Saturday, April 13, 2024

Road trip to see superbloom flowers (4/14)


If anyone has never been to a super bloom, it's worth seeing. If anyone has been before, it's time to revisit. We're going to journey to a few famous spots in a large group.

When? California's state flower, the golden poppy, blooms anytime between February and May. Sunday, April 14th, 2024, is a good day for a visit, according to wildflower watchers at KTLA and desertusa.com.
Flowers rise out of the mud and muck.
We'll walk some and probably most of the eight miles of trails. Each spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve comes alive with seasonal surprises. Rainy years produce and effusive explosion of natural beauty. This is Mojave Desert grassland habitat.

The duration and intensity of floral scents and colors varies from year to year. The wildflower season generally lasts from as early as mid-February through late-May, "April showers mean May flowers." And March storms can bring rosy thorns.

Parking Fees
  • $10 per vehicle
  • $9 per vehicle with a senior onboard (62 and over)
  • $5 per vehicle with DPR (Disabled Discount Card)
Bring sunblock and be prepared for wicked strong winds. Desert temperatures can vary widely and change suddenly, so dress in layers for unpredictable weather changes. Dogs are NOT allowed on trails or in the visitor center (as is true of every California State Park).

To enjoy expansive fields or a close-up study of single flowers, this is the place to visit.


Location and directions
The Reserve is located 15 miles west of Lancaster, California, at 15101 Lancaster Road.

From Highway 14: Take the Avenue I exit and head west 15 miles. Avenue I becomes Lancaster Road.

From Interstate-5: Take Hwy 138 east and turn right on 170th Street West. Make a left at the end, onto Lancaster Road. Follow the road two miles.
Carpool?
Yes. We will congregate at the meeting time and address. That location is a designated Park & Ride. It is a free parking lot that has roving security in the area. So it's safe to leave a car for the day.

We meet, reshuffle, then carpool and caravan to the poppy fields. Why this location as the meeting point? It's central and just off the I-5, the main freeway to get there.

Carpool to the meeting point? Yes. Post in the comments on the main group posting.

This is a FREE road trip and hiking event that takes a little more work to organize than a quickie local visit. This is neither local nor in-town. As such we will drive to and meet there. Or use the carpool information sent a week before to work on setting up a carpool.
  • Meeting point to carpool/caravan
  • Sunday, April 14, 2024, 8:00 am
  • 201 South Front Street
  • Burbank, California
  • We will be down at the SOUTH end of
  • the lot SOUTH of Olive Avenue bridge
To attend this event

The form is for safety. If it is not filled out, attendees will not be hiking with this group. Fill out the form even if only interested and want to stay in the loop.
Questions?
CLICK HERE to send a Direct Message to Meetup Organizer Marc (screen name "Oddie").

Other notable hikes planned: After the poppy fields, the plan is to go to the location where Hockney shot his photo. It is 45 minutes away at 126th and Pearblossom, standing on 126th looking south. getty.edu/art/collection/object/103QT4.

Then we will go 200 feet farther to Llano Del Rio and poke in the ruins (again). 
Then we drive up to Devils Punchbowl to hike or just view this part of the Angeles National Forest. It's up to the vibe of the group. Devils Punchbowl Nature Area (onlyinyourstate.com)
California has more indigenous flora and fauna
than all the rest of the United States combined.
NOTICE OF INCLUSIVITY: For all of our events, we do not discriminate by age, gender, sexual preference, ethnicity, national origin, race, color, religion, or even belly button lint.
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