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| The Yellow Carpet (3/10/2010) |
Back in the days before social media took off, you could have Carrizo Plain pretty much to yourself, especially in March before the peak bloom. Back then I usually couldn't get time off from work at the optimum times, so I'd go when I could. Last year was the first time I was able to time my trip, passing through once with my wife on our way to San Diego, then returning on my own later in the month. I'm still undecided as to whether I'll go down this year, but in the meantime I thought I'd share some March scenes from the olden days....
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| This was the view toward the Caliente Range from Soda Lake Road... |
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| ...and this was the view in the other direction, toward the Temblor Range (both 3/3/2005). |
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| Not that I've been out there a lot, but I used to reliably see pronghorn before the big solar farms were built. I thought for sure I'd see some last year with so much forage available, but nope. (Photo from 3/3/05). |
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| This is from 3/10/2010, and I don't believe the sign is still there. |
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| Meadowlarks: the sound of Carrizo Plain in March (3/3/05). |
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| The fiddleneck back when I shot this (3/3/05) was heavy around Soda Lake, but not elsewhere on the plain. Last year I was surprised to see how far and wide it had spread. |
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| Fiddleneck sunrise (3/11/2004). |
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| Back then (3/3/05) it felt like I had arrived at peak bloom. I'd never seen such a large-scale profusion of wildflowers before. |
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| I like to see what I still own after so many years. The Jeep is long gone, but that cooler was already about 11 years old back then (3/3/05), and I still have it. I also still have the Marmot jacket, but the camp chair broke just last year while camping at Sonora Pass. |
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| Is "Cheerful as a Daisy" a thing (3/10/2010)? |
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