In The Canyon

Sycamore Canyon, that is. These photos were made during a hike in Sycamore Canyon on April 21, 2011. Like every Spring, the hills are green from the winter rains, and the wildflowers are in bloom. Being on the edge of the desert, the greening won't last long. The verdant hills will slowly fade within a couple months, with the plants turning various duns and browns as they dry during the approach of Summer. The plants fringing the hills on the edge of the desert are typically dry eight or nine months of the year, so the green is a temporary visual treat.

The hillsides are blooming. This is the best time of year to photograph wildflowers in Southern California, whether you are heading deeper into the desert, up into the mountains, or across the farmlands in the valleys. Below: Isolated yellow blooms.

As shown in the long view of the first photo above, most of the more prominent flowers in the canyon run toward yellow. The spray of red shown below broke up the dominate color, if only in a small area.