The Carrizo Plain wildflower landscapes

Hey guys,

I was wondering from those of you who have visited the Carrizo Plain which sections you've enjoyed the most for landscape work/grand scenics. I plan to head down that way soon. But it is a very large area and I don't really know where to start nor do I want to necessarily drive around the whole thing (unless I have to). I prefer shooting rolling hills possibly with oak trees nearby like in the photo on the report below.

If you haven't heard the latest report from the Theodore Payne Foundation it looks pretty promising: http://www.theodorepayne.org/hotline.html.

Check out the bottom of page 3 of the current report regarding the Carrizo Plain. The poppies on the the hillside look glorious. So do you think that photograph could be of this 2010 season? If so I am really looking forward to getting over there soon - within the next couple of weeks. From what I hear The Carrizo Plain is a fabulous place for wildflowers this time of the year.

Derek

I visited the Carrizo Plain two years ago, but didn't spend a lot of time there. I basically drove up the legnth of the plain for sunset, and didn't explore any side routes. The photo in the website to the right of the text doesn't look like the Carrizo Plain to me; perhaps it refers to the text above. Here is a shot I took from the main road on 3/23/08 :

Tony, that is a very nice image! Thanks for posting.

I do think the hill sections have some wildflower views as well as the plains. But since I haven't been there yet I'll probably have to do quite a bit of exploring to find them.

And of course it will be nice to shoot wildflower plain shots like the one you posted above.

Thanks,

Derek

Derek, that photograph of poppies, oaks and foothills in the Theodore Payne report for today is definitely not Carrizo Plain National Monument. Reading further in the report, apparently its in the southern Sierra foothills somewhere "along Old Stage Road towards Fountain Springs", which I've never heard of but based on their general description sounds like its somewhere between the Kern River Canyon and where the Sierra meet the Tehachapis. (Look for the text a few paragraphs below the poppy photograph, where they describe that area and refer to "California poppies (Eschscholzia californica, pictured)".)

The Carrizo Plain can be fabulous, but with the general late start to the season this year, and considering they are a couple of thousand feet above the Grapevine/Arvin area which I hear is just starting to get good now, I would bet they have a few more weeks to go. Tony's photograph is representative of the Plain: flat and treeless and surrounded by textured, rolling, and canyon-incised hills and mountains which are themselves mostly treeless. If you're looking for oaks, go elsewhere.

Thanks guys,

Yes, I had a feeling there was something fishy with that image. So I actually called and spoke to someone fom the foundation. The women I spoke with said that the pictures on the report are not necessarily of this season.

However I do still like plain photos like Tonys. This is very helpful information.

Derek

Derek, might start by looking at this excellent page on summitpost owned by tarol who you might be familiar with who is also on some other boards:

http://www.summitpost.org/object_list.php?parent_id=230225&object_type=3

Note I have a couple pic's right near the top on its Images sub-page. Carrizo Plain is an excellent example of a huge confusing place where a phtographer that knows how to do their homework is going to be way more successful than someone that simply goes there, looks, and stumbles around without a plan. Thus go to the blm website, search the web on key terms for clues, especially analyze topographic maps, and pay your dues exploring roads including dirt roads and climbing up to higher places where you can see things. If all one does is look at the large scale national monument map, they are going to miss 80% of the dirt roads that are your gateways to special places. Just like many Southern California areas timing is extremely important as there can be considerable difference in the state of flowers from week to week. There is a whole lot at Carrizo and it isn't all about the flat plain. However there can be excellent images right on the plain too as it isn't board flat, if one has found good perspectives.

http://www.davidsenesac.com/Gallery_B/gallery_b.html

**Update: I just heard back from the editor of the Theodore Payne Foundation wildflower report. There was a mixup with the placement of that image in question (Bottom of Page 3). Here is the full scoop:

Hello Derek,

The photos in the most wildflower hotline announcement are all current photos that wildflower reporters send me to include in the hotline.

And there appears to be a bit of confusion on the photos this week as the formatting was changed when our webmaster put it online, but the photo that is next to Carrizo Plains belongs with the second location I write about in Kern Country, just off Old Stage Road.

Photos are typically identified in the text next to the location or the plant name where I have the common name (botanical name, pictured).From this point forward I will be adding captions to help clarify.

I don't have contact infor for Jean McBride but I can forward your email to the CNPS chpater that sent me the photo. I believe they have contact info for Jean.

Best,
Marie

The good news is that image appears to be recent!

Derek

Derek if my memory is working correctly for that area get off the 99 at ave 56(just north of earlimart) head east until you hit m109 and go south. Quick look at a map and thats what I got so it could be wrong.....

This entire area was broadcast on PBS from a visit by Huell Howser back in 2005 as I recall. It too was a good year for wildflowers as seen in that episode.

You'll get a better experience on the dirt roads just try not to get stuck in the mud. You'll see the piles of junked cars and know what I'm talking about. I've only been on a bad year and it was still nice.

Thanks to everyone who provided suggestions. My first trip turned out to Carrizo exceed my expectations! I headed for the hills and color which was really what I was after. The funniest part was for the two days I was there I only saw one other person once further out. And it just so happened to be David Senesac coming back from an all day shoot.

So we hung out and shared a few stories. Wow, what small world. Of all the many ridges, riverbeds and hills I just happened to be walking the same path as him.

Anyway I promised not to reveal exact coordinates of our little discovery. But I will say there are plenty of hills covered in flowers in the Temblor range for all who are willing to do some hiking and exploration of their own to enjoy. The discovery process is part of the fun out there anyway. Although this Spring season will be winding down soon.

Here is sunset from the first night there looking back over the plain:

http://landandseaphoto.smugmug.com/Spring/Spring-2010/11188550_FuRhA#834322383_MNtnx-A-LB

You can see the rest of the shots by using the the right arrow key to scroll the images. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Derek

Quite nice sunset pic Derek. Using a curving expanse of yellow hillside daisies created an excellent receeding foreground. Also interesting are the various bodies of alkali ponds in the distant plains that reflect skies and adding more are the too steep for plants eroding Temblor badlands faces at right.

I have an inkling to drive back south to the monument for a fourth straight weekend but the long 240 mile drive is getting old. Also wildflower color conditions in the Temblor Range have been quickly diminishing since the April 3/4 weekend when they peaked and I've already exposed enough film during superb conditions of that period. Rather surprising given all the clues on web this season how very few photographers knew as its late March peak occurred that this was easily the best locale Southern California offered this spring. It'll happen again within a few years. Thus the ridgeline areas where fiddleneck dominate have become increasingly brown instead of the more pleasant greens and bronze, the lower areas where beautiful pink Parry's mallow bloomed with yellow hued goldfields are browning as the goldfields seed and dry, and in the south facing aspects where all colors were best, all those species were already looking ragged drying on the decline opening their final buds last weekend.

That said there will still be worthwhile areas to work at Carrizo this April 17/18 weekend as I noticed the California Valley plain areas were just coming into peak bloom with goldfields, tidy tips, larkspur, and purple owls clover. Generally the Caliente Range areas on the west side of the monument are wetter, moister, greener, thus bloom a week or more later.

So likely will work more nicely green Monterey and San Benito counties I drove home through last Saturday.