Hwy 166 March 2010

Sunday I took a drive that led me through the green hills of Gorman dropping down to the fantastic violet fields of Kern county. For miles, the flat fields were an incredible vista of lupine.

I took the Hwy 166 exit toward my side of the California Coast heading toward my first stop of the day, Wind Wolves Preserve. I was there the same weekend last year at the end of the peak bloom, this year I think the peak has yet to come. I packed up my gear and headed up the trail, it was a fun morning of shooting and a good test to make it up the trail to the top of the back country trail head, and a much easier walk back down the bike road two miles to the parking lot.

I found several things to shoot, but also a lot of grasses and a few flowers missing that I had hoped to find.

Mid afternoon I headed down the road, stopping for a quick look at the Carrizo Plains, I think this will a much better year there than last, although still early.

I was in a hurry to my last stop of Cottonwood Canyon and hoping to get there with some daylight left. The rocky river bed was green with just a few flowers showing, I am hoping that a week or two will bring a better bloom of flowers, but this may just be the year of grass. As I was leaving, I saw the last light on the hill be hind the oak tree above. The golden hill was a delight and not mustard! I stayed as the sun dropped in to the coastal fog and headed home.

Next trip!