Whitewater Preserve

We visited Whitewater Preserve twice this year – both times on a short schedule. This is one of our favorite outings when we visit Southern California (see 2012 and 2013). The light and sweep of sky and land is spectacular, and the plants and landscape seem to change from visit to visit.

Snow capped Mount San Jacinto

The Visitor Center was closed for parking lot repairs on our first visit. Undeterred, we hiked up the dry river bed to enjoy the plants and vistas. In past years, a healthy creek has flowed through the river bed, varying its course from year to year. Not this time. We could see signs of the recent rainstorm, but the water had soaked into the sand. The nearby mountains still had snow from the downpour of the previous day.

Whitewater River bed

We saw a great display of wild grape vine (Vitis girdiana). The vines are frequently draped over shrubs and plants, and look like they are strangling their hosts. But here, clinging to a boulder, they seemed more appealing. We also saw a natural “rock wall” in the form of a dry river bed. I love finding these in situ landscaping examples.



Wild grape vine

River bed

 

Blossoms were few and far between. As with last year, the Yucca blossoms were almost non-existent; the few we saw seemed small and malformed. The drought continues to take its toll. But we did see lavender colored Phacelia (Phacelia spp.), and yellow tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca). The willows and cottonwoods were thriving even in this dry year.

The sand on the right shows evidence of the recent rains

On our second visit, we ran into the expat Iranians under the beautiful Cottonwoods at the Visitor Center. We had met them just days before in Andreas Canyon under the California Fan Palms. They were on their way back to the Los Angeles area after their desert vacation. What are the odds we would see them twice!

Hearty hikers seeking shade

My folks and I followed the trail up the canyon a ways, looking for familiar land marks, and comparing and contrasting with previous years. Everything is bone dry. Still, there is something magical about that river bed with its big sky and mountains – the sky is brighter, the light is clearer, the colors more intense.