When reality looks fake

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
04/07/2019 at 21:01 • Filed to: None

Took a trip to see the poppy super bloom at the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve today. It was unreal how brightly orange the hills were. It was also unreal how crowded it was. But it was approximately like “the Disneyland of flowers”. Meaning that it’s generally still a good experience even if you have to share it with 10,000 other people. Thankfully we left home around 7am so we were there, parked in the lot before 9. This was before the real crowds showed up, sometime during our hike. The parking lot was shutdown at some point due to over capacity and people were parking miles down the road in order to catch a glimpse of the flowers. It was quite the spectacle and worth it for us though.

Also, got the obligatory car pic. Of which I dub “Subie bloom”

I was hoping to have completed the Miata purchase by now and this would have been a good place to introduce it. But that has yet to happen, due to another complication. The good news is that the smog check has been completed and everything is good. Bad news is the seller’s daughter had mechanical issues with her car and so the seller might want to instead lend/give the Miata to her. Find out tomorrow from the shop if her car is fixable and then I’ll know if I can still buy the Miata. Sooooo that story is still TBD..

The flowers were frigging sweet though.

DISCUSSION (15)

HammerheadFistpunch > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/07/2019 at 21:04

an interesting read if you haven’t yet.

https://jezebel.com/instagram-influencers-are-wrecking-public-lands-meet-t-1833781844

not saying this is you, only that its related to your visit.

wafflesnfalafel > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/07/2019 at 21:06

spectacular

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/07/2019 at 21:07

Now that you are a Californian you will have to figure out what this reference is.

Kinja'd!!!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > HammerheadFistpunch
04/07/2019 at 21:30

Oh yeah I saw plenty of them motherfuckers. Along with evidence of others who have trampled the natural beauty around the trail. Those flowers are obviously so delicate and fragile, it's just a shame that people would do that.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
04/07/2019 at 21:32

Nope, definitely don't get it lol

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/07/2019 at 21:44

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huell_Howser

DipodomysDeserti > HammerheadFistpunch
04/07/2019 at 21:58

I had a couple of girls sporting Lululemon’s latest wears ask me where a popular Instasshole spot was while out in the AZ wilderness was a few weeks ago. I sent them on a fun journey that was long enough to teach them a lesson, but not kill them.

Although a sprained ankle would have done them in no matter where they were headed based on how much water they had.

HammerheadFistpunch > DipodomysDeserti
04/07/2019 at 23:18

harsh but fair

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > DipodomysDeserti
04/07/2019 at 23:44

Ahh man that’s cruel. I still find it hilarious but I’d probably have legitimately helped, just because I’m too nice. But yeah I'd love to do something like that if someone was rude to me first. Basically harmless but unhelpful and at least a waste of their time. Who knows, they might legitimately enjoy the hike anyways and pick up a new hobby!

DipodomysDeserti > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/08/2019 at 01:27

I’ll help people if I think think there’s a good chance of them dying out there, but any chance I get to lighten the load on my trails I’ll take. We don’t need any more hobbyists out here. We’re destroying the places I love.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/08/2019 at 05:47

About 7 years ago or so I made that drive up north to see the poppies. And I did see them - both of them. It was during a drought and nothing was blooming. Your experience is a tad different than my last attempt at the same...

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > DipodomysDeserti
04/08/2019 at 11:32

Just simply using an area does not destroy it. Using it improperly surely does though. I’m happy to sharing hiking trails with all others, if they are educated how to use it properly. The more people who are interested, the more likely there will be funds for preservation and education . More people will care about the environment in general if they have a stake in it.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
04/08/2019 at 11:36

That’s what is so wild about it to me. This isn’t just something that happens every spring. I’m used to seeing some flowers in the spring, some snow in the winter, leaves changing color in the fall, and ungodly hot death in the summer. But now in Socal it's just kind of mild all the time. And occasionally we get no rain for years followed by torrential downpour for a month. There's no "seasons" in the traditional sense on repeat over and over. It's why I get ultra confused when people claim there is a "fall" here, especially in LA proper.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/08/2019 at 11:56

Yup - that sounds about right. I was born in SoCal and lived next to LAX for over 20 years and could control the temp year round just by opening and closing a window or two. Now I’m in the Midwest and we certainly have real seasons out here. My mother came out here in February to care for me after recent surgery, and it was quite amusing watching her, a California native who has lived in Orange County for over 50 years, experience real weather and seasons.

DipodomysDeserti > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/08/2019 at 12:16

“ Just simply using an area does not destroy it. Using it improperly surely does though.”

That is just simply not true, especially in desert areas with delicate soils. Trails erode away with overuse, wildlife is affected by too much human activity, air quality deteriorates as more vehicles are driven to an area...

I agree that as more people experience an area, it’s more likely that people with the right mindset will care about it. However, exploiting an area in order to make money on Instagram or Youtube just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, especially knowing that if people flock to the places I love, they’ll eventually be ruined.

I’m mostly referring to wilderness areas, not NPs. Many of our NPs have already been ruined through overdevelopment and overuse.