PART 5: First Flowers In Eldorado Canyon, Nevada
In my 2001 flowers display (click here to go there) I started with Nelson, Nevada, and the Eldorado Canyon it sits in. At that time it was already late in the Spring flower season, and I stopped taking pictures at the same place I stopped taking them this time. But this time the flowers were all below this point, last time they had already faded below this point. Elevation is the key:
The point I am talking about is where the Eldorado Canyon abruptly deepens and there is a column of rock standing tall in its depths. Unfortunately in this shot there was a bush in front of it and the pillar's hard-rock top looks like some blossom in that bush:
That this is indeed rock and not some wistful pinecone is made clear by throwing in this 2001 photo. It is the lower caprock that is also visible in the 2005 photo above:
Note the depth of the Colorado River basin in both photos. Looking uphill gives you an idea of the scale of the views in this palce. Very nice.
Keep an eye on this rock in the background, it will become a recurring feature as we go down to the river:
Here is the same view with some magnification:
In this same vicinity there were many very appealing stands of flowers:
Including some very tiny ones:
These plants looked radiantly happy to be touched by the sun:
So did these lupines:
These buttercups also exuded happiness at being in the sun:
Oh what the heck, let's go down to the river now:
Closer to the river the soil was more rocky, so flowers were less plentiful, but those that did live here were healthy:
Here is the deal. Since I am very limited on time this Spring, instead of roaming all over as I have been, I'll come back here a few more times and chart the progress of the flowers moving uphill in this canyon. It is quite close to Las Vegas.
So, let's go back up the hill and say 'good-bye for now.'
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