I spent spring break this year in California focusing mainly on Death Valley and the Alabama Hills. I also took a detour due to weather to Mt. Figueroa in southern California near Santa Barbara to check out the wildflower bloom.
Mt. Figueroa
With the biggest El Nino on record having formed in the Pacific, it figured to be a great wildflower year in the desert southwest. Unfortunately, the moisture stayed farther north unlike 2005 when an unprecedented wildflower bloom occurred in the desert. It was not an exceptional year across California for wildflowers, but Mt. Figueroa did not disappoint. In partocular, the bush lupine were exploding with color. I also found one field exploding with poppies and small lupine. The wind and cool temperatures kept the poppies closed, however, during my visit. It was quite a steep hike down but worth the effort,
Alabama Hills
The Alabama Hills is located at the base of the Mt. Whitney Portal near Lone Pine, CA. Mainly known as a place where many westerns were filmed, the hills are now a prime spot for nature photography due to the presence of several small arches throughout the rocky outcroppings. I had long planned to get the classic shot of Mt Whitney being lit by the rising sun through one of the arches. I was beginning to wonder if the weather would cooperate, however, as clouds obscured the peaks upon my arrival. Luckily, skies cleared overnight and I was treated to beautiful alpine glow on the Sierras at sunrise the next morning.
Three arches, Lathe, Heart, and Mobius are located off a loop trail, accessed from one of the main parking lots. Lathe was my favorite. It is a small scale version of Mesa Arch in Canyonlands. After leaving the arch loop trail, I had trouble locating the other ones in the area, however. I had bought a guide book but all the directions were in GPS coordinates. No physical directions were given. Next time I will come prepared with a GPS to find the other arches.
Death Valley
I spent two days in Death Valley. I took the one-way drive down Titus Canyon. I enjoyed the drive despite the bumpy dirt road (definitely requires high clearance). Near the summit, I hiked a steep trail to an overlook of the area. I then shot a few photos in the narrows of the canyon.
I spent the rest of my time around the Artist Drive and Zabriskie Point. I even got in a few shots along the Devil’s Golf Course. I got sunset just in time at Zabriskie Point and then went up there again for sunrise.
