Photo Gallery: California Superbloom

“Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue.”  ― John Muir, My First Summer in the Sierra

I've been fortunate to get drenched by Yosemite's Bridal Veil Falls in springtime, snake through the Grand Canyon while it was in full bloom and hike through the Maroon Bells when the aspens burst into golden fire in October.

But I've never planned hiking trips around peak wildflower blooms or fall colors, because nature gets to decide precisely when it puts on a show.

So I when I headed out to Los Angeles on a work trip last week, I was elated to discover that I'd stumbled into a rare "Superbloom" in southern California, courtesy of an unusually wet winter. Some desert spots in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park hadn't "seen water in 10, 15, 20 years," according to Park Ranger Steve Bier.

Enjoy my photo gallery of wildflowers exploding in early March in the Mojave Desert, Anza-Borrego, Walker Canyon and Wildwood Park.

© 2017 Susan J. Demas