Ironwood in the Chuckwalla Valley

We didn’t find much in the way of wildflowers on our Route 62 wildlflower explorational foray. A few desert dandelions, a couple of lupines, some Chaenactis. At the north end of the Coxcombs a wash was dotted here and there with blooming bladderpod.

Datura getting ready to bloom someday. Not much else.

So we changed the day trip to a mountain viewing excursion, and it was immediately a huge success.

1. 
   James 2011 03 26 at 11:28:13 pm

   I remember driving around Barstow, where a lot of my family is from, and a cousin saying, “I hate the desert, everything’s so dead and boring.” Even as a kid I couldn’t understand this. The desert is beautiful and vibrant with life - not only biological life, but geological life as well. Outstanding pictures!

   p.s. I’m sure you have but, if you haven’t, check out Ann Zwinger’s _The Mysterious Lands_. I think it would be right up your alley.