Merced and Tuolumne Wildflowers
Posted April 8, 2009 by Tessa SibbetWith a big storm rolling in to California (which we are quite happy about…let it rain and snow!), it’s easy to forget that just a couple days ago the weather was warm, the sun was shining, and the wildflowers were in full bloom. April and May are typically the best time for wildflower viewing in California and the river canyons are the best place to see them. Around each bend the hillsides were awash in colors, painted by poppies, lupins, daisies and a variety of other flower species. The Clavey River canyon, a campsite and tributary to the Tuolumne, was one of the wildflower hotspots.
This past week we had perfect weather, beautiful wildflowers, green hillsides, constant flows (the dams upstream on the Tuolumne have been releasing great, raftable flows 24 hours a day for the past month)…and we had the river all to ourselves! We will continue to have great flows through June on the Merced and throughout the entire summer on the Tuolumne, and after a little more rain, the flowers should continue to be abundant and vibrant. Springtime is definitely an amazing time for rafting on the Tuolumne and Merced.