Four years ago, the Creek Fire roared through the swath of the Sierra National Forest where a fabulous camp site - nestled into the granite domes alongside ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮ - sits unobtrusively, a gem for those who find it.
That fire changed many things about the landscape. Much of the undergrowth was incinerated, trees were burned completely or to slender black trunks reaching to the sky, scores of animals were caught in the blaze or forced to leave the area afterwards in order to find food and shelter.
Still, only a year after the destruction, life was coming back. Now, four years later, things are not normal, but more is returning. It's a time of transition, and a time of intrigue for Pops, who gets to see his favorite place in an entirely new way.
It was also the earliest in the year that I've had a chance to visit, and that meant the wildflowers were out in force, a special treat. Here's a bit of what we saw.
This is a special place to my Dad, one that he's been visiting for more than 30 years. As such, I've used names we've given to local landmarks or redacted the names of places that might be too revealing. If you recognize any of the places shown in the photos, please help to keep them special by not mentioning their names or locations.
Trees
Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens). (left) | Sierra Juniper (Juniperous grandis). (rght)
New growth needles on a White Fir (Abies concolor).
Ponderosa Pine cone (Pinus ponderosa).
Growth rings.
Still the most common sight.
Rocks and Clouds
River rocks.
Clouds over Lost Knife Knoll.
Clouds over The Castle.
Flowers
Sierra Stonecrop (Sedum obtusatum subsp. obtusatum).
Sky-Blue Penstemon (Penstemon azureus var. azureus).
Pussypaws (Calyptridium species).
Nude Buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum).
Subalpine Mariposa Lily (Calochortus leichtlini).
California Butterweed (Senecio aronicoides).
Kettle Dome Buckwheat (Eriogonum prattenianum var. avium).
Western Azaalea (Rhododendron occidentale).
American Dogwood (Cornus sericea subsp. sericea).
Groundsmoke (Gayophytum diffusum subsp. parviflorum).
Slender Cinquefoil (Potentilia gracilis var. fastigiata).
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).
Crimson Columbine (Aquilegia formosa).
Kelley’s Tiger Lily (Lilium Kelleyanum).
Morning-Glory (Calystegia malacophylla subsp. Malacophylla).
Scarlet Gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata subsp. aggregata).
Wavy-leaved Paintbrush (Castilleja applegatei subsp. pinetorum).
Coyote-Mint (Monardella odoratissima subsp. pallida).
Broad-leaved Lupine (Lupinus latifolius var. columbianus).
Narrow-leaved Lotus ( Hosackia oblongifolia var. oblongifolia).
Spearleaf Mountain Dandelion (Agoseris retrorsa).
Bridges’ gilia (Navarretia leptalea).
Lizards
Western fence lizard - one of a few that we saw climbing trees, something we've not seen before.
Western fence lizard.
Sagebrush Lizard.
Sagebrush Lizard.
Sagebrush Lizard.
Sagebrush Lizard.
Western Fence Lizard.
Butterflies
Mylitta Crescent.
There are 5 species of Fritillary in the Sierra, and they all look the same.
Pale Swallowtail.
Anise Swallowtail.
A Few Random Beasts
Anna's Hummingbird.
Female Blue-eyed Darner ...obviously not blue, but that’s the way of the female.
Mountain Pocket Gopher.
Robber Fly.
Some crazy-ass 10-legged spider bug. (Spiders only have 8 legs, so what is this thing?!)
The Whole Story
Filed Under
Spectacular photography, as always!
Thanks Gary! Glad you enjoyed the photos, was fun to do something a little different this time, since there are so many photos from previous trips. 😁
Beautiful area and great flower photos, thanks.
Thanks John! ...and sorry for the slow response, been out exploring our neighbor to the north! 🍁🇨🇦🍁
Bravo ! UJ
I think that last photo is a Wind Scorpion. Despite the name, it's not a spider or a scorpion but another type of arachnid. They are really fast.
Interesting, and I think you're right! This one wasn't fast, but it sure was weird! Also, interestingly, we saw another one that had died, and was being chopped up by ants to be carried back to their lair. Nature at its finest.
That 10 legged thing is a wind spider or wind scorpion as Mark J. mentioned.
The scientific name is Solifugae.
Awesome, thanks Chris!
Really loved the Clouds over Lost Knife Knoll photo!! What lens were you using on the flowers? Very sharp and colorful!!
Thanks Bill! The clouds were great that day, and of course, were constantly changing. I think I got the best of what they had to offer - purely out of luck - there over the knoll.
I think all the shots were with the Canon RF 24-240mm F4-F6.3 IS USM Lens. It's a nice walk-around lens, though I wish it were a 2.8L for those times when I'm in low light situations. It'd be much more expensive, but worth it to me! 👍