Who wants a Hug? A Tour of the Cholla Garden (and other Sonoran Pricklies)

Date: April 19, 2017
Place: Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms, California
Level: easy

There was still plenty of daylight left when we finished our little hike at Barker Dam, so we turned the car south and drove to Cottonwood Spring. Our plan was to hike a bit over there and then check out the Cholla Garden on our way back north to Twentynine Palms. In one of the yards in town there I saw an ocotillo in full bloom and I was all jazzed up about seeing the ocotillo blooming in their natural place.
We didn't cover much distance before I pulled over to admire a large lupine shrub in full bloom by the roadside.

Silver Bush Lupine, Lupinus albifrons

After a long linger at the Cottonwood Spring visitor center we drove to the trailhead and headed down to the oasis.
A small group of fan palms marked the presence of water. It is a short distance from the parking lot.

California Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera

I wanted to hike the Mastodon loop trail but only the younger chika wanted to come along, so I set out on the trail with her and left the rest to rest in the shade of the palms at the oasis.

Desert Senna, Senna armata

On our way we run into by now old acquaintances - the caterpillars of the sphinx moth. There were many of them, and they came in all sizes, and ate pretty much everything plant.

A Sphinx Moth caterpillar

The first part of the Mastodon loop overlaps with the trail to the Lost Palms Oasis, which I first hiked with Pappa Quail over 13 years ago.
4 years ago I hiked it a second time with my friend Anenet. We were out to look for the big desert bloom I had promised her. That year however, the bloom was very weak and disappointing. That trail was at the end of our big desert road trip, and it was only there that we finally got a nice taste of what the desert has to offer.

Small Desert Star, Monoptilon bellidiforme

But although it was the best display we've seen that year it was nothing compared to what unraveled before us now.

Mojave Aster, Xylorhiza tortifolia var. tortifolia

There was colorful bloom everywhere. Every plant, be it a shrub or an annual herb, was putting forth its best and most spectacular show, and the overall effect was absolutely stunning.

Desert Bluebells, Phacelia campanularia

While many of them I have already seen earlier that day, I also found there species that were new to me.

Sand Blazingstar, Mentzelia involucrata

Nearly all of them had not been blooming on my previous visit there. Some of them were quite challenging to photograph.

Thomas' Buckwheat, Eriogonum Thomasii

Others didn't look like much, but I was photographing everything with exaggerated enthusiasm, and later I found out that some of these are really unique plants.

Brittle Spine Flower, Chorizanthe brevicornu

We were about half a mile into the trail and still swooning from the superbly display when Pappa Quail caught up with us, sweating and out of breath. He had run all the way to inform me that I misread the map and that the Mastodon Loop was 3.5 miles long and not 1.5 as I thought. Oops ... if we want to see the ocotillo and the Cholla Garden we had to turn back and drive north now, otherwise we would not get there in daylight.

Cottonwood Spring, viewed from our turning point. 

We hurried back to the parking lot. Papa Quail took the young chika's hand and sped up with her while I took it a bit slower to leave. 

But Pappa Quail did stop a couple of times on his way back, on on one of his stops he caught this lovely lizard on camera. 

Common Side-bloched Lizard

We drove back north and stopped at the roadside where we had seen the ocotillo blooming on our way south. They really cannot be missed: they are just about the weirdest looking plants in that part of the desert.

Ocotillo, Fouquieria splensens

And when the ocotillo blooms it looks like flaming red candles, standing out brightly against the desert backdrop.

And we also got to see the pollinators in action: sphinx moths that was fluttering about in a low-pitch buzz, looking almost like hummingbirds.

White-lined Sphinx Moth pollinating an ocotillo

Only a bit more north there is the Cholla Garden, and there we went next.

Teddybear Cholla, Cylindropuntia bigelovii

The Cholla Garden is a dense field of a cactus called teddybear cholla. And they do look very cute, almost inviting a hug.
Almost.

There is a short and easy loop trail in the field and although the chikas complained (they said they had had enough hiking for that day), be managed to get them out of the car and onto the trail.

Our stroll at the Cholla Garden as captured by Pappa Quail's GPS

They cholla were magnificent. And their bloom was in its beginning, far from peaking yet.

It was obvious that the cholla field had sustained damage due to the long drought years, but they seemed to be on the mend  when we were there.

Recovering cholla

And while the cholla was the dominant species at the garden, there were other plants there too.

Fremont Indigo Bush, Psorothamnus fremontii

Some were really small,

Cryptantha sp.

and others really weird.

Climbing Milkweed, Funastrum cynanchoides

The ground was littered with segments of cholla that had fallen off the bigger plants. I believe this is one way that the cholla reproduce - when a detached segment set roots in the ground where it had rolled to after detaching from the mother plant.

I accidentally stepped on one of these founded segments when I strayed off the path to inspect more closely an interesting plant nearby. Serves me right.

Desert Lavender, Condea emoryi

The sun was setting and the chikas were getting anxious. They demanded dinner. We collected back at the car and as we drove off I took a longing look at the cholla patch. We checked out several places in the park that day, hiked the Hidden Valley and the Barker Dam trails, and drove all the way to the south entrance and back. We had covered much ground, but I felt rushed, and once again feeling that this was but a taste. I was not yet sated.

On the way out of he park I stopped once more to photograph a shrub blooming by the roadside, a datura this time. We had the morrow still, one last day at Joshua Tree National Park, and I was determined to make the best of it. Indeed, it was the trail to Pine City that we hiked on the morrow that I finally got satisfied. 

Jimson Weed, Datura wrightii

Many thanks to members of the California Native Plants Society for their help i identifying plants!

Water on the Second Strike: The Barker Dam Nature Trail

Date: April 19, 2017
Place: Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms, California
Coordinates: 34.025096, -116.141996
Length: 1.6 miles
Level: easy

On our first visit to Joshua Tree National Park 14 years ago Pappa Quail and I also hiked the short and sweet Barker Dam Nature Trail. I don't remember much of that are except that it was hot and dry, and the sign posted by a dry lake prohibiting swimming. We found that sign amusing, therefore we documented it.
There was water there now, we heard people talking at the Barker Dam trailhead. It would've been disappointing if there wasn't, considering the copious amounts of rain that the area receives over the winter. So there was that to hope for.
I could tell already at the trailhead that this would be a rewarding hike. The bloom, just like at the Hidden Valley, was in abundance, and all over the place. even species that I haven't yet seen.

Gray Amsonia, Amsonia tomentosa 

Pappa Quail too found something to look at on the rocks near the trailhead: a pair of mourning doves in courtship.

Mourning Dove

After taking in the views near the parking lot we embarked on the short Barker Dam Nature Loop Trail. Like in Hidden Valley earlier that day, there were many other hikers on the trail with us, and capturing people-free scenery photos was somewhat challenging.

Our hike as captured by Pappa Quail's GPS

To get to the loop we walked through a narrow gap between high granite rocks. We didn't see any climbers on these rocks but they were very pretty to look at, and seemed inviting for a climb.

We didn't do any climbing, but plenty of lizards did. we saw many lizards on that hike, energized by the warm sun.

Granite Spiny Lizard

The birds too were very active. It seemed that every yucca was claimed by a bird or a pair of birds, and the air waves were filled with their spring songs.

Black-throated Sparrow

I enjoyed the birds much, but my attention was mainly on the wildflowers along the way.  Even flowers I have seen plenty of already.

Desert Globemallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua

I have already seen plenty of the Mojave Buckwheat around for it is a very common plant. It was the first time on this road trip, however, that I saw one in full bloom.

Mojave Buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum 

Another familiar plan that I can never get tired of seeing in bloom - the beavertail cactus. I love cacti any time of year but in bloom they transform like by magic from evil-looking spiny beings into gorgeous, festive 

Beavertail Cactus, Opuntia basilaris

We were walking slow. Slower even than our walk through Hidden Valley. Maybe it was all the people about us or the heat, but we did take our time on that trail. That gave me plenty of opportunities to explore more closely the wildflowers.

Rattlesnake Sandmat, Euphorbia albomarginata

As I was selecting photos for this post I found this one at Pappa Quail's folder. It took me a moment to realize it wasn't the Joshua Tree that Pappa Quail was after.

Costa's Hummingbird on his Joshua Tree perch

I was more focused on the down to earth yuccas. They were closer.

Mojave Yucca, Yucca schidigera

Despite uor slow pace it didn't take long to Arrive at the lake. And yes, there was water there. Pretty scuzzy, but water nonetheless, and mirroring perfectly the rocks beyond.

Bighorn (Barker) Lake

We lingered long by the lake. The chikas were looking for frogs (the elder chika even found one but it hopped away before I came over with the camera). Pappa Quail was looking for birds, of which there were plenty.

Lazuli Bunting, male

There were also many butterflies about, and then there was one butterfly less.

Say's Phoebe

Most of the shrubs by the water were willows but there were a few other species too, some of which were in bloom.

Mule Mat, Baccharis salicifolia

The willows looked pretty over the water and even more so when splayed on its surface.

Willow reflection

We looked for the  no swimming sign that we remembered from our first trip there but we didn't see it anywhere. I didn't think it was necessary. After all, who would want to swim in such a murky lake?
As we circled the water and went over the dam I saw two who would. They stripped down to their undergarments and went off for a swim. Perhaps it would be good to reinstate that sign. To protect the giardia microbs, naturally.
I averted my gaze from the swimmers and looked down below the dam's spillway. Down below was an old double, round water through that on out first visit was parched dry and now was full with water. Behind it the creek continued with a thin flow, then disappeared between the shrubs. Beyond that - the endless Mojave Desert.

The view southwest of Barker Dam

We descended from the dam down to the valley below. The short trail segment leading down meanders through a small rock garden featuring nice rounded granite and cushions of shrubs, many of which were blooming.

Down at the valley my family continued along the trail while I took a little detour to inspect the creek a bit closer. On the way there I saw these bushes that looked like they were flowering but on a closer look I saw these were fruit. The bushes were laden with them, and looked very pretty.

Burrowbush, Ambrosia salsola 

between the ambrosia bushes were other shrubs that were indeed blooming, and that I haven't yet seen in bloom. The flowers reminded me of tobacco and when I identified it I found it indeed to be of the nightshade family.

Peach Thorn, Lycium cooperi

The creek was just a narrow trickle, its path marked by the dense bloom of the yellow monkey flower.

These water-loving plants decorate many a creek bank throughout California. It was nice to see it in the heart of the desert as well.

Yellow Monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus

I finished exploring the creek, perhaps a bit too quickly, then hurried back to the trail to catch up with my family. They had not gone very far for they saw an interesting red plant hanging on another shrub and waited for me to tell them what it was.

Desert Mistletoe, Phoradendron californicum 

The mistletoe wasn't the only red bush in the area. It seems like for a plant to grab attention in the desert sporting intense red flowers, fruit or bracts would be the best way to go.

Hopsage, Grayia spinosa standing out on the desert backdrop

There were plenty of Joshua trees about, but despite the good winter none were blooming, nor bearing any buds. A Joshua tree splits new branches only at blooming apices so I guess none of these trees would branch this year. On the following day I hear a ranger talk to a group of people at the Mara Oasis Visitor Center, telling them that the Joshua trees need cold nights to induce bloom and these were lacking in the past years. It could also be the effect of the long drought preceding the one good winter that had drained these trees of their resources.
This one appeared to be dead, but for the little tuft of green nestled between the dried up shriveled branches.

Drought survivor 

We followed the trail until we reached the ridge of granite, and a rock standing apart that was a site of    petroglyphs inscribed by the native people of this place, the Chemuehevi. Sadly, many of the petroglyphs were vandalized, traced over with paint.

From the petroglyphs site we continued east along the granite ridge. This part of the trail reminded me a bit of the Hidden Valley.

There too, Pappa Quail was ahead with the chikas while me and Grandma Quail lingered behind, giving attention to all the wildflowers.

Chia Sage, Salvia columbariae 

I never fail to stop for blooming cacti. Especially cholla.

It was genuinely hot by then. Little lizards darted here and there along the path. And some of the lizards weren't so little.

Western Whiptail

I caught up with Pappa Quail near the completion of the loop. He stood still, focusing all his attention and also his camera on a nearby bare tree bearing two small thorny nests. A small colorful bird was moving between these nests, as if not sure which one to settle for. That was a verdin, and he looked very busy preparing a nursery. We didn't see any Mrs. verdin though. Maybe she was too shy, or maybe still at the wishful thinking stage.

Verdin

We completed the loop and started back on the connecting trail through the gap of the granite rocks. There I got to see again all the plants I either missed or didn't give due attention on the way to the dam.

And some that I simply got better pictures of the second time around.

Fremont's Phacelia, Phacelia fremontii

Yes, there were some flowers that I had missed on the way out to the dam. Some surprisingly close to the trail too. I didn't miss them on the return, though!

Freckled Milkvetch, Astragalus lentiginosus 

Once again I found myself lagging behind. This time I stopped to look at a dry wash that the trail crossed.

A glimpse of color beaconed me and I left the trail and walked a few steps into the wash to inspect it closely. I saw several of these on the next day, but I recognized them by the foliage. This individual was the only one I've seen in bloom. It bears the most fitting cumbersome, and unimaginative name of, Hole in the Sand Plant.

Hole in the Sand Plant, Nicolletia occidentalis 

I returned to the trail and quickly covered the remaining distance to the parking lot. Myfamily was already in the car so I just took a quick goodbye photo of the pretty grass near the parking area and joined them inside.

Pappa Quail was very happy: he had photographed a bird of species he had never seen before on that trail. I look at his photo and I understand his passion, for there is no chance in the world I'd be able to recognize this sparrow as different from any other sparrow near my home .

Brewer's Sparrow

By the time we drove out of the Barker Dam parking area the sun was already on its way westward. We drove south, wishing to get to Cottonwood area and see the Ocotillo in bloom. And there was also the Cholla Garden we expected to stop at. So much to see in so little time! The Mojave Desert is indeed an amazing place.