Was able to visit the ongoing superbloom event in Death Valley last week. Absolutely incredible to see the valley floor covered in flowers. It is expected to last through April I believe (climbing to higher elevations as it goes), so I’d highly recommend anyone that is close enough to visit to check it out.

A vast field of yellow Desert Gold flowers in bloom with low hills in the distance which rise up to a mountain side.

A field of blooming Notch-leaf Scorpionweeds leads out towards the dry lake bed in Death Valley. Purple flowers cover the lower half of the frame, with a view of a snow covered Telescope peak in the far distant upper left, rising 11k ft above it all.

Several blooming Desert-five spot flowers in abloom of purple-pink, surrounded by unopened buds. One flower may be seen fully opened and exposing some of the beautiful interior red spots.

Easy, 1.26 mi out and back

249 ft elevation gain

Hiked 4/5/24

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A short and simple hike to a small riverfront beach at the entrance to a large canyon formed by the Rio Grande. Featuring views of a small lush oasis along the US-Mexico border, as well as wild horses, this hike is one of many great locations to watch the sunset at Big Bend National Park.

A vast open desert plain leads to a distant butte which spans the photo. From this distance, different bands of light brown and dark grey rock material may be seen under a partially cloudy sky.

An open yellow flower with red-orange interior may be seen growing on the end of a Beavertail cactus, with long, spiky thorns surrounding it.

A dusky white, wild horse peeks out from the bushes and gives the crazy eye. Got a pretty good mutual spook when I first walked past this unseen horse as we were both unaware of each other.

Moderate, 8.04 mi loop 1,932 ft elevation gain Hiked 4/3/24

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Combining sections of four trails to make a loop, this trail takes you to the highest point in the Tuscon Mountains. Along the way you'll pass a small collection of petroglyphs, a small stone building, and abundant flora and fauna. With all of the elevation gain, the trail sports fantastic views.

A bee forages inside of a blooming pink flower on a Hedgehog cactus.

A steep hillside lined with purple wildflowers in bloom. In the distance the peak of the trail may be seen rising up.

A view back down the ridge to gt to the peak of the hike. Switchbacks may be seen on the hill to the left before heading along the ridge on the right.

Easy, 1.46 mi loop

164 ft elevation gain

Hiked 4/2/24

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I spent a couple of days at the Catalina State Park waiting on minor flood waters to recede (2024), and while there hiked this lovely short little hike showcasing much of the flora found in the area. On the other side of the valley the jagged ridges of the Santa Catalina mountains rise dramatically.

Several clusters of Saguaro cacti grow among the shrubs on the side of the trail. One dead and desiccated Saguaro may be seen in the center of frame.

A view over a small cluster of Saguaro which leads to the ridge of the Santa Catalina mountains in the distance. The receding mild flood waters of a river may be seen cutting across the center of frame.

Several rocky and jagged peaks along the ridge of the Santa Catalina mountains. A very light dusting of snow is seen in the upper reaches, which are also dipping into a cloud above.

Easy, 0.85 mi out and back

98 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/29/24

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A short hike up through a Saguaro cactus forest, located at the west section of Saguaro NP. The trail is well maintained and along the way you'll be able to view a nice diversity of desert flora, with signs to help identify them. At the top of the small hill is an expansive view lined with cacti.

An odd looking large Saguaro cactus. The top splits into a Y with two branches, while lower on the body 3 branches loop around. One of these branches almost looks like an arm pointing at the camera, sort of an alien being.

A cluster of Pink Fairy-Duster flowers in bloom, with both spent and unopened buds nearby. The flowers are small and round, with long white stamens that turn to pink on the tips.

The flowering head of a Buckhorn Cholla cactus, sporting many unopened red buds on it.

Took this photo of a sunset from the camping area of Ironwood Forest National Monument near Tuscon, Arizona. Great view and a wonderful place to camp not too far from Saguaro National Park.

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Wikipedia

Located a few miles from the Salton Sea and adjacent to Slab CIty, this art monument was built by Leonard Knight and is themed around 'the Sinner's Prayer' as well as other Christian motifs.

A pulled out view of an old farm wagon painted over with various Christian related themes, the wheels have flowers painted on them.

A section of Salvation Mountain. Several large trees as well as bunches of flowers are painted on in this section along with 'Love is Universal.' In the bottom of frame, you may see where the paint ends and desert sand begins.

A section of Salvation Mountain, which appears to have a dwelling built into it as many windows may be seen within the painted mound. "God is Love' is painted on a large cube on a flatbed trailer outside of it and many empty paint cans may be seen lining the ground.

Beach Walk

Minor elevation gain

Hiked 3/27/24

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Formerly a popular getaway for beach-goers, this area is now considered a ghost town due to the devastation of the Salton Sea. In recent years, many art exhibits have begun to be placed here, many focused on the themes of being left behind and environmental degradation due to capitalism.

A large metal sign saying 'THE ONLY OTHER THING IS NOTHING', with the nothing carved in relief. It is standing upright along the Salton Sea Shoreline, with the water in the background under a hazy and partially cloudy sky.

A flock of shore birds picks at the muddy/sandy bottom of the Salton Sea. In the left of frame a small relief cutout of what appears to be a guy doing magic may be seen and to the right is a dilapidated outhouse. A distant mountain range may be seen through haze.

A rusted mailbox stands in the sand covered in stickers. Behind it a swing set is erected in the shallows of the Salton Sea while a mountain range rises in the far distance through thick haze. This scene gave me end of Terminator 2 vibes.

Moderate, 2.58 mi loop

489 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/27/24

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The Mastodon Peak loop will take you to a variety of interesting features, including an oasis with large California Fan Palm Trees, a large rocky peak (with spur to scramble to the top of), as well as an abandoned gold mine. Also enjoy the rich diversity of plants and wildlife along the way.

A juvenile Common Chuckwalla peers out from the entrance to its home.

Looking across the land from Mastodon Peak. In the center left, a signpost may be seen that is the start of the spur to ascend the peak. Large areas of exposed and cracked bedrock may be seen below as well as a few mountain ranges in the distance.

Side view of a Common Chuckwalla half exposed from under an old rusted metal roof. I saw a bunch of other lizards as well, just really liked the juvenile and adult ones shown here.

Nature Walk, 0.2 mi loop

9 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/27/24

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Located in the transition zone between the Colorado and Mojave deserts, this small patch of land grows a large quantity of Teddy Bear Cholla, leading to the creation of this garden patch. You'll also find Beavertail Cactus as well as a few Ocotillo, all with a stunning backdrop of desert mountains.

A section of a Teddy Bear Cholla, with fruiting pods growing on it. Bearing little to no seeds in the fruiting bodies, the main method of reproduction is instead via breaking off and rooting of the stems.

A close up of a flowering Beavertail Cactus, with its bright pink flowers surrounded by unopened buds.

An Ocotillo plant with its long, spindly arms covered in small green leaves.

From a nearby sign:

Don’t confuse this unusual-looking plant, ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), for a cactus. The thorny, multi-stem shrub is in fact a woody deciduous plant. Unlike other deciduous shrubs, which normally grow leaves in the spring and drop them in the fall, the ocotillo may grow and drop leaves as often as five times during the year. The leaves aren’t season dependant but rain dependent.

Following a sufficient rain, the Ocotillo puts forth a cluster of leaves above each thorn, adorning the otherwise dead-looking canes with a flourish of green. At the same time red blossoms may appear at the tips of the canes. The leaves go about the business of photosynthesis—converting light energy to food energy—until the next drought; then the leaves turn red or brown and drop.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/41492833

Easy, 2.33 mi loop

180 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/26/24

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An easy loop takes you to Barker dam, a small reservoir built for ranching in the early 1900s. This area is used extensively by climbers as many large outcrops may be found in the area. Apparently petroglyphs may also be found on a rock wall here, although I was unaware at the time so did not see.

A Joshua tree takes up the left half of the frame while in the distant right a large rock mound may be seen with a climber on the top of it attached to a climbing rope.

A large outcrop of fragmented rock rises up behind a field of small Joshua Trees under a blue sky dotted with a couple small clouds.

A massive rock mound with many small boulders eroding off of it stands above a small grouping of Joshua Trees. Several small clusters of trees may be seen growing in portions of the mound.

Easy, 2.55 mi loop

213 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/26/24

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An easy trek located near the Jumbo Rocks campground area of Joshua Tree. This area is filled with large rock mounds and structures, including the namesake Skull rock and Face rock features. Not many Joshua Trees in the area, but some Pencil Cholla and a variety of wildflowers may be seen in season.

The Jumbo Rocks area of Joshua Tree seen from a distance. In this view a couple of 'peaks' made up of of large, fragmented boulders may be seen rising behind a small field of various desert plantlife.

Skull Rock, with a couple of green bushes nearby. This area is heavily visited and you will often see people climbing all over the structures.

A large field/mound of boulders and fragmented rocks sits under a blue sky. This view is a classic example of how the cracks in these structures lead to erosion and fragmentation.

Easy, 2.33 mi loop

180 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/26/24

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An easy loop takes you to Barker dam, a small reservoir built for ranching in the early 1900s. This area is used extensively by climbers as many large outcrops may be found in the area. Apparently petroglyphs may also be found on a rock wall here, although I was unaware at the time so did not see.

A Joshua tree takes up the left half of the frame while in the distant right a large rock mound may be seen with a climber on the top of it attached to a climbing rope.

A large outcrop of fragmented rock rises up behind a field of small Joshua Trees under a blue sky dotted with a couple small clouds.

A massive rock mound with many small boulders eroding off of it stands above a small grouping of Joshua Trees. Several small clusters of trees may be seen growing in portions of the mound.

Moderate, 6.81 mi loop

1,316 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/25/24

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At a higher elevation (~4,000ft) than many other sections of the park, this loop offers great views of Joshua Tree as well as a richer selection of flora. While popular, it seems to get a little less pressure than other parts of the park. Would likely be great for Sunrise or sunset viewing.

A small cluster of Joshua Trees.

A large Cholla Cactus sits on the edge of the trail, its many needled arms reaching out for hugs.

Several ridges of nearby hills lead away while in the far distance a snow dusted mountain may be seen being overtaken by clouds rolling over its peak. On the valley floor a collection of windmills may be seen as well.

Hard, 9.24 out and back

2,621 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/21/24

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Rising over 5,000 ft above the valley floor, the trail along Dante's Ridge offers endless breathtaking views of Death Valley. The trail begins at Dante's view and continues alongside Badwater Basin from above, with many ups and downs along the way. Full sun exposure so be prepared and hike early.

A male and female Common side-blotched lizard seen in the middle of reproducing. The female is giving me the 'skink eye.'

The steep ascent along the ridge leading to one of the upper areas of the hike. Scattered sagebrush may be seen dotting the tan landscape.

The disappearing Lake Manly may be seen down in the valley floor from this overlook, returning to a salt flat. On the other side of Death Valley a ridge runs across, with a layer of snow on the upper reaches.

Moderate, 6.5 mi loop w spurs

1,207 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/20/24

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A highly popular loop taking you along a gravel wash in lower sections before passing under the vertical face of Manly Beacon after taking a slight detour to the Red Cathedral geologic formation. Views of varying colored cliff faces and hillsides will mesmerize and the trek is filled with delights. This is still in that period where a decent amount of photos were lost, so I don't have better pictures of the Red Cathedral from up close unfortunately.

The Red Cathedral stands above a canyon of tan mounds. Various trails branching out from closer to the Cathedral allow you to access the mounds.

Two large rocky hillsides with layers of diagonal light and dark brown banding may be seen with a ridgeline in the distance on the other side of Death Valley.

Rolling hills of light and dark brown patterned rock may be seen with a sloped ridgeline on the right of frame. A separate ridgeline on the far end of Death Valley may be sen in the distance.

What looked like a fungus growing along a rock, which wouldn't really make much sense in a desert setting like this. I would assume it is connected to the plant seen on both sides of frame, and would possibly be for seed dispersal, but I am not sure what the plant is. There wasn't enough exposed plant material for me to get an id on it either, so it's a mystery to me.

Nature Walk

No elevation gain- located at 282 ft below sea level

Hiked 3/19/24

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During my trip to Death Valley in 2024, I was lucky enough to see Lake Manly, which was the first time it held water in 40 years. Badwater Basin is the lowest point in N. America, at -282 ft. Wading in the shallow water was like walking through an Epsom salt bath and was a once in a lifetime experience.

Looking up towards the sign post which shows where sea level is, 282 ft above my location on a cliff wall.

A pile of salts that has precipitated when the water was a little higher. I lost the photos of it, but when underwater it had a little more structure to it, with a lot of nodules linked together.

A view across Lake Manly near sunset. The sky at this point was still mainly blue leading to a little yellow and then a salmon pink in the lowest horizon. A ridgeline may be seen extending on the far side of the lake through the center of frame. One thing to note is that the ridgeline seen would be barely above sea level, so only high in relation to my location at -282 ft.

Moderate to Strenuous, 4.4 mi loop w spur down

1,319 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/19/24

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Journey around and into a maar (explosion pit) volcano which formed ~2,100 years ago. The rim hike will also take you to Little Hebe, a smaller and more well defined perfect circle crater. The return from the crater bottom, if hiked, is steep and gravel footing will test your legs, but so worth it.

Looking down into Ubehebe Crater, with a sign showing a person falling that warns to be careful around the edge as the footing may be dangerous.

A photo of a flowering Desert Fivespot, Eremalche rotundfolia that was growing on the rim of the Ubehebe Crater. With the wildflower not fully opened, it has a ball-like appearance in this photo. Flower is pink with five different red streaks on the interior (two seen in photo).

Looking over towards the Little Hebe Crater, which is located right beside Ubehebe Crater. In the distance, a mountain ridge may be seen with slight snow caps on a couple of peaks.

Moderate, 4.16 mi out and back

1,138 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/18/24

Named for the mosaic breccia that form its canyon walls, this hike takes you into a splendid canyon made up of smaller rocks cemented together and smoothed by water over. The hike becomes more difficult as you go further up the canyon, leading to some scrambles before reaching an impassible wall.

An arrow made of rocks points to the scramble up a cliff wall at the end of a canyon. Mostly vertical, but manageable with effort along the hand and foot holds. Trail ends not too far after this iirc.

A Chuckwalla lizard hangs out on the side of a cliff wall.

A half moon rises above the steep peaks of a canyon wall in mid-afternoon.

Easy, 2.5 mi loop

170 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/16/24

A breath-taking view over a pristine lake which is also highly accessible. With an elevation of roughly 7700 ft, the crystal clear waters of this stunning lake act as a mirror to the nearby mountains. Views are highly accessible from the beginning and the trail is easy and flat around the lake.

I wish that I had more photos from this hike, but there was a 1-2 week period shortly after I got my camera that I accidentally deleted a ton of photos. The biggest disappointment was losing the descent into death valley when the hillsides where filled with spring flowers. Oh well, excuse to return. Luckily, I had pulled some of them (such as the four from yesterday and these two among others), so it wasn't a total waste.

Looking across Convict Lake towards Mono Jim Peak and Mt Morrison behind it, a slight breeze casts ripples across an otherwise perfect mirror image in the water.