Wildflowers 2 - March 29, 2009

Sunday was perfect for wildflower exploration once again. Death Valley temps were in the low 80s, the sky was clear and blue and the flowers were happy.

At lower elevations the Beavertail Prickly Pear were beginning to blossom. Such startling color!

How do these fragile, lovely plants grow among the rocks? It's just awesome and humbling.

Fremont Pincushion

Phacelias

color the shoulders

Mounds and mounds of Brittlebush

It's always

fun to spot a wild burro. Our destination was to reach towers to the right of an unusual rock formation.

The Las Vegas forecast was for late afternoon winds to gust to 65 mph. When we reached the top our view was pretty well obscured by the desert dust that was being carried in by those winds. We were fortunate that the wind at our location was not nearly so high as that in LV. However it surely did hide any lovely views that we otherwise would have had.

Slide marks are something not commonly seen as rocks and boulders typically roll or skip after a fall. Slide tracks are clearly visible as are a few of the boulders that made them.

Spring Wildflower Run - March 22,2009

It was our hope that Gold Valley would be in color and it was - beyond my expectations. We were surrounded by color........ Desert Gold as far as the eye can see. Desert Dandelion - Aster family

Bristly Fiddleneck - blooms so very tiny

Chia - brilliant blue flowers even tinier than the fiddleneck blossomsOne of the many Phacelias

Desert Gold and Fremont Phacelia in all their glory

As yet unID'ed . I need Carl to help me with this one on Monday.

Indian Paintbrush and Desert Gold Desert Chicory

The Desert Gold looked like liquid gold pouring down the hillside.

So very wonderful......

Shelf road reversed and more - March 14, 2009

We had so much fun and were so awed when we covered this route with Dick and Shirlee. Vic offered to lead anyone else who wanted to see it for themselves. We ran the route in reverse of what we had done previously.

These holes in the bedrock were only a few of the things we missed when traveling in the other direction. Another laid up wall built by hand to last for decades.

Photos just don't do shelf roads justice. They are simply breathtaking. This is the longest one we have traversed so far and it is exactly 2.0 miles.

Vic thinks I've fallen become obsessed with the rocks - and he's right.

This mine looked safe. Well, the entrance and first fifty feet or so did.

There were a few shafts going who knows where. None of our group is brave or follhardy enough to explore further.

Another entry hole with Mike and Debbie's smiley flag visibly waving in the breeze.

We found this wonderful "playground" next. What fun!

Vic thought anyone could drive up this so he had to back up to be different.

The he was first to attempt and succeed climbing this particularly steep and soft area.

Jim's turn! This angle better shows the severity of the slope.

I never knew there are so many colors of lichen. Here there are battleship gray, light sage green and rust.

Orange (Desert Firedot), dark yellow (Mexican Yolk) and a pretty dark green. The commonly found bright yellow-green lichen that I've previously photographed is Yellow-Paint Lichen. They have such interesting names.

And splendid views everywhere.....

After departing from the group we stopped at Lizard Rock on the northern refuge boundary.

Prince's Plume, the largest plant in the mustard family.

And more rocks......