Flower-Covered Hills. Carrizo Plain National Monument, California. April 2, 2017. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring wildflowers in the Temblor Range, California

I made several photographs of this little valley, with its large number of small receding ridges, covered with flowers and separated by small gullies. We had gone out searching for wildflower prospects in the evening. We drove up into the hills on a one-lane gravel road and eventually found ourselves at a dead-end where the road was closed. We got out, loaded up packs with camera equipment, and continued on up into the Temblor Hills foothills. We left the trail, crossed gully, found a route along and ascending ridge, and before long we were high enough to gain a panoramic view of the Carrizo Plains, and we began to encounter more and more flowers.

After we arrived at the highest point on our hike, which was still far below the summit of these mountains, we set about making photographs. We started on the broad summit of a nearby hill, and from there we could look across a small valley toward these hills, where a series of small ridges ascended toward the evening light. Although there were probably a bit early for the true peak of wildflower color in this spot, there were still thick beds of yellow flowers almost everywhere.

Note: This scene is very similar to that in a photograph I shared just a few days ago. As sometimes happens — especially with my idiosyncratic workflow! — I sometimes end up thinking that my second choice pleases me more than my first.

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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