Fire, Rain, And A 2019 Desert Wildflower Super Bloom?

At the beginning of the year California finally started to receive some well deserved rain. Currently, we are at an estimate of 10 inches of water year to date rainfall according to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration). There are many positives to the well needed rain fall but with the recent fires there are also some negatives.

Typically California is in a drought with landscapes in the hue of brown and yellow. It is normal for plant life to die early with some cases of plants even going extinct. From October through March Southern California will get winds blowing from the north-to-northeast called the Santa Ana Winds. The name Santa Ana comes from one of the canyons they blow through near the Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties in California. It's primarily a channel that the Santa Ana River flows through between the Santa Ana Mountains and the Chino Hills. The dryness and the wind in most cases puts the region in a Red Flag warning for fire.

Unfortunately, we had some devastating fires recently. After fire containment the remains of ash and loose dirt line the mountains, hills, and valleys. With heavy rain the region received multiple flash flood warnings. This created a platform for mudslides and sink holes.

So what are the positive in this all? Last years drought killed off many of the nutrients for grasses and weeds giving room for desert wildflowers to bloom. We look forward to our favorite blooms such as the Apache Plume, California Poppy, Chuparosa, Desert Dandelion, and the Desert Marigold. There is also a good chance to spot the hard to find Desert Five-Spot.

As we get ready for Spring be sure to schedule some time to enjoy more green on the trails. If we do get a super bloom don't forget they are usually short lived. We hope you can WITHDRAW INTO THE WILDERNESS and observe the bloom!

TRAIL FORTY | WITHDRAW INTO THE WILDERNESS | Luke 5:16 | TRAILFORTY.com