Up early at 4:30am, we drove to Walker Canyon to get a decent parking spot ahead of the rush. There were already six or so cars parked along the canyon road, so we didn’t feel too silly being there at that hour.
Around 7:30 we got out and started the hike up the hill/mountain to see and photograph the poppies for ourselves. This was a huge bucket list item for both of us, so we were excited to be able to witness this unique event.
Wet weather helps the poppies and other wildflowers to grown in abundance. This year the rain was greater than in the past, and we learned that this super-bloom was being called an Apocolytic Super-Bloom. Not only did the poppies and other wildflowers show off, but the weather helped butterflies as well. Monarchs and Painted Ladies migrated en mass up the California coastal areas. The Monarchs flew up a few weeks before, but we got to see thousands of Painted Ladies on our travels in that area.
While on the hike up the mountain we saw an Anna’s Hummingbird. Unfortunately, by the time we got our cameras on it, it flew away.
We must have been quite a disruptive influence on our hike, because by Monday it was announced that the county was closing access to the area because of overcrowding, safety concerns, and damage being done to the environment. (News article link)
After the hike we did some shopping to create a more comfortable bed, and I contacted my cousin up in Simi Valley for a visit.
We visited with Carolyn and Bob and grandson Palmer, enjoying catching up over salad and pizzas. Carolyn and Bob were very gracious and allowed us to Boondock in front of their house. We said our thanks and good-byes before going to bed as we planned to take off early for the next day’s adventures.