road, with many visitors traversing it in their cars.

Desert Dandelion, surrounded by Sand Verbena.

How do I know what kinds of wildflowers these are?  The answer is simple!  I purchased a copy of "Wildflowers of Anza-Borrego State Park" at the Visitor Center!

Desert Lily.

Brown-Eyed Evening Primrose- White Variety.

I think.  

I'm not sure what variety of wildflowers these are.

As can be seen in this image, the Ocotillo are just starting to bloom.

     Coyote Canyon in the fading light.

                            The sand shown along the trail in this image is the deepest that we encountered in Coyote Canyon.  It was easily driven in our vehicle, which is shown in the photo.

However, trail conditions do change, so it's always wise to check conditions beforehand, be prepared to turn back, and to know the capabilities and limitations of your vehicle.  And its driver.

The drive to Anza-Borrego took two and a half hours from our home in Fontana.  Although the area was not exactly blanketed in wildflowers, we didn't explore other areas of the park, and the season is just beginning.  

The drive itself was beautiful-as we passed  many vineyards and rolling hills along the way.  Much of the drive along Rte. 79 heading into the park involves steep downhill grades, with curves and sheer-drop-offs along the sides of the road.  

All-in-all it was a wonderful day, and we are looking forward to coming back later in the season.

North End Of Swarthout Canyon...

This area is not far from the Mormon Rocks; I'm no geologist, but these hills look like they're part of the same formation.

Drone Flight Through Swarthout Canyon...

I wonder how many people drive along the 15 freeway without realizing that this hidden world exists.

Secrets of the Cajon Pass: Swarthout Canyon...

Secret Cajon Pass:  Swarthout Canyon...

Nestled in the Cajon Pass, on the west side of the 15 Freeway is an area known as "Swarthout Canyon."

Bordered by the Mormon Rock formations toward the north, and Lost Lake to the south, Swarthout Canyon is named for Nathan and Truman Swarthout.  

Nathan and Truman were veterans of the Mormon Battalion, who homesteaded in this area.

The history of this area is fascinating, and the Digital Desert page has a fascinating article on this topic:

https://mojavedesert.net/mormon-pioneers/mormon-battalion.html

Drone's-eye view of Swarthout Canyon.

                          

Campground Of The Pioneers: The Mormon Rocks...

 Also known as the "Rock Candy Mountains," these rock formations are located about a mile west of the 15 Freeway, along Hwy 138.  Rte. 138 actually passes between the two groups of formations, which jut out of the ground at odd angles.

According to local lore, veterans of the Mormon Battalion camped in this area, while enroute to San Bernardino during the early 1850's.

Today. these formations are easily enjoyed by visitors, who can park nearby and take in the view.

This image was taken with my drone, as it was hovering over the parking area (not visible in the photo) along Hwy. 138.  It is possible to drive down into the sandy wash, if you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle.  

                                   The road on the left is Hwy. 138.

Hwy. 138 passes right through the Mormon Rocks.

An Evening In Mule Canyon

Mule Canyon.  It is so-named for the mule trains that once hauled borax from the mines to nearby Daggett. Now, it is a popular thoroughfare for off-roaders, recreational shooters, campers, and explorers.  

I consider myself to be primarily an explorer first, and an off-roader second.  Driving off-road is fun, to be sure.  But, my main goal is usually to explore new places, or re-visit places with which I’m familiar.  

Mule Canyon Road is one of the places with which I’ve become familiar.  If I avoid making the trip during heavy traffic periods- such as Friday nights, the entrance to Mule Canyon is only an hour and a half from my home. 

Mule Canyon is home to spectacularly reddish-brown rock formations, little hidden canyons, and many areas to pull off to the side for exploration on foot.  

So, I thought that I’d describe my latest excursion to the area.

It was a sunny November afternoon when I departed my home in the Rancho Cucamonga area.  It was 2 PM on Saturday.  I knew that I wouldn’t have much time “on site”, with sunset generally occurring at 4:30 or so.  But, the sunset was the point of the trip.

My plan was to catch the late-afternoon/early evening “sweet light”, so I wasn’t in too much of a hurry.  

Traffic was light, on the 15 Freeway, and by 3:30, I was exiting at Calico Rd.  Turning left (you have to slow down immediately after exiting the freeway, otherwise you stand a pretty good chance of missing the turn) I drove another mile until I reached the Mule Canyon Road turnoff on the right.  

Keep in mind that I had no intention of taking this trail more than two miles or so into the back-country.  I was alone, and I currently drive a stock Subaru Forester, which has only slightly higher than normal ground clearance.  This vehicle is equipped with “light off-road” capable all-wheel drive, which makes it capable of getting me into quite a bit of trouble.  

Roughly the first mile of trail consists of a gravelly, graded dirt road.

Mule Canyon Road, at the turn-off from Calico Road.

After about a mile and a half, I opted to bear left from Mule Canyon Road, on to Phillips Dr.  The jagged rock formation beyond the parked vehicles is Camp Rock.  Beyond that is Mule Canyon Road.

I drove another two tenths of a mile, and I parked on a small rise.  This would be my “base of operations” for the next hour or so.

If you’re thinking that one can “commune” in silence with the spirits of the old miners and mule team drivers here, forget it.  Mule Canyon is a hotspot for off-roaders and recreational shooters; the canyons constantly echo with the sounds of gunshots and the buzzing of all-terrain vehicles.  Not that I’m complaining.  I believe that the desert should be enjoyed by all.  

When I want peace and quiet here, I come out during the summer evenings, when there are very few people around.  The heat in the early evening is tolerable, and I’ve been able to capture some spectacular sunsets.

On this day, with the sun setting at roughly 4:30 PM, and with the temperature dropping, it was time to leave.

 

The view just before I left Mule Canyon at sunset.  

It may seem pointless to drive an hour and a half just to spend an hour at my destination.  But, in the midst of my busy life, I have to find my inspiration when I can, even when it comes in snippets.