Mini-Shootout: Carrizo Plain National Monument, CA

DavidTO

anonymouscuban wrote: »

So is it a sure thing that we're going on the 2nd? I thought it was dependent on how the blooms are doing?

Nothing is for sure when it comes to wildflowers, but I'm planning on the 2nd at this point.

anonymouscuban

DavidTO wrote: »

Nothing is for sure when it comes to wildflowers, but I'm planning on the 2nd at this point.

Sounds good.

kdog

I'll try not to pick too many on the 26th. :lol

DavidTO

First post updated with the latest info.

anonymouscuban

Look forward to it Dave. Thanks for the update. I was just about to post to asks where we are meeting.

philiphutson

highway 1 closed
Just wanted to warn anyone that was planning to combine this with a trip down highway 1. Highway one south of big sur is closed.
-Philip

ian408

philiphutson wrote: »

Just wanted to warn anyone that was planning to combine this with a trip down highway 1. Highway one south of big sur is closed.
-Philip

Actually, it's closed about 12 miles south of Carmel. Big Sur is maybe 25 miles south of Carmel.

CHP says the closure will be for at least a month. Judging from the size of the hole, it may take longer than that.

If you want to get to Big Sur, the route will be via Nacimiento - Fergusson Road from the North (101 South to San Lucas).

kdog

Here's an updated report from Carrizo. Bottom line is that is that this coming Saturday the 26th is probably still too early to see the flowers. I haven't heard from anybody's who's actually interested in that day. So barring any new info, perhaps we'll cancel the 26th meet-up.



Wildflowers and Sightseeing. Carrizo Plain National Monument
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="75%"></td><td width="20"></td><td width="25%"></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="left"> 2011 Wildflower Status
18 March 2011: Due to cool weather the wildflowers have been slow to emerge this year. The following sightings are small and patchy.

• Bush Lupine: Selby Road.
• California Poppies: Selby Road.
• Coreopsis: Around Simmler Road. Note that since it has been raining, Simmler Road will be muddy and impassable.
• Fiddleneck: Mostly the the south end of the monument, on the west side of the Temblor Range and Elkhorn Plain. The south end of Elkhorn road will be muddy and may be impassable. Do not attempt unless you have a high-clearance 4X4.
• Filaree: There is a good bloom between the end of the pavement on Soda Lake Road south to Panorama Road. Note: Panorama Road is closed.
• Hillside Daisies: On both sides of Soda Lake Rd. from the Education Center and south. In the Temblor Range.
• Goldfields: Blooming in Calfornia Valley. There are patches around Soda Lake, along Soda Lake Road, both sides of from Panorama Rd., Elkhorn Plain and Temblor Range and south end of the monument. Note: The south end of Elkhorn road will be muddy and may be impassable. Do not attempt unless you have a high-clearance 4X4.
• Jared's Peppergrass: (appears as a long, pale yellow strip) blooming in the center of the plain.

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DavidTO

There's also this PDF:

Going east and inland to Carrizo Plain National Monument, you will find the carpets of wildflowers this region is know for. Slopes are filled with vast swaths of common monolopia (Monolpia lanceolata) There is absolutely nothing common about this showy yellow flower that is endemic to California and presents a stunning display most years at Carrizo Plain. Many other species are beginning to appear in great numbers at the southern end of the monument.

anonymouscuban

Getting very excited about this!!! Might be my first opportunity to use my GND filters I got.

kdog

DavidTO wrote: »

There's also this PDF:

Going east and inland to Carrizo Plain National Monument, you will find the carpets of wildflowers this region is know for. Slopes are filled with vast swaths of common monolopia (Monolpia lanceolata) There is absolutely nothing common about this showy yellow flower that is endemic to California and presents a stunning display most years at Carrizo Plain. Many other species are beginning to appear in great numbers at the southern end of the monument.

That description confuses me, David. I can't tell where the generic description ends and where the current conditions start. Certainly there are no current "vast swaths" of flowers as that is exactly opposite of what the conditions report on the Carrizo Plain website says. "Beginning to appear", sounds more realistic, but it's in regards to "many other species", so who knows?

DavidTO

Well, looks like we're going to be cutting it really close. The flowers are going to need some heat to pop, and it looks like that won't start happening till Thursday. Hopefully it will be enough for us to get some nice displays.

anonymouscuban

Cool... so we're still on? Wasn't sure with all the rain. I'm in so just checking.

kdog

Note that the PDF of current conditions that David referred to has been updated to the March 25 status. Interesting, there is no mention of the Carizzo Plain whatsoever in the document now.

I did go out there on Friday to take a peek though. I got to Carrizo about 4:00 PM, explored and shot for a couple of hours. The weather was partly rainy and windy. Wind makes the flowers shake which is not ideal for photography. There are some huge fields of yellow flowers that I think are called Mountain Daisy's. There are also a few patches of a couple different varieties of purple flowers.

Just a quick note: If you're planning on staying in Bakersfield, the drive is a good 90 minutes on windy roads. That means if you want to meet up at the park boundary at 5:30 AM, you'd need to leave Bakersfield no later than 4:00 AM, probably even a little earlier to be safe. There's a campground in the park though and that's where I would stay next time. Note that it's several miles up a dirt road which could get ugly if it rains though.

I'll start a thread with some shots from the trip, but here's a teaser.

Daisys I think.


Clover and Daisys


Not sure what I was expecting, but all in all I was fairly disappointed in what I saw. Saturday morning was completely socked-in by clouds again, so I elected not to make the long drive out there and headed back towards home in Arizona, stopping to explore some other areas along the way.

Hopefully there will be more varieties out next weekend for the shootout.

-joel

DavidTO

The bummer is that the really great spot close to Carrizo is in Cayuma, along the south side of the 166 by Aliso Road. The land there is all ranch property, so you're limited to a couple of feet on the side of the road. Marc and I have tried to find a way to reach out to the ranchers to negotiate access, and have come up dry.

Last year when we went to Cayuma/Carrizo we started at Aliso Cyn, then left to go exploring and give the poppies some time to open in the sun, later in the day. When we came back the rancher was putting up signs. We still could have shot alongside the road, but opted to just move on. He wasn't happy with how far from the road people were traipsing through the flowers.

The Cayuma area is more picturesque, I think. Carrizo is a large, flat, open valley.

Cayuma


Cayuma flowers


Marc shooting Carrizo:


Either way, it's a great time for me, shooting the flowers. I just love getting out in one of the only sure signs of seasons in SoCal.

I also plan on driving up Mt. Figueroa in a few weeks, where I shot this:


The site is a couple hundred feet from the road:

DavidTO

anonymouscuban wrote: »

Cool... so we're still on? Wasn't sure with all the rain. I'm in so just checking.

Yah.

How are you for Sunday, the 3rd? I'm just thinking that if the warm weather breaks on Thursday, the extra day might be good.

DavidTO

BTW, having said all that about the access at Cayuma, we can certainly head over there while at Carrizo. We'll just have to play it by ear.

anonymouscuban

DavidTO wrote: »

BTW, having said all that about the access at Cayuma, we can certainly head over there while at Carrizo. We'll just have to play it by ear.

I'm good with either Saturday or Sunday. My wife was looking at the forecast and she said said that Saturday is calling for rain. Either way, we have no plans that weekend so I'm good either day. Let me know.

Is anyone else heading up?

DavidTO

anonymouscuban wrote: »

I'm good with either Saturday or Sunday. My wife was looking at the forecast and she said said that Saturday is calling for rain. Either way, we have no plans that weekend so I'm good either day. Let me know.

Is anyone else heading up?

As far as I know it's you guys, me, Marc and a friend of his.

Andy

DavidTO wrote: »

As far as I know it's you guys, me, Marc and a friend of his.

Wish I could go...

DavidTO

Oh, and I forgot, a couple of folks from up north have threatened to come down and shoot with us, but they're too iffy to count as "in".

DsrtVW

I was wanting to come too the shoot but I am going to Vegas for work so I am going to detour to the other side of the mountians. I know the wildflowers are late up here in NorCal but it is due to cooler weather. If it warms up some it will get some action going. I have not been paying attention to the weather at that end of the state.
There might be some hotels at I-5 and Hwy 46 Lost Hills or I-5 Hwy 58. Other than Bakersfield , Taft and Buttonwillow are the next biggest cities and they aint that big. Not a big tourist area. Santa Maria is probably as close as Bakersfield depending on where you are coming from

kdog

DsrtVW wrote: »

There might be some hotels at I-5 and Hwy 46 Lost Hills or I-5 Hwy 58. Other than Bakersfield , Taft and Buttonwillow are the next biggest cities and they aint that big. Not a big tourist area. Santa Maria is probably as close as Bakersfield depending on where you are coming from

Yep, there's a Super 8 at I-5 and 58. I was just there on Friday night and stayed in Bakersfield.

schmoo

I'd love to drive down for this since those rolling hills look gorgeous with or without flowers, but Sundays are pretty much always out for me. Looking forward to seeing what comes of this, though!

DavidTO

schmoo wrote: »

I'd love to drive down for this since those rolling hills look gorgeous with or without flowers, but Sundays are pretty much always out for me. Looking forward to seeing what comes of this, though!

Well, we haven't settled on Sunday yet. I still have to talk to Marc and all, so don't give up yet!

kdog

I vote for delaying it for another week to April 9, 10. That way the flowers should be in peak bloom, and I'll be able to attend as well.

anonymouscuban

kdog wrote: »

I vote for delaying it for another week to April 9, 10. That way the flowers should be in peak bloom, and I'll be able to attend as well.

I'm good with either plan guys.

DavidTO

The problem is that Marc isn't available on that weekend.

kdog

Any idea how long the flowers typically last once they bloom?

philiphutson

kdog wrote: »

Note that the PDF of current conditions that David referred to has been updated to the March 25 status. Interesting, there is no mention of the Carizzo Plain whatsoever in the document now.

I did go out there on Friday to take a peek though. I got to Carrizo about 4:00 PM, explored and shot for a couple of hours. The weather was partly rainy and windy. Wind makes the flowers shake which is not ideal for photography. There are some huge fields of yellow flowers that I think are called Mountain Daisy's. There are also a few patches of a couple different varieties of purple flowers.

The yellow ones in the first shot look like Tidy Tips (Layia platyglossa)
The purple ones I can see in the second shot are owls clover (Orthocarpus purpurascens). Owls clover have a yellow protrusion in the middle of the purple spikes that sort of look like a beak poking out.
-Philip