Thursday, March 7, 2024

Super Bloom 2024

Beautiful wildflower blooms are appearing many places in California this year - it looks like we are having a superbloom 2 years in a row (maybe not quite as super as last year some places - but we have just received more rain!) Scroll down my blog to see information, pictures, and video from this year and further down the blog see prior year bloom information. Where and when flowers bloom varies from year to year. The bloom depends on the amount of rain and other factors and progresses from warmer lower elevation places to cooler higher elevation places. Scroll down my blog for more information, videos and pictures!

Update 04/17/2024: We just went camping in the Carrizo Plain National Monument - April 2024 – April 7,8,15,16 – 2024. The flowers were spectacular in the hills where we camped. The place where we camped and where the flowers were the best was in the hills between 12 and 14 miles beyond where the pavement ends on the South side of the park along the main road (Soda Lake Road) heading North through the Carrizo Plain National Monument.

Here is our Carrizo Plain National Monument 2024 Superbloom Video:

The Carrizo Plain video is also on facebook - here is the link

More information about the Carrizo Plain: We viewed the wildflowers, road mountain bikes, dispersed camped and fiddled in the flowers on a trip to Northern California - we stopped here on the way North and then again on the return trip South. We traveled along the Main Soda Lake Road both ways. We traveled in a 2 wheel drive mini van. The road was in fairly good shape on the trip there - a grader was grading. Before our return trip, there was some hard rain in the Carrizo Plain so the road was more rutted on the return trip - however workers were smoothing the road with a grader that we let pass by and they smoothed the road for us! So the road should be in good shape now! The flowers in the hills where we camped were spectacular on our trip North April 7,8. On our return trip April 15,16, the flowers were fading a bit in the higher hills but improving on the flat valley. If you visit the Carrizo Plain be prepared - check the weather as roads become impassable when wet and it can also get very hot. Bring lots of water, food, warm cloths and have a full tank of gas - there are no services within 70 miles of the Carrizo Plain National Monument. I also have a Carrizo Plain web page.

Update 03/29/2024: Here is a Superbloom 2024 video - fiddling in the amazing flowers on the Bolsa Chica wetland mesa - daisies at the peak of bloom (maybe better than last year) :

I have some other video edits at my Superbloom 2024 web page

Update 03/24/2024: Here is a 2024 Superbloom video from Southern California that I just took today:

03/07/2024:

The 2024 California Super Bloom is just beginning – here is a Super Bloom video I just recently took on February 27, 2024:

In my 2024 Superbloom video, the first half was just taken, the remaining half shows shots from last year. The Super Bloom 2024 video is also on facebook

The portion of the video that I took in 2024 includes sections of the Central California Coast including the following:

Fiscalini Ranch Preserve Bluff Trail - the yellow oxalis flowers at the beginning of the video are seen here.

Point Buchon Trail next to Montana De Oro State Park - the California Poppies and Ranchers fireweed by the coast are seen here. 00:15

Spooner's Cove in Montana De Oro State Park - yellow flowers on beach which look somewhat like Mustard but seem a little different - not sure what they are? 00:36

Beautiful blooms can appear many places in California this time year - get out there and explore! You can also call parks ahead of time on the phone for information about what is happening - information on the internet is often from prior years. Prior year bloom information can help you predict when and where blooms will occur this year - However, when and where blooms occur can vary by year.

I will be updating this blog site with videos / information / pictures of places I visit.

Some places where there can be spectacular blooms include:

Anza Borrego State Park We dispersed camped in Anza Borrego State Park

Carrizo Plain National Monument According to the BLM website post on 03/26/2024 the wildflower season has arrived on the Carrizo Plain and shows the bloom is very nice now and should continue through early April. Update 04/17/2024: We just went camping in the Carrizo Plain National Monument - April 2024 – April 7,8,15,16 – 2024. The flowers were spectacular in the hills where we camped. The place where we camped and where the flowers were the best was in the hills between 12 and 14 miles beyond where the pavement ends on the South side of the park along the main road (Soda Lake Road) heading North through the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Information, video and pictures of my trips to the Carrizo Plain is on my web page right here.

Riverside County Near Walker Canyon and east of Walker Canyon - the walker canyon trail is closed this year - you can access areas with flowers in this area from the dirt roads east of walker canyon and north of walker canyon. I just stopped by here 03/28/2024 and not much is blooming here - a few small areas of poppies east of walker canyon but nothing like last year. With the recent rain this may improve.

Scroll down my blog to see prior year bloom video / pictures / information. Prior year bloom information can help you find places to go this year. Where and when flowers bloom varies from year to year. The bloom depends on the amount of rain and other factors and progresses from warmer lower elevation places to cooler higher elevation places - the bloom often continues through summer at higher elevations.

If you can't see prior year blog posts, click here to see all blog posts and then scroll down the page.

(c) Copyright 2024 by Buffalo Dave BuffaloDave.tumblr.com BuffaloDaveTravel.blogspot.com

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Super Bloom 2023

Update end of 2023: Where and when flowers bloom varies from year to year. The bloom depends on the amount of rain and other factors and progresses from warmer lower elevation places to cooler higher elevation places - the bloom often continues through summer and even into fall at higher elevations.

Update 10/30/2023

Sierra Nevada Mountains with fall colors and flowers at the same time:

Update 06/15/2023

I'm still seeing some spectacular flowers! While some flowers are drying up, other types are appearing. I've seen many plants bloom that I had never seen bloom before.

Higher elevations where snow has melted now are full of flowers.

Here is a Big Bear Lake flowers video taken June 8 2023

Where flowers are blooming and/or what types are blooming may have changed from my original post. Flowers at higher elevations are now appearing. Also areas that were covered in water may have flowers popping up now. Scroll down the page for to see my superbloom videos.

Update 05/30/2023

Deep Creek Hot Spring - There were lots of flowers along the trail when I hiked with my fiddle to Deep Creek Hot Spring!

*** Original post:

The 2023 California Super Bloom has begun - spectacular flowers are appearing many places in California.

I have seen many spectacular flowers myself already this year - I am posting some of the video and pictures I have taken this year of the bloom right here - scroll down the page to see.

Some parks and media are downplaying the bloom this year because of the volume of traffic created in the 2019 superbloom. Is the superbloom 2023 going to be as spectacular as 2019? It's early in the season, but I have already seen some spectacular displays of flowers many places.

Some of the past media complaints about "people trampling the flowers" are exaggerated or untrue. People tend to avoid stepping on flowers when looking at them. Poppies are annual plants that die every year and tend to like disturbed soil anyway. The disturbed soil area right next to the Antelope Valley poppy reserve usually has better poppies than the reserve itself.

Spectacular poppies are appearing in the Walker Canyon area - unfortunately, the poppy trail has been closed in Walker Canyon. NIMBY xenaphobic government officials have cut off the access to a public trail. The Walker Canyon Trail is a public right of way and public easement and should remain open. Open up the poppy trail!!

Seems to me that closing down all the parking in the Walker Canyon area will just increase the congestion on the 15 and surrounding areas and prevent people from enjoying nature.

Fortunately or unfortunately for those who get stuck in traffic, you can view the flowers as you drive along the 15 freeway. You can also see the flowers along many back and/or dirt roads to the East, Northeast, North, Northwest, South, and Southeast of Walker Canyon.

Flowers are appearing many other places - lets keep public access open and allow people to enjoy nature!

Carrizo Plain National Monument Video - Incredible Flowers! I just took this 04/2/2023

I also put the Carrizo Plain National Monument Video on Facebook

Here is a video I took 03/07/2023 of the super bloom and me playing my viola in the flowers:

Here is a video edit with more flowers on Facebook: Super Bloom 2023 Facebook video

Here is the video edit with more flowers on YouTube Shorts: Super Bloom 2023 youtube shorts video

I have some additional superbloom videos from 2023 in my Super Bloom 2023 youtube playlist

I made a Super Bloom music album of original and traditional music recordings that I perform. I have some of the music in my new videos and will be using more in other videos I will be releasing soon. Some of the pictures on the album cover were taken 3/16/2023. Here is the album cover:

The pictures on the cover of my album include two recent shots from the super bloom 2023 - the purple flowers where I am holding my fiddle are taken in Anza Borrego State Park - we dispersed camped right by the flowers 3/16/2023.

Other pictures are from 2019 Riverside county near Walker Canyon and an incredible shot from the past near the Antelope valley poppy reserve. With the recent rains, flowers are appearing all over the state of California - more information is at CaliforniaSuperBloom.blogspot.com

Fiddling in the Flowers Super Bloom 2023 Video - shot 03/06/2023 - 03/16/2023 in Riverside County and Anza Borrego State Park - a new video I just posted:

I also put the Superbloom 2023 fiddling in the flowers video on facebook

Anza Borrego State Park Flowers - California Super Bloom 2023 Video

We dispersed camped in Anza Borrego State Park March 2023

Older pictures from 2019 - click on photo to enlarge:

I will be posting some more pictures and videos of 2023 here. I may also post more access information, but may refrain from posting too much detail from areas that could easily be overwhelmed by traffic.

Here is a Super Bloom Playlist of my videos on YouTube

My travel guides: BuffaloDaveTravel.blogspot.com

My Music: BuffaloDaveMusic.blogspot.com and SquareDanceHeroes.blogspot.com

Thursday, April 4, 2019

California Super Bloom - Pictures and Videos

California Super Bloom Pictures and Videos - Spectacular!

California Super Bloom Picture - Walker Canyon

The views were spectacular as we walked in Walker Canyon with the California Poppies and other wildflowers. Watch our videos and see the spectacular flowers!

California Super Bloom Videos - playlist - spectacular video

See more flower pictures here

The Super Bloom event has become known as the Poppy Apocalypse (Apoppylypse??) - there were many people who showed up to see the flowers. Towards the end of this video at 2:12 you can see all the people. The parking became very difficult and the 15 freeway came to a stop. News video crews were also here.

Fortunately we arrived early @ 7:00 am and were able to get one of the last close by parking spots - so we had a great time hiking and viewing the flowers - we hiked about 7 miles this day.

I also have one of our Super Bloom videos on Facebook

(c) Copyright 2019 by Buffalo Dave BuffaloDave.tumblr.com BuffaloDaveTravel.blogspot.com

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Super Bloom Pictures

California Super Bloom Pictures - The poppies were spectacular to see!

We also have videos of the California Superbloom

California Poppies Walker Canyon Super Bloom 2019 - California Poppy Pictures: