Death Valley Days

I recall that the 2004-2005 winter season in California was, like this year's, a wet one, and the abundant rains were a harbinger of some great wildflower displays in the Southland.

3/25/05 Silver Slough (normally a bone dry lake), north of Baker on the west side of Hwy. 127, en route to Death Valley NP, San Bernardino County, CA

Most memorable, however, was the truly spectacular wildflower show that manifested itself in Death Valley National Park. So spectacular, that some hailed it as a once-in-a-lifetime, best ever seen in the last 50 years.

Death Valley? Au contraire!

The annual rainfall at DVNP is typically under 2 inches, but that year saw three times the norm, with around 6 inches of precipitation.

3/25/05 Alluvial fans chock full of Desert Sunflowers (Geraea canescens), Black Mountains at Ashford Junction, Hwy. 178, Death Valley National Park.

Gil & I were compelled (i.e., I gave Gilbert an ultimatum) to take a couple days off work in March of '05, in order to experience this Floral Palooza.

Death Valley is not a hop and a skip from LA. We drove out to Barstow on the 24th and spent the night there at a pet-friendly Best Western, since we could not bear not to bring our then 6-month-old Akita along, and to also give ourselves more time for wildflower viewing the next day.

3/25/05 Dogs are only allowed along the roadways and in developed areas of the National Parks, so here's baby Hana, looking feisty around the Desert Sunflowers just off Hwy. 178. Gilbert managed to keep her occupied near the roadside while I was photographing a little further in. And, ahem, of course we told her not to eat the daisies...

Our time was limited and, as such, we decided to focus our attention on the south end of the Park along Highway 178, around the Ashford Mill area east of Salsberry Pass. It was unbelievable, not just for the abundance and diversity of wildflowers, but also for the sheer number of people out there.

3/25/05 Black Mountains at Ashford Junction, Hwy. 178, Death Valley National Park.

3/25/05 Desert Five Spot (Eremalche rotundifolia). Ashford Junction, Hwy. 178, Death Valley National Park.

3/25/05 Twining Snapdragon (Antirrhinum filipes). Roadside wash off Hwy. 178, 1 mile west of Shoshone (just outside DVNP boundary).

3/25/05 Desert Linanthus/Humble Gilia (Linanthus demissus). Roadside wash off Hwy. 178, 1 mile west of Shoshone (just outside DVNP boundary).

3/25/05 Bigelow's Monkeyflower (Mimulus bigelovii). Roadside wash off Hwy. 178, east of Salsberry Pass, Death Valley National Park.

3/25/05 Broad-flowered Gilia (Gilia latifolia).Roadside wash off Hwy. 178, east of Salsberry Pass, Death Valley National Park.

3/25/05 Fremont Phacelia (Phacelia fremontii). Roadside wash off Hwy. 178, east of Salsberry Pass, Death Valley National Park.

3/25/05 Desert Sand Verbena (Abronia villlosa). Ashford Junction, Hwy 178. Death Valley National Park.

3/25/05 Desert Star (Monoptilon bellioides). Gravelly wash at end of Hwy. 178 between Shoshone and Salsberry Pass, just outside boundary of DVNP. 

3/25/05 Desert Alyssum/Bush Peppergrass (Lepidium fremontii).Roadside wash off Hwy. 178, east of Salsberry Pass, Death Valley National Park.

3/25/05 Caltha-Leaf Phacelia (Phacelia calthafolia).Roadside wash off Hwy. 178, east of Salsberry Pass, Death Valley National Park.

3/25/05 Mojave Aster (Xylorhiza tortifolia). Roadside wash off Hwy. 178, 1 mile west of Shoshone (just outside DVNP boundary).

3/25/05 Desert Chicory (Rafinesquia neomexicana).Gravelly wash at end of Hwy. 178 between Shoshone and Salsberry Pass, just outside boundary of DVNP. 

3/25/05 Desert Dandelions (Malacothrix glabrata). Ashford Junction, Hwy. 178, Death Valley National Park.

12/5/99 Desert Holly (Atriplex hymenelytra). Entrance to Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley National Park. Not related to the 2005 series, but this is the first plant that I ever photographed at DVNP. A nondescript desert plant that got me all excited about desert plants. Don't ask why...