Buckhorn Road in Spring

The tree poppy (or bush poppy).

Some sort of small daisy-type flower; sorry I can’t be more specific.

Little lupines growing in the scree.

More lupines.

Nightshade (solanum).

A bush poppy, the bikes, and the road, with the daisy-like thing visible at the lower center. If this photo doesn’t inspire you to get out there and ride, nothing will. What a place.

At higher elevations, the sage appears in bloom. Here John comes riding into the picture, with sage and yucca in the foreground, growing out of the sheer scree wall of the canyon.

Also at higher elevations, monkeyflower. Once again it appears to be growing out of nothing at all.

A clearer view of the monkeyflower, with sage to the right. This is their idea of soil????

Monkeyflower and sage together on a dry rocky cliff.

Looking up the cliff past the monkeyflower; on top, out of focus, is a lot of manzanita.

Sage in bloom, tree poppy in the center, and the view west from the locked gate at the top of the road (Lake Cachuma is clearly visible).

The sage attracts the butterflies in vast numbers. They are so distracted and busy that they didn’t mind my coming right up to them to take a photo. This is a checkerspot of some kind (perhaps a variable checkerspot).

Lupines in a greener-looking area.

Phacelia by the side of the road.

Same phacelia, same road.

At lower elevations, Our Lord’s Candle in bloom. No survey would be complete without them!

The bikes, taking a little rest before the final descent to the car.

A yellow thistle (not in very good focus, sorry about that).

Hidden in the grass, beside a yucca, a mariposa lily!