Death Valley super bloom

I’m monitoring it, but will more than likely hit the Mojave Preserve, Joshua Tree, and Anza  Borrego. They usually peak a week between each area.

April 2004 Joshua Tree

March 2010 Anza Borrego

Be SURE to see these blooms if you can make the trip. The desert comes alive with flowers whose seeds may have waited for 50 years to get enough moisture to bloom.

I saw Death Valley in 2005 and it was fantastic. One hillside wold be white and another purple, as though each area had agreed with then others to be a different color.

I heading to Death Valley on 2/24 for 4 nights.   It’s early yet, but I don’t know the park at all, so I want to check it out, get to know the terrain and and chat to the local rangers etc.    I’ll be in the Grand Canyon for most of March and April, so I can shoot over there quickly if the bloom really takes off.

I though a couple of 2-night loops would be sensible, or even break it up further into separate overnighters, since I assume we’ll need to carry all our water, and my friend is a reasonably strong hiker but not into anything too extreme.

Any recommendations?    In particular, any suggestion for a good place to head for the first night, as I may not arrive until about 3pm, so I’ll need a campsite within an hour or two of where I park up.

I’m reading the various past threads, of course, but some advice on a good plan for a 4-day intro to the park would be most welcome.   I’m well experienced with desert & canyon hiking, just new to this area.

I’ll be out there the first weekend of March on a car camping trip with my son’s boy scout troop. I’ll report any sightings when I return.

Ralph,

I dont have any recommendations, but I was just out there last weekend. The best flower show is south of Badwater. Not sure you want to backpack around there, just letting you know. You can always drive through there if you want to see the best flower show and walk somewhere else.

If you dont mind walking dirt road, check out some destinations for four wheeling.

http://www.everytrail.com/guide/goler-wash-mengel-pass-4×4-trail

Thanks.    I’ll be in a rental this w/e (SUV, but prob 2WD), which constrains things a little.    But if I head back there in March or April, I’ll have my 4Runner.

Let’s keep this thread alive with updates — indeed, if any BPLers want to join up for a little trip down there in March or April for a couple of days if the magic starts happening, I’ll post my plans here.  I’ll be happy to collect people from LAS on the way.

I found this site that seems to be updating at least weekly, including today.

http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/ca_dv.html

I have not backpacked in Death Valley, only car camped.  I do have a hike recommendation though south of Badwater.  The trail is called sidewinder canyon.  It is a fantastic slot canyon.

http://www.hikespeak.com/trails/sidewinder-canyon-death-valley/

I am not sure if overnight camping is allowed out here or not, but it could be a fantastic place to do so, Bring your own water of course.  You certainly could find a place to camp somewhere in the canyon.  I suspect you could find a place to camp with an awesome view up one of the side canyons where you could scramble out of the canyon and onto the side of the hill.  You would have a commanding view of the southern part of the valley.  Definitely the potential for lots of wild flowers as you will traverse elevation from the trail head to the end of the canyon.

Some pictures from the last few days.   A bigger selection, including some panoramics, at this link:

dropbox link to Death Valley pictures
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A friend from the UC Berkeley Hiking Club just posted this pix on FB from a trip to DVNP this weekend: