A wet winter and early storms left enough water in the ground that wildflowers are erupting across the state.
At the Carrizo Plain National Monument, the first swaths of yellow and orange are up on the lower slopes of the Temblor Mountains. A wet winter and an early warm spell have moved the bloom ahead of schedule — the carpet of color can appear almost overnight and be gone within weeks. Plan on getting there early. Pay attention to the weather. Don’t be afraid to turn back if the weather changes, the roads are jammed, or the area is too crowded.
United States District Court Orders OHV Route Closures in the West Mojave Desert
Last week’s storms slammed the length of California, dumping heavy rain, triggering floods and debris flows from the Coast Range to the Sierra and through the Transverse Range all the way to the tip of the Peninsular Mountain Range.
King of the Hammers is back. The world’s most extreme off-road race and a week-long desert festival, KOH mixes high-speed desert runs with brutal rock crawling that chews up equipment and separates the finished from the wrecked.
The sky over California puts on one of its best displays this weekend. From desert flats to high mountain vistas, the Geminid meteor shower peaks between December 13 and 14 — and under the right conditions, it’s the year’s most spectacular meteor show. Get away from town lights and clouds, and you’ll see fast, bright streaks and the occasional fireball that make a late night worth it.