superbloom
A superbloom is a rare desert botanical phenomenon in California and Arizona in which an unusually high proportion of wildflowers whose seeds have lain dormant in desert soil germinate and blossom at roughly the same time. The phenomenon is associated with an unusually wet rainy season.
While traveling in California in April of 2023, I heard about the superbloom from my California friends. Evidently the rainy season had brought massive amounts of precipitation, which leads to massive amounts of wildflowers. I was advised to keep my eyes and ears open for where to see it - especially in southern California.
Kismet struck on April 6 when three California Park Rangers slid into the booth next to me in a restaurant in Pacific Grove. I briefly interrupted their lunch and asked their recommendations for where to see the superbloom. At the time I was headed north toward Eureka, but I never forgot their suggestion: Pinnacles National Park. I made my way back south on April 14 to take their advice.
Superbloom at Pinnacles National Park
"Do you have any campsites left?" I asked the ranger. The tightly cramped visitor center was warm and crowded, and he looked tired of answering this question.
"No. All booked."
"Not even an overflow area? I'm car camping and fully contained - so no need for anything fancy."
"Well....."
It turns out there was one site available in the tent camping section - a campsite that was completely flooded out, except for its parking area.
"That's all I need - a place to park."
I felt a jostle at my elbow...
"That's all we need too!"
And that's how I ended up sharing a flooded campsite with two sisters from Florida, and staying two nights and three days at Pinnacles National Park. The sisters were friendly and interesting and full of information about the park. They had come specifically to see California condors - and told me the best trails and time of day to spot the rare endangered birds. Kismet had struck again!
Day 1: Explore campground, make dinner over a cookstove, read and crash early.
Day 2: Hike from the campground on Bench Trail to Sycamore Trail to Moses Spring Trail to Bear Gulch Cave Trail....then back. 8 miles of hiking overall!
Here's a short video of the Bear Gulch Cave Trail. It is well traveled, but well worth it. (Flashlight absolutely required!)
Day 3: Early morning up and out to see condors: Drive to Bear Gulch, then hike Condor Gulch Trail to where Blue Oaks Trail meets High Peaks Trail...and back. Wildflowers blooming everywhere - gorgeous!
I knew nothing about Pinnacles NP before setting out on my adult gap year, and it turned out to be one of my favorite sojourns of the year due to stunning views, California condors and the magnificent superbloom of wildflowers.
Superbloom at Red Rock Canyon State Park
Kismet struck again on April 17, when my plans fell through for staying at a campground on Lake Isabella. (Actually, I got a bad vibe from the campground and the town. I decided to trust my instincts and move on.)
Darkness was falling, and nearby state forests - usually a good spot for dispersed camping - were still closed for the winter. I had no choice but to keep driving.
I landed at Red Rock Canyon State Park in south central California. I pulled into Ricardo Campground after dark, and paid the campground fee in a drop box. Hardly able to see anything of my surroundings, I pulled into the most level campsite I could find and went to sleep.
When I woke up and looked around, I realized just how much fortune had smiled upon me!
The campsites are right up against these desert cliffs. You feel like an ant camping among sand castles at a beach.
As the light shifts through the canyon, the craggy rocks seem to change in color.
I spent the day reading and watching the canyon walls - then strolling around on rocky paths learning about desert wildflowers. The superbloom was here, too!
From my journal then: "Wildflowers everywhere! Just opening while I hiked up, fully open flowers by the time I came down! Used Seek app to I.D. and take photos of all new species. Yoga, heart flow, endorphins, floating."
It's late March 2024 now, and I'm back in my hometown of Whitewater, WI. Weather forecasters are predicting 5-7 inches of snow by midnight tomorrow. When spring weather teases and then winter slams back down, it helps to look at pretty pictures of wildflowers, and know that they will soon be here.
May kismet lead you to where all the blooms are super. In the meantime, here's the song that was the perfect soundtrack for my SoCal superbloom sojourn...Superbloom by MisterWives.
Sojourn on!
Click below for more pictures from these sojourns:
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