Spring Wildflowers, Temblor Range. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Spring wildflowers in bloom at the base of the Temblor Range.
Let’s start with the “Temblor Range.” (First a confession: I’ve always thought that the word referring to earthquakes should be “tremblor,” not temblor. Don’t judge me!) The area of the Carrizo Plain National Monument is one of those locations where the monumental nature of the San Andreas earthquake fault, arguably the most consequential bit of geology in the state, lies out in the open where it is easy to see. The Temblor Range runs from northwest to southeast along the edge of the plain, and its base marks the precise location of the fault. Visitors can easily observe some very powerful evidence of fault movement where creeks have been offset to the north over many thousands of years. From what I read, the geological record shows a leap of over 20 feet in the 1800s and a prior movement of well over 40 feet!
Earthquake faults aside, during the spring this can be the site of truly stupendous wildflower displays. The area is normally very dry and very hot. Most summer or early fall visitors would be struck by how empty and arid the place looks — little vegetation, most of it appearing to be dead, evaporated lake beds, and lots of dust. But when the winter rains are exceptional – as there were during the middle and latter parts of this season — there can be an explosion of wildflowers. This year’s display is quite impressive, though it may not quite equal the “super bloom” of a couple of years ago. The wildflowers were my main reason for going this time, so I headed over towards this likely spot late in the day. Clouds blocked the light an hour or so before sunset, but I thought there might be a bit of light at the last minute when the sun dropped below the cloud’s lower edge before setting. It turned out that this happened… and I had all of about two minutes of soft, warm-colored light.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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