Rain, rain... go away but leave me wildflowers!

[jhmoore]

If this rain never stops, I won't be able to get out in the desert without getting stuck!

But if this rain continues, man, we are going to have one awesome wildflower season!

Anybody have any favorite wildflower spots that are down less-traveled, unpaved roads?

>> Early 2017 Wildflowers John H. Moore Photography

>> 2017 Wildflowers, part 2 John H. Moore Photography

>> 2017 Wildflowers, part 3 John H. Moore Photography

 

[2014 Warthog]

Nice You really get around!

Looking forward to good desert flowers after all this, for now it's keeping me from doing a ton of work on my truggy project (again).

 

[jhmoore]

I'm very interested this year in finding good wildflower spots that are off the paved roads. Anyone have any spots they'd like to share?

Anza-Borrego spots would be great, but the limits really are anyplace within a 3-4 hour drive from San Diego. I'm sure that, with all this rain this year, I'll get up to Carrizo Plain NM, for example.

 

[outlaws]

I use this site - Desert Wildflower Reports - DesertUSA

 

[jhmoore]

I use this site - Desert Wildflower Reports - DesertUSA

Yes, me too! And there's a good Facebook group as well.

 

[96Runr]

Amazing photos... you have a gift
Following link

 

[headpaneer]

If this rain never stops, I won't be able to get out in the desert without getting stuck!

But if this rain continues, man, we are going to have one awesome wildflower season!

Anybody have any favorite wildflower spots that are down less-traveled, unpaved roads?

>> Early 2017 Wildflowers John H. Moore Photography

>> 2017 Wildflowers, part 2 John H. Moore Photography

>> 2017 Wildflowers, part 3 John H. Moore Photography

Dayam! You have serious ninja-camera skills, Moore-sensei!

Hoping for Super Bloom '19!

 

[grave]

thank you for not posting photos of yellow mustard fields. they are not a wildflower, they are an invasive species that is choking out many natives in CA. always irks me when people post photos of huge fields of yellow mustard and talk about how beautiful the super bloom is.

 

[YetiX]

I'm really looking forward to the Super Bloom this year. Definitely will be going out, maybe during the week to avoid the crowds.

 

[boyfester]

Good secret spot in Anza Borrego

Everyone and their mother takes pictures of the flowers along Henderson Canyon Road, but only a handful travel on Old Henderson Road. Old Henderson has sand dunes that blow across the road causing some very soft sand. It's no problem for any 4WD vehicles with some clearance. I used to do this road in my Subie Outback. Anyway, I traveled on the road on the last super bloom and we pulled out two vehicles stuck in the soft sand and then had the entire road to ourselves afterward. I got some great shots.

 

[DannyLlama]

Everyone and their mother takes pictures of the flowers along Henderson Canyon Road, but only a handful travel on Old Henderson Road. Old Henderson has sand dunes that blow across the road causing some very soft sand. It's no problem for any 4WD vehicles with some clearance. I used to do this road in my Subie Outback. Anyway, I traveled on the road on the last super bloom and we pulled out two vehicles stuck in the soft sand and then had the entire road to ourselves afterward. I got some great shots.

Thanks for the tip! Are the dunes accessible and close by?

 

[boyfester]

Thanks for the tip! Are the dunes accessible and close by?

The sand blows across the road so you have to drive on top of the sand, but I don't know if you're allowed to drive on the peripheral sand dunes.

By the way, my parents are in Anza Borrego this week (Feb 20-22) and they noted today that it is too cold for flowers. There are plenty of green patches, but not very many flowers. Sounds like we need things to warm up a little bit more.

 

[jhmoore]

By the way, my parents are in Anza Borrego this week (Feb 20-22) and they noted today that it is too cold for flowers. There are plenty of green patches, but not very many flowers. Sounds like we need things to warm up a little bit more.

Interesting! Thank you. A friend got some great photos 10 days ago. I've been out of town the past two weekends (Yosemite; Phoenix), but have been planning to go out to the desert this weekend. Hmmmm....

 

[Kamalani Mahie]

Everyone and their mother takes pictures of the flowers along Henderson Canyon Road, but only a handful travel on Old Henderson Road. Old Henderson has sand dunes that blow across the road causing some very soft sand. It's no problem for any 4WD vehicles with some clearance. I used to do this road in my Subie Outback. Anyway, I traveled on the road on the last super bloom and we pulled out two vehicles stuck in the soft sand and then had the entire road to ourselves afterward. I got some great shots.

Can't seem to find old henderson road

 

[jhmoore]

Seriously, is it EVER going to stop raining this year? I may need to convert my 4Runner to an ark at this point...

 

[MAST4R]

Well, it rained way more than usual in AZ as well. However, we drove some extremely remote trails in KOFA, right on the east side of the CO river, over the last 10 days and we found absolutely no standing water anywhere.

I also drove a trail just to the north of Phoenix and there was no water. There was no water in a tight canyon on an extreme trail that I hiked either.

However, 2 weeks ago there was some real snow right in the northeastern periphery of town.

 

[grave]

Seriously, is it EVER going to stop raining this year? I may need to convert my 4Runner to an ark at this point...

It's barely March, man. CA needs it right now. Rain, rain, keep it comin'

 

[YetiX]

Seriously, is it EVER going to stop raining this year? I may need to convert my 4Runner to an ark at this point...

We had new fences installed about two months ago. I need to stain them but I need them to dry out first. Maybe next weekend . . .

On topic, I saw that 78 was washed out east of Julian. That closes off one route to the wildflowers for now.

 

[RAD4Runner]

Wildflower / Off-Road Trip on Anza-Borrego

Rain, rain... go away but leave me wildflowers!

Ask and you shall receive Go see some wildflowers now or next week. Around Borrego Springs.
Stop by ABDSP Hq for tips and watch the "Year in the Desert" documentary.

Stopped raining on Thursday as we headed toward Borrego Springs. nice little town...

FEELS LIKE THE OFFICE, ONLY BETTER- LOL!
Noon in Borrego Springs, at Los Jilberto's Taco Shop

COYOTE CANYON, JUST NORTH OF TOWN

ALONG DI GIORGIO ROAD

OUTSIDE ANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK HQ IN BORREGO SPRINGS.
Best to stop by there for tips and to watch "Year in the Desert" documentary.

COYOTE CANYON.
More and nicer bunches of Lupines (tall, purple flowers) as well as those that look like verbena but purple are on road from Arroyo Salado camp to Seventeen (now 21) Palms, and the Offroad Vehicle Rec area / Pumpkin Patch.

"THE SLOT" TRAIL
(The Slot | Anza-Borrego Desert State Park | Hikespeak.com)


VERBENA FIELD NORTH OF W. TRUCK HAVEN TRAIL:
Coords: N 33.313179, W 116.225565 (Google Maps)
From Borrego Springs, drive east on S22, past Rockhouse Trail.
A couple miles, there is turn-out (approx. 28-Mile marker) to West Truck Haven Trail on the north side of S22 a Coords: 33.303760, -116.258840 (Google Maps).
Go past 2 washes, watch out on north side. There are a couple of possible campsites along W Truck Haven Trail.

TOURIST-FRIENDLY FLOWER FIELD NORTH SIDE OF S22, has turn-out between mile 30 and mile 31 marker on S22: Google Maps

 

[Kamalani Mahie]

Went out and saw the blooms this weekend! They were beautiful and there were so many butterflies! But the crowds...geez...to be expected I guess. I found a couple spots where there weren't too many people though. Had to get through and away from the crowds though.