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1。綠色三月
三月來了，把大把的綠色灑向田野，拋上山坡，百花吐艷，百鳥鳴囀。春假到了，走入綠色，走向春天。想到羚羊谷加州罌粟花保護區 (Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve)，加州罌粟花，獨一無二，應該有自己的領地，耳聽為虛，眼見為實，還真沒去膜拜過呢。所以三個禮拜之前就上網預訂了旅館。
五號高速路邊的景色
早晨八點半之前出發，下著中雨，沿著580號高速到了利弗莫爾 (Livermore) 和阿爾塔芒特山口 (Altamont Pass)，春天輕柔的陽光就灑落在了綠色的山坡上，眼前的美艷不可方物，就趕忙駛入580號和5號州際高速交接處的休息區，停車，呼吸春天的氣息，擁抱曼妙的綠色。這還不夠，不久又看到一處觀景點，就開上去了，高台觀望，山坡起伏，綠連阡陌，無邊無沿。三，四月是加州最美麗的月份；不經意間感到雙臂和翅膀像聽到了召喚，展翅欲飛，只是不知道什麼時候長的翅膀。6個小時的路程，沿途風景優美，沒有理由不在每個休息區，觀景點，水果攤逗留嘛。既然出來玩就要學會放鬆。
高速公路上暫時空曠無人
2。風雨三月
周三的路上車輛稀少，我們下午2：45左右就先到了羚羊谷加州罌粟花保護區，市區還要往東邊一些。到了地方才知道天氣預報沒開玩笑，陣雨剛從這裡經過，仍有大風呼嘯不已。罌粟花非常敏感，遇到天陰，天冷，颳風，起霧，那花瓣兒就一個緊裹一個，抱成針狀，花兒珍貴，自我保護意識很強。風力強勁，花兒在陰暗處抖嗦，此地不能久留；當然我們明天還會回來，在陽光明媚里鑒賞千萬朵罌粟花。
風大，天冷，花兒不開瓣
棕櫚谷 (Palmdale)的雨下得還很急，住進旅館時是下午3：15，肚子打響了午飯鍾。打開電話號碼薄，家鄉自助餐館 (Hometown Buffet) 沖入眼帘，這個連鎖餐館熟悉，曾經光顧過幾次；人一旦餓了，就忘了曾經立下過今生不再光顧自助餐館的誓言，進了那地方很難不飲食過量。掙扎出來時，差不多4：30了。天上的陣雨似乎想與我們同步，此時已經漂移東去很多，天空開始晴朗起來了。
3。馬鞍山 (Saddleback Butte)
飲食過量，需要運動。看了一下地圖，蘭開斯特 (Lancaster) 市區邊上有個馬鞍山州立公園 (Saddleback Butte State Park)。蘭開斯特與棕櫚谷北鄰，市區相連。我們剛才吃自助餐的鎮子，蘭開斯特地處洛杉磯郡 (Los Angeles County) 最北端，市內最大的企業為愛德華茲空軍基地 (Edwards Air Base)，轟炸機，戰鬥機，直升飛機，甚至火箭隨處可見。還有，洛杉磯郡城市規劃署當年可能計劃在此建立大型城鎮，每寸土地都經過丈量，即便是空曠的沙漠區，也能看到西170街的路標 (West 170th Street)，馬鞍山公園就在這裡。從市內出發，等於開車跑了170個街口，儘管沿途看到的是沙丘，約叔華樹 (Joshua trees) 和風滾草 (tumbleweeds).
這樣的空曠感還是上次遊覽約叔華樹國家遺址公園 (Joshua Tree National Monuments)時有所見識。只有稀稀拉拉的約叔華樹斗膽屹立於這沙漠里，沙漠灌木叢看上去奄奄一息，可也堅持了很多年了。沙漠地勢平坦，連石頭和山丘都很少見。可是公園設有洗手間，停車場，野餐區和露營地。小路鬆軟，不宜快行。驚奇吧，剛剛過去了的陣雨在沙漠里連一絲兒水的痕迹都沒有留下，這沙漠就像是廚房的水槽，並帶有自動烘乾裝備一樣。一座裸露的岩石名為小山 (Little Butte)，算是停車場和馬鞍山的中途站。不停地往上走哇，看到幾株綠油油的植物，為之一振，爬山更有勁頭了。
遠眺馬鞍山之沙漠景象
到了，上得山頂，放眼東面無盡的沙漠。在這裡意識到，那約叔華樹國家遺址公園就在這莫哈韋沙漠 (Mojave Desert)的南端，而我現在身處大沙漠的西北角。我說呢，這地貌，這叔華樹，咋看上去如此熟悉。
下得山來，天已黑凈，公園管理員正在四處找我，滿臉不悅。公園規定日落關門呢。人在氣頭上，不願意接受我手持的州立公園基金會停車證，堅持要現金。他著急關門退縮到自己的掩體里，黑暗裡的沙漠似乎多了一分詭異和恐怖。過了一會兒，那人平靜了一些，接受了我的州立公園基金會會員身份，開著巨大的卡車在前引路，把我們帶出公園。
4。紅岩谷 (Red Rock Canyon)
在內華達山脈的南端與厄爾巴索山 (El Paso Mountains)相接，接頭處有紅岩谷州立公園 (Red Rock Canyon State Park)，瀕臨莫哈韋沙漠。公園入口處有鮮紅的岩石柱，有羅馬古建築的氣派，相當壯觀。我們開車進入園內遊客服務中心，谷內寬敞，接天連地，只是那岩石的顏色不再鮮艷，結構也平常。
紅岩谷邊沿
上得一道山樑，天氣晴朗，微風習習，視野闊遠。露營地上帳篷粼粼，令人驚奇；這裡缺水，植被皆無，我是沒有到此露營的慾望。仔細觀看，地面上有成片的沙漠向日葵，金色閃爍，仙人掌，和艷紅的印第安彩筆花 (red Indian paintbrush)；還是遮不住乾涸的土色，沒有生機。
岩下有帳篷營地
不到兩小時就走人。出來的路上有大好的攝影機會，大紅的岩石立柱懸立在高速公路邊上。幾百萬年前，地球火熱滾燙，熔岩起伏，形狀各異。那熔岩奇迹般冷卻成眼前的模樣，令人目瞪口呆，難以置信。遊客如此稀少，要知道好萊塢曾在這裡拍了不少影片的。
大紅的岩石立柱
地圖上標有沙漠烏龜自然活動區 (Desert Tortoise Natural Area)，離紅岩谷甚近。只是沒有任何沙漠龜的影子，只見一座巨大的沙漠湖在與無情蒸發頑強搏鬥。巨大的鹽田或者硼砂地環繞湖面，四周的大山勾勒出一副遼闊的沙漠景象，別有風情。
5。罌粟海洋
清冷的早晨罌粟花不會開瓣的，所以我們去了山裡，進了沙漠。溫度回升，是返回罌粟花區的時候了，畢竟這一路為花而來。
沙漠里已經很熱了，天空沒有一絲雲彩，但是羚羊谷還是有風，大塊的雲彩堆積在地平線上，虎視眈眈。下午1：30，很多罌粟花兒已經開瓣了，將橙色漫延到山崗谷地。除了罌粟花，大片的沙漠金（desert sunflowers）和紫色苜蓿花 (Owl's Clover）也在山坡谷地爭風斗妍。春陽嬌艷，直覺身臨夢境。沒見過波斯地毯織出如此秀美的紋路；沒有任何畫板能包容這樣豐富的色彩。
各色花兒吐艷
早晨出門買了三明治，想好了在花叢里用午餐。坐下來慢嚼細咽，其實是等候氣溫上升，讓更多的花兒開瓣，綻露熱烈的笑靨。飯後，沿著山道走了一大圈，走向花兒，走進彩色的山野，拍攝俊美的倩影。
聽說今年的罌粟花甲於往年，此刻還沒有達到巔峰期，就已令人眼花繚亂了。
彩繪的大地
北加州也有罌粟，只是今年雨水過於充沛，青草瘋長，罌粟花少了許多揮灑的空間，山坡上的花兒星星點點。而羚羊谷地處莫哈韋沙漠邊緣，水土不利於青草生長，這就給了罌粟，沙漠葵，和苜蓿花極大的空間，她們就藉此瀟灑開放，漫山遍野里燦爛。
6。魔鬼碎缽 (Devil's Punchbowl)
一天下來，人有了回旅館休整的願望。下午4：15，再看一處地的時間應該還有。西南方向有雪山，惹人眺望了整整一天了。地圖上的一處魔鬼碎缽郡屬公園 (Devil's Punchbowl County Park)正好在那個方向。去了，這半小時路程跑得值。只見尖銳的岩石以45度的角度刺破天空，說不好是憤怒還是狂歡，那些石頭肯定在時間的長廊里接受了風雷閃電的一次又一次的洗禮。
雪山，石谷
多好的季節，不僅僅因為這裡有草青青，花盈盈，更有聖加加布里埃爾山 (San Gabriel Mountains) 的雪峰，給山下的岩石，山谷，樹木畫一般的背景。我是一路小跑奔下山谷，登上岩石，抓緊拍照。我只能在這裡留連半個小時，約好了6點鐘吃晚飯，好在我沒有遲到。
岩石衝天
7。歸來
第二天沒有人願意吃自助餐了。蘋果蜂號 (Applebee's) 還算個好去處，顧客盈門，服務熱情，價錢公道，更重要的是飯量也比較合理，味道還算純正。
剩下的旅程就輕鬆了。晚上9：30上床，一時半時沒睡著，突然想起明天不見得非要沿138號公路西去到高爾門 (Gorman) 匯入5號高速。今天白天沿14號高速走了個來回，這條路平直，車少，而且和50號高速相接，直通貝克斯菲爾德 (Bakersfield)。
早餐后，給車加滿油，就順著14號高速直線往北而去。14號和58號都是雙線高速，比單線的138號通暢多了。而且58號沿線景色俊秀，車在兩座大山間穿行，南有塔哈馳匹山 (Tahachipi Mounains)，北有內華達山脈。轉眼之間就能看到巨大的風力發電風輪列陣屹立於山顛。那山也太巨大了，一時車像螞蟻，路像飄帶。在進入皮尤特山 (Piute Mountains) 之前，車如一馬平川的山間川道，大沙漠的乾涸景象一忽間皆無，滿眼的山綠地綠，春色依舊。
從58號到5號高速開了一段市區，紅燈綠燈，然後就高速飛進了。中途去了一家叫做鹿角的餐館 (Buckhorn Restaurant) 吃了一頓午餐，這是一家專們服務長途卡車司機的吃喝歇腳處，就在羅斯班諾斯 (Los Banos) 北邊不遠處。下午3：15到家，又趕上了另一場雨，正好洗劑車上的灰塵。
寫於2010年4月4日
譯於2010年4月5日
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Desert Flowers
1. Green March
March came to splash green all over the fields and hills. Flowers are blooming and birds singing. Spring Break was the time to go out and greet the magnificent season of spring. Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve came to mind. California poppies are native thus deserve a special place. We had heard it a great deal but never made the pilgrimage to see. Hotel was reserved three weeks ahead of time.
Aquaduck Channeling Water for Southern California
We left town before 8:30 in the rain. However, when Highway 580 took us to Livermore and Altamont Pass, soft morning sunshine came out to grace green hills. It was so glorious that we checked into the Rest Area at the joint of Highway 580 and Interstate 5. We needed a stop to breathe in the spring air and take in the great greenness of the season. Not only that, we also checked out the first Vista Point we saw. The elevated mount enabled us to see expansive green fields and rolling hills. March and April were most beautiful time in California. Standing there, I could feel arms and wings (when did I get wings?) were open and flapping. It was so uplifting. The drive took over 6 hours. When the scenic view was so magnificent, there was not to check into every Rest Area, Vista Point, and Fruit Stand that was open. Relaxation and rush don』t see each other eye to eye.
2. Wind and Showers
Wednesday traffic was on the light side. Around 2:45, we arrived at Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve as the town was still further east. The forecast didn』t kid us. The wind was practically howling while showers apparently just pushed its way through. California poppies are a sensitive bunch. Their petals wrap around each other like a needle when it is overcast, windy, foggy or cold. Self-preservation has top priority for them precious flowers. Besides the sharp edges of the wind, it was also distressing to see the tattering and shattering of the poppies under dark clouds. We left quickly, with the idea to come back to see those millions of flowers under bright sunlight tomorrow.
We checked into the hotel in Palmdale around 3:15 in steady rain showers. Then our stomachs started to groan. In the phone book Hometown Buffet seemed to jump out of the pages. We had frequented this joint in other areas in the past. Hunger glossed over our past vow of not eating any buffet for the rest of our life. It is always hard to prevent over-eating in a buffet. When we finally pulled ourselves out, it was only 4:30. As showers kept retreating to the East as if keeping pace with our advance, the day became brighter in the evening hours.
3. Saddleback Butte
We needed to work off the extra food taken at the buffet. So, we looked at the map and found Saddleback Butte State Park at the edge of town of Lancaster, connecting with Palmdale in the north. We had our buffed lunch in Lancaster, a town at the north end of Los Angeles County, with Edwards Air Base as the biggest employer. One could see bombers, fight jets, helicopters and even missiles in many places. Also the Planning Department of Los Angeles County seemed to have mapped out every inch of the land here for urban development. In largely empty desert, country road took the name West 170th Street. That was where Saddleback Butte located. Starting from downtown, we drove 170 city blocks to the park, amidst sand dunes, Joshua trees and tumbleweeds.
Not since our visit to Joshua Tree National Monument had we seen so much barrenness! Only a few Joshua trees braved the desert here and there. Desert bushes looked sad, skinny and dying but yet persisting. The desert floor was largely flat as rocks were rare and hills scarce. The park had restrooms, parking lot, and even picnic areas and campground. Trails were sandy and soft so it was hard to go fast. Amazingly the showers that had just passed left not a hint of water on the ground. The desert worked like a kitchen sink with self-drying functions. A protruding rock was amply named the Little Butte that marked the halfway point between the parking lot and the large Saddleback Butte. I kept charging up to the Butte. A few healthy plants along the steep climb encouraged me to go faster and higher.
Alas! I reached the top of the Butte, with sweeping desert view to the east. There it occurred to me that the Joshua Tree National Monument was at the south end of the same desert, Mojave Desert. I was now standing at the Northwest corner of a very large desert. No wonder the landscape and the Joshua trees appeared so familiar.
When I came back down, it was already dark. The ranger was looking for me, not in good mood. The park curfew was set at sunset. When I paid with my State Parks Foundation day pass for the parking, he insisted on cash. The man was in a hurry to lock up and retire to his barracks as the desert night seemed unspeakably harsh and scary. Eventually he calmed down and accepted my State Parks Foundation Membership and led the way out of the park with his huge truck.
4. Red Rock Canyon
When the southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevada converges with the El Paso Mountains one could find Red Rock Canyon State Park at the edge of Mojave Desert. The park entrance has bright red rocks in the formation that looks like Roman architecture, simply splendid looking. We drove all the way to the Visitor's Center inside the canyon. Although it was very spacious and far-reaching inside, it looked dull in color and formation.
We walked up a ridge. It was a bright day, cool and slightly windy. The visibility was outstanding. It was fascinating to see quite a few tents on the campground; but, I would hesitate to camp here due to the absence of water and green vegetation. Patches of desert sunflowers flashed their enthusiastic gold color under the spring sunlight, along with cacti and Indian paintbrush in flaming red; but, the dominant scene was still bare earth.
We spent less than two hours there. On our way out, good photo opportunity presented itself as bright red rock formation hanged next to the highway. Millions of years ago, the earth was hot and boiling; all sorts of materials melted and took on different shapes and forms. Somehow the hot lava cooled down to the present formation, spectacular and dazzling the eyes. There were so few of us visiting such a wondrous place where many Hollywood movies were filmed.
According to the map a Desert Tortoise Natural Area was not too far away from Red Rock Canyon. We didn't find any tortoise there but saw a huge desert lake struggling to survive the massive evaporation. There was an ocean of salt or borax around some water. Still the mountain laced desert view was wide and sweeping.
5. Poppy Reserve
Poppies don』t open up in chilly mornings; that was why we went away to the mountains and desert. As the day warmed up, we were coming back to Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, the main attraction of the trip.
While the desert was hot and cloudless, Antelope Valley still had some wind as huge clouds lurked on the horizon. Most of the poppies already opened up by 1:30 pm. They spilled up to the hills and into the valleys. Besides poppies, huge stretches of desert gold (sunflowers) and purple owl's clover covered entire hills and valleys. Under spring sunlight, it felt like I was walking in a dream land. No Persian rug could weave such intricate patterns. No canvas was big enough to contain painting so color rich.
We bought some sandwiches in the morning to have lunch in the pleasant company of flowers. Once there, we took our time eating to let the day warm up so more flowers could sway open and flash their brilliant smiles. After lunch, we walked a large loop trail to become intimate with all the flowers and colored fields. Pictures were taken in the hundreds.
It was said that this year's poppies were one of the best crops in years. Poppy season at Antelope Valley was yet to hit the peak. But what we saw was already astonishing.
There were poppies in Northern California. Only this year the abundant rain fall seemed to make the grass grow too tall to make room for poppies; only a precious few poppies graced the lush hills. Antelope Valley is at the edge of the great Mojave Desert so grass doesn't do well there. This leaves plenty of room for hardy flowers like California poppies, desert sunflowers, and Owl's clover. So they bloom there heroically, and in great numbers.
6. Devil's Punchbowl
After the morning and afternoon activities, everyone wanted to retire to the hotel, naturally. It was only 4:15. There was time to squeeze in another park. Snow mountains in the southwest could be seen all day long. Yesterday's showers must have dropped some fresh powders there. The map marked out a Devil's Punchbowl County Park just in that direction. So, I went. It was half an hour drive but definitely worth the hassle. Pointed rocks stubbornly punctured the sky in a 45 degree angle. Were the rocks angry or celebrating? The only certainty was the rocks were fractured by wind, rain and many storms of centuries.
The timing was precious, not for all the green grass and wild flowers, but for the fact San Gabriel Mountains had snow on most of the peaks, serving a picturesque background for the rocks, the valley and all the trees. I hurried to run down the valley and up to the rocks to click away with the camera. Half an hour was all the time I had there. I was supposed to get back to the hotel around 6 o'clock for dinner, and I came back in time.
7. Homebound
The second night nobody wanted buffet dinner any more. Applebee's was a good choice, decent crowd, friendly service, fair price and, most importantly, reasonable amount of food properly prepared.
The rest of trip became easy. I went to bed around 9:30 but had a hard time falling into sleep. Then it occurred to me that I didn't have to travel west along Route 138 to find Highway 5 at Gorman. We had driven up and down Route 14 earlier during the day. This highway is straight and almost free of traffic, also connecting with Route 58 to Bakersfield.
After breakfast, we gassed up and shot a straight line up Route 14. Both 14 and 58 had two lanes, in contrast to the single land Route 138. Route 58 offered spectacular scenery as it cut between Tahachipi Mountains on the south and Sierra Nevada on the North. Before long, large wind mills for wind energy stood over the mountain side in terrific formations. The mountains were so huge that cars were reduced to ant size and highways ribbon-like. Before Piute Mountains, a valley came into view: suddenly the desert view of barrenness became distant memory as fresh green hills and fields signaled the graceful presence of spring.
After driving through part of town and traffic lights to connect Route 58 to Highway 5, the rest of the way was smooth sailing. We had lunch at Buckhorn Restaurant, an establishment mostly for long haul truckers, a little north of Los Banos and got home around 3;15. Another round of rain had hit town, just in time to wash the dust off the car.
April 4, 2010
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