East Kernapril 2017 Eastvisionsvisions Kern East Kernapril 2017 Eastvisionsvisions Kern
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The desert is blooming! Find the best spots to work out your camera. PAGE 3 East KernApril 2017 EastVisionsVisions Kern East KernApril 2017 EastVisionsVisions Kern Inside this issue Plenty of petals to photograph ...................................................................... 3 Four simple rules for getting good shots ...................................................... 6 Local racer wins hometown event ................................................................ 7 Touch base with Cal City’s new Pecos League team ................................... 9 Publisher Fairgrounds become the hub for local events ............................................ 11 John Watkins Concert in the Rocks .................................................................................... 13 Editor Cruise on over to these car shows .............................................................. 14 Aaron Crutchfield ON THE COVER: Advertising Director A bee searches for pollen Paula McKay among the inviting yellow flowers in Short Canyon. Advertising Sales Rodney Preul STORY, PAGE 3 Gerald Elford Robert Aslanian Writers Jack Barnwell Michael Smit Christopher Livingston Jim Matthews MICHAEL SMIT/DAILY INDEPENDENT 2 APRIL 2017 EAST KERN VISIONS The desert is blooming ... here’s where MICHAEL SMIT/DAILY INDEPENDENT Yellow and purple flowers break in to add variety to the yellow fields of coreopsis flowers in Short Canyon. BY MICHAEL SMIT The Daily Independent fter years of drought that left Southern California dry and forced the implementation of new water management measures, this winter Asaw so much precipitation that dams threaten to break and agencies are releasing water from the L.A. Aqueduct because they have too much. INDIAN WELLS VALLEY WATER DISTRICT This rain brings many benefits, but one of the most visible ones is just now popping up: the desert is blooming. Watering Restrictions The brown and barren landscape Ridgecrest residents have become ac- customed to sprouted green foliage in recent weeks, and many of those per Ordinance 100 green plants have opened blooming flowers, covering the hills with a carpet of yellow petals sprinkled with patches of purple. Days Hours Months It's the right time for photography enthusiasts to head to the hills with camera in hand to build up that photography portfolio, hang another photo Even Addresses Tue, Thu, Sat 8 pm - 8 am April 1 - Oct 31 on the wall, or perhaps even just fetch some coveted likes on Instagram. Odd Addresses Wed, Fri, Sun For those interested in witnessing the bloom, here are a few places around town to find those flowers. Even Addresses Sat Only Anytime Nov 1 - Feb 28 Odd Addresses Sun Only Short Canyon In March, transition from the one ALL Addresses day schedule to the three day Short Canyon, located northwest of Ridgecrest, is part of the 74,640-acre schedule above Owens Peak Wilderness. It's a popular spot year-round for hikers, equestri- ALL Addresses No watering on Mondays ans, and campers due to the beauty and variety of its landscape. To get there, take Inyokern Road heading west, then turn right at High- ALL Addresses Excessive water runoff onto pavement is prohibited way 395. Turn left shortly after Highway 395 meets Highway 14. This goes ALL Addresses No watering within 48 hours of rainfall to a frontage road with a gas station and Brady's Mini Mart. Turn left on the frontage road, and then a few seconds later turn right after the billboard onto a dirt road called Short Canyon Road. Questions?Questions? The road is dirt, but is decently maintained and should be drivable for two-wheel-drive vehicles as long as the road is dry and the speed is kept CallCall OrOr VisitVisit down. (760)(760) 375-5086375-5086 The flowers of Short Canyon are just starting to open and should reach www.iwvwd.comwww.iwvwd.com APRIL 2017 EAST KERN VISIONS 3 full bloom soon. On top of the Coreop- by rolling out from a small pod, like a sis and Blue Phacelias, which are also butterfly emerging from its cocoon. found along the Rademacher Hills Trail, Short Canyon features a large va- Neil Ranch Road and riety of flowers ranging from orange Highway 395 California poppies to white buckwheats poking out from the fields of yellow It may not be the most glamorous flowers. getaway for reconnecting with nature, The area also features larger bushes but the area along Highway 395 just of bladderpods with their bright yellow north of where it connects with High- flowers and Indigo Bushes with, as the way 14 is honestly vibrantly colorful, name suggests, long stems of deep pur- filled with a dense variety of botanical ple flowers. beauty. Just the offramp itself from the The bush flowers are enticing to more 395 to the 14 feels like driving into a than just people. Watch for bees, yellow kaleidoscope. though they typically aren't a problem. Neil Ranch Road provides a conven- They're more interested in the pollen. ient and safe turnoff for photographers interested in filming flowers without Rademacher Hills Trail MICHAEL SMIT/DAILY INDEPENDENT getting flattened by a semi truck. Once Miles of yellow brittlebush plants line Highway 395 after it merges with Highway 14. there, keep an open eye for the range of Rademacher Hills Trail is the hilly colors available, rather than the typical area surrounding Cerro Coso Commu- ers will be visible within 2 miles. After rently. Lakes of little yellow Coreopsis field of yellow. Expect to see plenty of nity College. This area is public land passing through the college, the road flowers are easy to find, and they're of- tall yellow brittlebushes, long red apri- managed by the Bureau of Land Man- becomes dirt. Much of it is still drivable ten peppered with small patches of Blue cot globemallows, and stringy purple agement. with a typical sedan so long as the driv- Phacelia flowers. Filaree storksbills. Getting there is simple: When going ing is slow, the road is dry, and the driv- The fields of Coreopsis seem to form To get there, follow Inyokern Road south on South China Lake Boulevard, er avoids steep inclines. the backdrop for the Blue Phacelias, heading west out of Ridgecrest. Exit turn left onto College Heights Boule- The area of Rademacher Hills behind which are solo artists of the show. Their right on the 395. The 395, already run- vard. Hills with patches of yellow flow- Cerro Coso is particularly beautiful cur- blueish purple flowers seem to unravel ning northwest, will turn directly north Northern Mojave Visitor Center and Death Valley Tourist Center Maturango Museum and Gift Shop 100 East Las Flores Ave. • Ridgecrest CA 93555 760-375-6900 • Fax 760-375-0479 • www.maturango.org Open 10am - 5pm Daily Except Major Holidays 4 APRIL 2017 EAST KERN VISIONS after seven miles and merge with the 14. Neil Ranch Road is a smooth dirt road just less than two miles after the merging of the two highways. Walker Pass Some flowers bloom small, and some flowers bloom large. Walker Pass has some of the largest flowers found in the Mojave Desert. The Joshua Trees have begun to bloom. Joshua Trees are an iconic symbol of the Mojave Desert. Their eerily arm-like branches have granted many desert explorers a free trip down the uncanny valley. These recog- nizable trees take 60 years to reach maturity, and can sur- vive for more than 500 years. If one hasn't seen their bloom, it's an opportunity that should not be missed; they do not bloom every year. Their tightly packed white flowers appear in a bundle at the end of their long branches. The trees have grown com- fortable in the desert and developed a day-night cycle in their bloom. Though you'll find better lighting for pictures in the day, the Joshua Tree flowers spread their wings, and fragrance, in the more comfortable climate of the night. To get there, follow Inyokern Road heading west out of Ridgecrest. Turn left on the 14, then drive for just less than 3 miles. Turn right on 178. Within minutes, you'll begin to see sparse Joshua Trees. Drive a few more minutes, and there'll be more Joshua Trees than you know what to do MICHAEL SMIT/DAILY INDEPENDENT with.❖ The Joshua Trees along Walker Pass are blooming this year. Their tightly packed, white flowers remain pulled in during the day, then open in the night hours. Historic... Come Join Us... Dining ◆ Drinks ◆ Views EWINGS Open 7 Days A Week • Breakfast 7-11am “A Fine Dining Experience" Lunch 11am-4pm • Dinner 4-9pm Featuring Patio View Reservations accepted for parties of six or more 760-376-2411 Prime Rib Served Friday & Saturday Plus... 125 Buena Vista Dr Daily Specials Offered Kernville Banquet Facility • Private Parties • 2 Fireplaces • 5 Large Screen TV’s APRIL 2017 EAST KERN VISIONS 5 Wildflower photography is easy if you follow a few simple rules BY JIM MATTHEWS shooting down on them. While this works with some www.OutdoorNewsService.com types of sunflower-type blossoms, most flowers are best photographed from the side. That means you t’s wildflower season across Southern California. might have to get down on the ground to do justice You know what that means? Social media and to the flower. Most of my best images have been tak- Iemails will be jammed with poor to mediocre en when I was on my belly. photos of flowers with the people who snapped the DON’T PHOTOGRAPH IN THE MIDDLE OF images gushing about how amazing this “super THE DAY: Try to do your photography in the early bloom” is this year. Gaaaack! It’s starting. morning or late afternoon. The middle part of the Don’t get me wrong — I’m an addicted wildflower day has flat light and harsh shadows, but morning and blossom photographer. I even have an album on and afternoon light is richer, providing warmer col- my personal Facebook page entitled “Blossoms.” But ors.