Superbloom

Carrizo Plain National Monument. California. April 2017

--- This trip was special for a number of reasons. The first was getting to spend time with one of my best friends whom I rarely get to see because of the physical distance between us. The second was exploring a new part of California I had never se…

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This trip was special for a number of reasons. The first was getting to spend time with one of my best friends whom I rarely get to see because of the physical distance between us. The second was exploring a new part of California I had never seen before. And the third, which is elephant in the room, the goddamn flowers. And holy moly were there a lot of flowers. The spring of 2017 had what is called a Superbloom, and it's grandiosity was on full display in Carrizo Plain. An area that is almost inhospitable for 90% of the time. In recent years, my camping style has shifted. I have taken to driving towards wherever I'm wanting to stay and "figuring it out when I get there" late at night. This causes me both anxiety and excitement, and this trip was one of one of those "figure it out" moments. Danielle had scoped a potential spot (via the trusty internet), up in the hills off the main road, so we would meet at the bottom of the hill and drive up to search for a campsite. There was absolutely 0 cel service out on the Plain, and I arrived at 10pm, thinking Danielle wouldn't be far behind me. I was feeling anxious because I saw a lot of cars parked off the road and I was worried that all of the good camping spots would be taken. After several more hours of worrying (I'm so good at this), Danielle and family arrived. It was close to 1:00 in the morning. I should mention how insanely dark it was outside. No moon, nothing. I had been traveling on a dirt road for literally hours, dodging kangaroo mice left and right and hoping not to hit anything larger with my car in the pitch black. I straight up had no idea where I was. The narrow dirt road we wound our way up seemed to never end until it finally crested over a ridge. It was here that we set up camp, and it was in this spot that I woke up and nearly cried over the spectacular view in front of me. Wildflowers of every color as far as the eye can see. This place has now become one of my favorite springtime camping destinations when the earth decides to show its unique colors on a grand scale.