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Old 03-29-2015, 06:41 PM   #1
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Red Rock Canyon State Park (CA) wildflowers

On Tuesday and Wednesday this past week, I camped in Jawbone Canyon and rode my motorbike around there and the adjacent Red Rock Canyon State Park. I was just expecting to explore the dirt/sand roads and trails, but there were so many wildflowers in bloom that I must have spent almost as much time with the bike on its kickstand, and me looking for good photo shots. Here are some of them...

While in Jawbone Canyon, you can't help miss the two pipes that make up the Los Angeles Aqueduct. Here's one of them.

Here's a closer view to give you an idea of the size.


Here's my campsite.


I rode up Last Chance Canyon to get into Red Rock Cyn SP. There was lots of phacelia in bloom at the side of the road.


There were also these purple flowers.




Looking up Last Chance Canyon. It's very sandy but gradually improves as you go up.


Go around a bend and this is what you see.

I guess that is how the park gets its name.

There are lots of small yellow flowers. Everywhere, almost.


It's hard to take close-ups because it's windy and the little things are whipping around like crazy. But a few worked out well enough.




















I only saw a few cactus in bloom.




I saw California poppies in only a very small area, and then only a few of them.




Another phacelia. They were all over the place, too.


Phacelia close-up.




Red Rock Canyon State Park has a lot of mining and other resource history. One particularly interesting place is the Burro-Schmidt Tunnel. Here I am parked outside the entrance.


Here's what the plaque says that you can see in the previous photo.

This plaque omits one important fact, that Schmidt had no sense of direction. His tunnel came out in the middle of a very steep slope, nearly a cliff, far from the bottom! If you're in the area, it's well worth a visit. Except for the first few feet, it's high enough for most people to easily walk to the end, about a mile I think. I'm 6'2" and had to duck only a few times. It's in very good shape and gets a lot of visitors. But you'll need flashlights!

Finally, I saw this old building and rode up to take a look. Next to it is a tunnel.


Here's the first few feet of the tunnel. This is as far in as I went. It was only about 4' high.


That's the best of my photos, but if you want some more, you can find them here:

http://www.venturacountytrails.org/R...nSP/_Page.html

Although I didn't visit it on this trip, the Old Dutch Cleanser Mine is really worth seeing as well.

- Steve

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Old 03-29-2015, 06:59 PM   #2
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Re: Red Rock Canyon State Park (CA) wildflowers

Thanks for the nice trip report Steve! You were lucky to see it with so many flowers. Great photos. Also, I like your Sprinter setup.
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Old 03-30-2015, 11:26 PM   #3
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Re: Red Rock Canyon State Park (CA) wildflowers

Great place to visit. I've never seen it like that...very nice, thanks.
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Old 03-31-2015, 10:28 AM   #4
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Re: Red Rock Canyon State Park (CA) wildflowers

Nice trip! Yes, that part of the world is going off right now. It is desert bloom time all over the state. Too bad it was so sunny for you pics.
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Old 03-31-2015, 10:43 AM   #5
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Re: Red Rock Canyon State Park (CA) wildflowers

Super beautiful.

What's that orange thing on the back of your van?
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Old 03-31-2015, 10:55 AM   #6
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Re: Red Rock Canyon State Park (CA) wildflowers

^^^ looks like a crane.

great pix, thanks for sharing. really neat area. would love to take my mom to check out that place someday, she would be in bliss with all those purdy flowers.
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Old 03-31-2015, 12:05 PM   #7
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Re: Red Rock Canyon State Park (CA) wildflowers

Quote:
What's that orange thing on the back of your van?
It's a jib crane. I use it to load the motorbike on the carrier. I got it from Harbor Freight, where they call it a "Pickup Truck Crane." http://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-...0732-9889.html It was only $90, less 20% with their ubiquitous coupon. To load the bike, I swing it over to the passenger side, hook up the bike, lift it, swing it over the carrier, lower it down, then strap it down. This is much easier and safer than using a ramp. The one downside is that I can't open the back doors when the crane is there.

I'm glad people liked the photos. I think I was pretty fortunate to be there when they're blooming - I know they won't last very long.
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Old 03-31-2015, 12:40 PM   #8
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Re: Red Rock Canyon State Park (CA) wildflowers

Nice photos, thanks for sharing. I may have to head out to that area tonight and camp now for a night or two to see the flowers. I have spent a lot of time at the tunnel when Tonie the old lady was still alive. We also had a great van camping trip in that area a year or two ago.

Are you on a Husky, or? Will have to hook up and ride.
Eric
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Old 03-31-2015, 02:08 PM   #9
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Re: Red Rock Canyon State Park (CA) wildflowers

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Are you on a Husky, or? Will have to hook up and ride.
I have a KTM 350 dualsport. I camped in Jawbone Cyn and rode the highway over to Red Rock Cyn SP. Next time I'll have to post before I go, rather than afterwards to see if anyone else would be interested.
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Old 04-03-2015, 09:30 PM   #10
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Re: Red Rock Canyon State Park (CA) wildflowers

Thanks again for the tip on the flowers. Just spent two nights in the El Paso Mountains and the weather beautiful with plenty of flowers. Windy at night but it doesn't matter in the van now does it. Even spotted a wild turtle...
Eric
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