This is a collection of articles dealing with organic gardening, ecology, environmental restoration, news items of interest, travel and just about anything else I find of interest and willing to share with others around the globe. - ENJOY!
Meandering Floodplains provide Real World Biomimetic Blueprints for Infrastructure Designs vrs Engineering Inspireded by Ambitious Human Business Venture Schemes
Image - ourwellnessway.com
The iconic classic movie, Chinatown, makes it abundantly clear that humans have always disrespected designs found in Nature, especially when their wouldview (based on blind faith) believes that such designs are an impedement to their economic business successes. This is certainly true with the history of Los Angeles where business development and growth hinged on aquisition of water, both it's abundance and controling it. LA’s legendary water superintendent William Mulholland was driven towards channeling this water from the Owens Valley to Los Angeles. But stealing water from far away north wasn't enough. Vast floodplains in Southern California had potential economic value for both agriculture and the creation of an industrial infrastructure. So the natural meandering physics of flowing water on floodplains had to be tamed and harnessed. Take for example this photograph above with the meandering switchback pattern of the river. From a politics and businessman perspective, this impedes quick transportation of both people or goods. Logically (from a flawed human perspective) a straight channel direct line would seem to be the obvious choice. Same logic for getting rid of stormwater quickly from cities to prevent flooding, straight channeling seems the better choice. This is evident by all the straight floodcontrol channel infrastructure you can find throughout all of Southern California like the Los Angeles River below. Unfortunately, the path of least resistance hasn't always been the safest or most efficient route for moving human economic goals forward.
Photographed by Lane Barden
Industrial corridor of the Los Angeles River at the Seventh Street bridge in downtown Los Angeles, California
Image - Nature Conservancy - Stream Restoration
In my other post on Beavers and slow water movement, I had a cartoon at the top of the post of a beaver/builder constructung his dam. Other Beavers in the cartoon were on the river bank looking like eco-activists with protest signs demanding to have the dam torn down so that ALL of the river water could be used to irrigate the Pacific Ocean. But that really is no joke, because that is exactly how southern California has mandated it's floodcontrol infrastructure be designed for quick water movement supposedly to prevent flooding and endangering human beings and their businesses. But how well has that really been working for us ??? Often times channeled rivers, especially those in agricultural valleys channeled by earthen levees have been breached on many sides during high flood waters due to exceptional rainfall years. Like the photo here on the right where human modifications to the landscape strongly influences triggers to instability, accelerating the erosion potential and altering sediment transport and flow regimes of channels. Pay close attention to this picture of the Walla Walla River back in December of 1964 which defied human attempts at channelization and re-created it's former meanders, point bars, pools, and riffles. Can you click on the image and count how many right and left breaces there are ? That's just the nature of water and physical natural laws. By their very nature many people not only resent laws by humans, but also disrespect natural laws. These disastrous events are not so much the fault of nature as they are exposure of inept decision making by the elites among humans who believe they are above fault. After all, most of the scientific orthodoxy believes nature is flawed, imperfect and badly designed. (Okay, I won't go there, but you know it's true) In their worldview's paradigm the floodwaters should be managed as a waste product as something that should be gotten out of the system as quickly as possible. And so all floodcontrol infrastructure is really being considered as a greywater infrastructure with it's system of concrete pipes, culverts, channels, etc to facilitate water out of the urban environment as fast as possible to it's final destiny, the oceans. In reality, this is simply gross scientific ignorance where researchers have bought into their flawed worldview. Here's one man who battled the prevailing scientific orthodoxy in Germany & Austria while championing natural designs based on Nature most all of his life.
Institute of ecological Technology
In the early 1920s, Austrian Forester, Viktor Schauberger, also a self taught physicist and river engineer, was given the task of helping an Austrian Prince who became broke after World War I to improve his economy by finding a way to bring valuable virgin Timber down from remote mountain properties he owned which had no easy access. Timber in those days would had to have been hauled out with mule teams on less than ideal narrow roads through rugged country. Viktor Schauberger had a nature based scheme for building a unique log flume for transport which was very unconventional for the times. As with anything, logging flume design then consisted of straight walls and flat bottoms or at best flat bottoms with 'V' shaped design for the sides. But the flow dynamics were horrible. Schauberger's design was to be biomimic designs he had observed in Nature. He went with a half egg shaped design in which the flume would twist here and there like a snake in biomimicry of the meandering habit of a large river on a massive floodplain.
Very crudely designed log flume Quebec, Canada
As the story was been told, Viktor Schauberger acquired the contract for building the flume caught the attention of the Estate Administrators and the Institute of Hydraulics at the University of Vienna. He was considered an anti-science Luddite by the science orthodoxy of his day. They hated the man. The day before it was due to be commissioned, Viktor decided to make a preliminary test of the flume's performance. An average-sized green beech log was ushered into the mouth of the flume and to his horror it stranded on the bottom after a few metres and would not budge. This wasn't supposed to happen according to he Natural designed flume calculations. Important dignataries, including his mocking critics were all going to be there at the grand celebration. After his workers were sent away to give himself some space to think, Viktor sat on a rock to ponder the situation. As he sat down he felt something scrabbling underneath his leather trousers and sprang up to his feet to find a snake. Grabbing it quickly, he flung it into the log holding basin, which supplied the flume with water and where the logs were to be assembled before being guided into the flume. As he watched it swim to the other side, he wondered how it was able to swim so fast.
Illustration - giewasser.ch
Then he suddenly became aware of its peculiar serpentine 'S' shaped movement. It appeared like Nature had again came to his aid again. Calling his workers back, he ordered the holding basin to be drained and the log jammed up withing the flume removed. He then gave them instructions on how to attach thin wooden slats to the curved sides of the flume walls, which would act like the rifling in gun-barrels and cause the water to rotate anti-clockwise at left hand bends and clockwise at right hand bends. You can see the illustration blueprints here on the left. Working all through the night with the promise of double wages, the work was finished by early next morning ready for commissioning at the Grand Opening. The pond holding basin for the logs was refilled the next day in preparation for releasing the first logs. His critics were said to be dumbfounded by his unconventional flume design. Eventually the time came for the flume sluice-gates to be opened and the logs guided into the mouth of this half-egg-shaped channel. One particularly large beech log (which they did not want to test) managed to get itself included with the first few logs and, half way into the flume it suddenly jammed and the water began to back up behind it. While everyone there watched with anticipation, all at once with a loud gurgling sound it was sucked forwards and departed round the first bend. The other logs followed, passing easily down the flume, being kept away from the sides at the bends by those longitudinal vortices induced by the rifling slats which they installed the night before. Needless to say, it was a success, but maybe too much of a success. The Prince and his Princess got greedy and clear cut almost all the forest to increase their fortunes. Funny, nothing's changed one iota since the 1920s. Well, that's not true, it's actually worse.
Image - LifinLapland.com - Nellim Log Flume
While the early history of true biomimetics regarding hydrology is interesting, how does any of this benefit the average person today, especially in view of the further degradation of our planet's natural world that has been accelerated through the misuse and abuse of science ??? While there are some who truly believe in biomimicry of Nature, they are still greatly outnumbered by those who would trash Nature through the worldview argument of Nature being badly designed and only intelligent free-thinking humans can fix those flaws through scientific shortcuts. Okay, so change of pace here. There is an organization whose mission is to revitalize the contrete channelized L.A. River bed. who are known as the "Friends of the L.A. River". That's a tough assignment they've given themselves. Even during the lightest rainstorms, the greater L.A. infrastructure is human designed & engineered to rapidly facilitate storm water off the streets, parking areas, rooftops etc and efficiently send it rapidly on it's way down to the Pacific Ocean. This is an incredible waste of valuable freshwater resources. But believe it or not there are viable real world natural solutions to reduce runoff and redirect water into public and private landscapes and possibly percolate much of in into the subsoil layers of the ancient floodplains to be used later as well water. How much depends really on people being interested in change for the better. Below I'll provide a gallery of photos demonstrating how street rainwater harvesting techniques through biomimetics can change the present Hydraulic infrastructure and save disappearing fresh water resources from the outside of the region. Take a look, much of where this is already practiced is from areas with higher rainfall averages than Southern California like up north and back east.
Large City Street Landscaped Medians
Image - svrdesign.com
This is the central California city of Paso Robles, who are successfully positioning themselves at the leading edge of this municipal rainwater harvesting technology which biomimic's nature by the use of "baffles" which creates a switch back motion replicating the meandering pattern in the design & using periodic low dams called weirs (replicates beaver dams on small scale) which deliberately slows & backs up water raising the water level behind the weir in the planting bed that allows a good percentage of water to percolate deeper into deeper subsoil layers. Top photo illustrate what happens during storms and lower photo reveals an attractive look when dry. Utilizing native plants and having knowledge of how to encourage one gallon containerized seedlings to develop deeper root systems would truly help such plants make it without any further water assistence the rest of the year. There could be a minimal irrigation infrastructure of deep irrigation designs, which would be utilized only in emergency summer situations to supplement and apply water three or four foot below the soil surface where most healthy California native plants want and prefer it.
Image - svrdesign.com
Here in this picture above you can see the baffles which look to be recycled small guage railway track with a center concrete guide on top of a bed of cobblestones which allows the waters to slow down and remain clean prior to easing into the actual planting beds. Further cobblestones downstream are both functional for keeping soil intact, allowing further percolation and have a decorative purpose that biomimics a dry streambed which are common in California.
Image - hawkinspartners.com
Curb and Gutter Rainwater Harvesting for Landscapes in Business Areas and Residential Main Streets
Image - State Collage Pensylvania
Curb cut-out inlet to rain garden on west side of Allen Street near Pennsylvania State College. Just like a forest with meandering water courses and beaver dams, the goal here would not be to prevent water from reaching the oceans, but slow it way way down and make it work for the benefit of all sorts life along the way down.
Image - State Collage Pennsylvania
This rain garden is demonstrating weir flow during rain event. For those who may not understand what the word "weir" means. The term "weir" is a Dam-like barrier across the horizontal width of a landscape bed that alters the flow characteristics of the water and usually results in a change in the vertical height of the water level. There are many designs of weir, but commonly water flows freely over the top of the weir crest before cascading down to a lower level section of the landscape bed. Again, the purpose here is not to prevent water movement down stream, but rather to slow water movement down and percolation with drainage at the end for major storm runoff.
Image - State Collage Pennsylvania
Now here is the full entire length-wise view of rain garden on west side of this Allen Street. Everything here is functional and decorative all at the same time. The concrete weirs again back the water up in a small pond behind the artificially replicated beaver dam. With a series of weirs, this would also prevent erosion of planting bed materials just the way a series of beavers dams would accomplish on a real life floodplain in the wild.
Residential Neighbourhoods and other low Traffic Side Streets
Image - progress-project.eu
Image - greywateraction.org
Sidewalk bioswale treats street runoff in Portland, Oregon
In cities like San Francisco California and Portland Oregon, their storm drains are connected to their sewer treatment plants, and the potential for hazard for such infrastructure design is that heavy rains cause the sewer plant to overflow with raw and partially treated sewer water into the bay or river. Other cities connect their storm drains to underground creeks, and the polluted oily water runs straight into the bay or nearby river. By cutting curbs and digging sunken basins into the “right-of way” or “parking strip” area of the sidewalk, you can turn street rainwater from a problem into an actual resource. Diverted rainwaer that falls on streets can nourish plants, protect creeks, and contribute to cleaner cities as a result of the planter bed's healthy microbial community taking care of the pollutants & turning them into safer elements.
Image - svrdesign.com
Preventing and reducing water pollution can be as simple as building a rain harvesting curb cut for the garden. Once again, this runoff water from streets can come in contact with various substances to pollute it like chemicals from fertilizer, oil from cars and garbage, etc. Before this polluted water makes its way into storm drains and our riparian ecosystems, we would filter it through a natural rain collecting garden with a strong healthy microbial soil community to digest & process it. Rain gardens can also add to a home’s curb appeal and allow runoff water to filter naturally and deeply down through your yard’s soil. Keep in mind also that many of these structure as also designed with outlets and/or drains into runoff water pipes to allow for those extreme weather downpour events.
Commercial Parking Lot Medians and Dividers
Image - landskapsarkitektur.no
What amazes me with many of the beautifully designed landscape medians in many places like these parking lots is the fact that they exist in mainly higher rainfall areas like the northern & eastern parts of the USA, Canada and Europe, like this example above in Norway. What about Southern California where it is even more needed because they lack water ? Free water that is otherwise facilitated rapidly down the drain so that they basically are forcing themselves to use public utility provided clean drinking water to irrigate their commercial and home landscapes.
Bioswale parking lot created by Lynn Capouya Landscape Architecture
This is the kind of thing that really makes sense. Love the plant selection for the area and keep in mind that mulch is an important part of this bioretention system to really work effectively. Rocks and other smaller cobblestones are perfect for the slowing down of water movement and work perfectly as a mulch to keep the ground cool and retain moisture levels in soils. This is extremely important in parking lots where they create a massive heat islands.
Image - grownative.org
These Natives plants within the planter accompanied by a species abundant microbial community within the soil system are able to filter the runoff and protect streams. They can recycle the pollutants & turn them into nutrients that the plants can use. No stream or river pollution to kill aquatic critters in the water environment. Also runoff volume is greatly reduced (not stopped) which prevents the violent scouring of the natural local creek or riverbeds which allows the system to be stable, much like it was prior to human pavement. I would love to do something like this picture (minus the parking lot) for my mother's property with street curb back in El Cajon California. Unfortunately I'd have to be living back there permanently to maintain it. However having said that, look below at this Walmart parking lot in Santee California.
Image - Google Earth
Walmart parking lot in Santee California
Last year in May/June 2016, my wife and I went back to my home town area of San Diego California and visited my mother who lives in the El Cajon/Santee area. Ignore the 2017 dates on the Google Earth picture, I just posted this to illustrate how illustrative it is of ir's improper design when they took this parking lot photograph. When we visited this exact parking lot (May 2016), it was 100+ F (40+ C) and I waited in the car while mum and wife went shopping. Half of those trees, irrigated by inefficient bubblers in a tiny planter median were dead or dying because they stopped watering them. Why did they cut back the water ? Because prices out there are outrageous, even when people have cut way back on watering like they were asked to in order to help buffer the shortages create by drought, the Water agency went and raised the water rates big time. Hence, the management decided the landscape was not worth the effort and expense. so the parking is nothing more than functional in purpose. Too bad and every customer who visits fights for that small shady spot for their car because of the effect of direct sun in 100+ degrees pushes inside temps 160+ degrees.
The Landscape median mechanism designs for Successful Water Harvesting
Image - Empowerhouse
These are just some simplified animated illustrations to help provide an easy way to comprehend the design of the soil system withing the planter. Water enters into the cells through curb cuts and flows to an area planted with native plants (preferably native to the region that are attractive and ornamental looking) & a microbial community system that are known to remediate heavy metals and toxins that vehicles usually leach on to the street, not to mention the totally unnecessary Agro-Chemical products used by commercial & home owner landscapers. The water is filtered through the topsoil where most of the roots are and then into a type of mixed gravel bed which will hold and store the bulk of the floodwater only then to seep slowly back into the subsoil layers and possibly as far as the moist ground water supply which helps to alleviate runoff to local waterways. Usually this rain water runoff would enter directly into the storm system, where it could lead to an increase in combined Sewer Overflows that contribute significantly to the pollution in our rivers and streams.
(Image courtesy of GeoSyntec Consultants)
Stormwater runoff flows into this type of bioretention area like the other one above, percolates through the soil (which acts as that bio- filter) and eventually drains into the groundwater; some of the water is also absorbed by the plants. Bioretention areas are usually designed to allow ponded water and with an overflow outlet to prevent flooding during larger storm events which are becoming more common. Where soils have low permeability or where faster drainage is desired, designers may incorporate a perforated underdrain that routes to a storm drain system. If you have a soil profile like my mother's place which is built on top of an ancient alluvial floodplain, then such drains may not be necessary. But if you have a clay or adobe type soil profile, then I'd recommend the drainage.
Nice Video Resources
This video surprisingly comes from the State of California. I say it's a surprise because you cannot see very much in the way of people practicing this water harvesting technique out there, with the exception of the Palm Springs & Coachella Valley areas.
This video below is excellent as it provides a how to for boring a hole through the curb and sidewalk to allow a inlet for stormwater to enter into the landscape strip.
This final link comes from Arizona. Actually it is a separate post I created because Arizona is much further along on this biomimicry and their climate almost mandates such a practice be done over there. And besides I thought it would have cluttered this post up with more info than it already has. 😏
These native Fremont Cottonwoods are all but gone now as the picture below reveals. What ever rains have fallen have been spotty at best. Even Palomar Mountain to the west of here which historically received 8" to 13" even during small winter storms because of it's unique geographical location has at best gotten 2" to 3" in latest storm events these past seasons. Nothing in the realm of drenching downpours, subsoil recharging caliber floods which were promised by the Press and Scientific soothsayers has happened this past season. Their promised weather Messiah El Nino was a bust, a fraud and as usual unpredictable. The El Niño eco-activist cheerleaders around the internet with Pom Poms were smoke screening the true irreversible climate change problems behind the scenes. Nobody wants to deal with such a possibility as the idea that human activity has gone to far to be salvaged. I understand wanting things to improve, maybe even getting back to the way things use to be (whatever that was), but times have changed and I'm afraid we've gone well past that point of no return scenario many scientists have feared regarding reversing the climate degradation. The photo below is viewing towards the south. from that point on 1000s upon 1000s of native Oaks are dying. Even many area of chaparral are in trouble.
photo credit - Kevin Franck - (June 11, 2016)
What Does 30% Chance of Rain Forecast really Mean?
In the San diego area, the region known as Mission Valley which is an ancient floodplain with massive development is often known for it's flood events nearest the San Diego River. When news stations need to provide a sensational headline to bait it's viewers and up the ratings, they send news crews down into Mission Valley. The actual storm may have dumped only a half inch of rain, but by golly they're find a reason to hype it as catastrophic. From Mission Vallley eastward, the landscape has radically changed from it's historical past. What was once 10s of 1000s of hectares of wildland is now concrete, asphalt and commercial & residential rooftops. Now any little piddly rain will create runoff for Mission Valley low spots and provide News Hype fodder for Media. And for those who believed what all the cheerleaders said about El Nino saving the day for Central and Northern California, think again. Yes they got large amounts of rainfall in some locations and many mountain areas had large snowpacks. But these mountain ecosystems have a long way to go before subsoil moistures are restored well enough to capacity to allow wild native plants to maintain health and vigor during the dry hot months of the year and these areas are also setting record high temps across the board. Record high temps early on allowed snow melt much earlier as opposed to later when much needed water would be most needed in the peak of Summer. This entire year has thus far had each month setting new heat record highs and this month of June 2016 is set to break even more records as I write. Take a look at the video below of how dire the situation is in forests of the Sierra Nevadas. Eco-Activists don't have to worry about the Timber Industry, nature is deforesting itself in response to irresponsible scientific innovation.
But there are some possitives, but they're mainly localized urban landscape ones
photo credit - Kevin Franck - (June 30, 2014)
Pisolithus tinctorius truffle
It was on June 30th 2014 when we first planted Foothill Pines, Engelmann Oaks, California Holly and Cleveland Sage. By most folks standards it was risky because it was during a time of 100+ temperatures outside. We of course inoculated each planting with MycoApply, but I also had visited the Hwy 79 Desert View Vista Point south of Julian and collected numerous truffles of the mycorrhizal fungi Pisolithus tinctorius. The one here to the left was huge as comparison to the USA 25 cent coin shown for scale. I also incorporated crushed truffle spore powder within the soil of each plant. Below this year is the first I've seen of truffle formation on my brother's plants.
photo credit - Kevin Franck - (June 11, 2016)
The photo below is a Foothill Pine [Digger Pine] (Pinus sabiniana) which is probably a little more drought tolerable than others even native to the area and this particular location and climate. Although like others, this pine has limits as well. Back on June 30, 2014, this plant wasn't even a foot tall when I purchased it for my brother at Las Pilitas Native Plant Nursery in Escondido, which also has gone by the wayside. Other decades old specimens exist on other folks properties here in Ranchita and are doing exceptionally well. Hence I thought it a good fit for my brothers 5 acres in an enviornment which is often challenging because of it's dry climate nature, heat and constant prevailing wind conditions. Not many of the conventional retail plant nursery pics of non-natives will make it up here.
photo credit - Kevin Franck - (June 11, 2016)
Some references for home gardeners and urban landscapers [habitat restoration is out of the question for the moment]
Concluding Commentary It's commendable that many wish to fight to save what remains as a remnant of what once was. Unfortunately all the environmental activism in the world is not going to save anything. Mainly because the passion so often is hatred filled against those deemed as the cause environmental ruin as they see it and their solution is to force the opponant. Declaring massive tracts of land as Preserves, Reserves, Wilderness or National Monuments are certainly admirable, but these are not going to reverse anything regarding climate and other natural world ecosystem disruption. And what are they really saving anyway ? The rescued Land has already been degraded long ago of any old growth plant community ecosystem and it's inhabitants. These heroic acts are more of a symbolic victory than viable corrective solution. More often than not it has become a maneuver to trip up a much hated political opponant's ideological worldview. There is no real materialist fix here or viable scientific solution. Despite the propaganda about Science, it is truthfully not the self-correcting fix all which will reverse the damage caused by the misuse and abuse of industrial science for over a century of imaginary enlightenment. Science today is infected with way too much politicking and ideology. As time pants on to the end, the words of United States Environmental Lawyer, Gus Speth, ring so true. Mankind's problem is a spiritual one and not a materialistic innovative one. And by the word/term 'spiritual', we're talking about clean healthy human personality traits which are not necessarily something physically seen, but rather the secret person of the heart expressed in daily conduct. Every man, woman and child in every land around the globe has to be on the same page morality-wise if mankind and nature is going to have half a chance. Qualities such as neighbour love, which mainly is a respect for fellow man and nature. But admittedly, even the world's mainstream religions are bankrupt on this one. It's funny, I get slammed by both sides if I refuse to participate in one position or another. The old biblical saying, "The Truth will set you Free" doesn't really apply with this subject, especially since telling the truth in this present dysfunctional system more often than not gets you hammered by either side.
I can remember planning trips in the summertime when the monsoon season was at it's peak, probably the beginning of August and looking forward to traveling to any points east as long as it was towards Arizona and away from California. I'd always look forward to that eventual Friday afternoon/evening when the day finally came to take off on our road adventure. I could hardly concentrate on work that day since the trip next week was so overwhelming all other thought processes. Heading out on Hwy 74 and leaving the San Jacinto Mountains finally coming to Indio, CA and turning right onto the eastbound on Dillion Road to that on ramp of Interstate 10 leaving Indio. The feeling was exhilarating knowing I was leaving California heading for that state line to explore the Arizona outback somewhere to a place I had never been to and only read about from my monthly subscription of Arizona Highways. As fun as the trip was, it was mostly that first day's drive I actually enjoyed the most. It was like a long anticipated excitement of seeing a blockbuster film coming to the local Cinema, except this time Nature was going to put on the performance tonight, not Hollywood.
During the monsoon season, the mountains generally have their activity during the day and unless there is some unusual weather anomalies packed with extra energy it'll always stay quiet till the next day's afternoon. But out over the deserts the heat still has an energy output about it with it's warm powerful uplifts and the thunderstorms are usually at their most potent moments. You rarely see many of these storms in the middle of the day like you do at higher elevations, not that they can't happen, they can. But the norm has always been a nighttime event from my experience. Once we reach the top of of Chiriaco Summit on I-10, we begin to see the shows previews. Almost amazingly these storms would be right about the border along the California/Arizona stateline as if there were some sort of invisible energy barrier preventing them from further westward advancement. Days prior to leaving of course I'd always be checking the weather forecasts seeing if the conditions were right for the trip's monsoonal experience. Sure enough I wouldn't be disappointed
Since I'm no longer in the desert and mountains areas of the southwestern USA, the Southern California Weather Authority has been my next best virtual Nature entertainment venue for the real thing. Love that graphic. Weather reports like this one from theSouthern California Weather Authorityback in May of this year 2012 were common and beautifully illustrate the horseshoe pattern of Thunderstorm lines along the CA & AZ border regions. This is often the typical pattern as evidenced by storm patterns thus far 2012.
Photo by Blitzo - Mountain Project
Here's a link to beautiful photos ofThunderheads at Sunset. Driving towards Arizona was never boring with a Thunderhead on the horizon. It was a preview of what was to come as we came closer ot it or it to us. Off in the distance as it grew darker was almost like being at a drive-in theater. The entertainment feature of the night was provided by Nature. I'm still amazed that city people pay all that money on Hollywood entertainment when the real life graphics provided by nature as so awesome.
Freeway heading east towards the border of California and Arizona
Downtown Blythe California, August 16, 1999. This was always a favorite pit stop for coffee on the road and whatever munchies we needed for the upcoming Light Show Displays we'd be seeing on AZ Route 60 traveling north off of Interstate 10 to Preskit.
Quartzite Arizona
Sometimes before turning off I-10 and heading north on Route 60 towards Wickenburg, we'd stop at a MacDonalds there in QuartziteArizona. It's mostly a series of Truck Stops and huge wintertime SnowBird hangout, but lately it seems to have become more of a permanent location for many retirees and others who found they loved the deserts year round, much like the changes in residency that came to the Coachella Valley from years previous. Many of these areas were traditionally known as summer ghost towns. No more ghost towns, the word is out. Desert environs are actually very Kool all year long.
Once we turned off at the Rte 60 Junction near the first tiny community of Brenda, it was usually from this point on that we'd really hit the heavier stuff. However until the heavy rains were encountered, rolling down the window and allowing the fragrance of Croesote Bush to permeate the car's interior was a must. Oddly enough the scent is reminiscent of a highway's asphalt, but with a clearly distinct refreshing energizing effect on the senses. This plant actually has some interesting natural medicinal properties. It was once utilized heavily by the Herbal Industry who actually mistakenly call it Chaparral which is merely a plant community, but was also banned by the FDA whose bed fellows at the Pharmaceutical industry were disturbed by it's potential at detoxifying the body and gradually reversing cancer. It's since been unbanned.
Usually we'd hit heavy rain at Harcuvar just before Salome AZ. At Salome we'd break to let the storm pass, refilled my large king-sized plastic Texico Coffee Refill Mug, hit the Salome Cafe's antiquated Loo Office to finish some paperwork and back out on the road again. Then we'd hit another squall line of rain between Wenden to the north and Aquila.
credit: RoadTripz
We'd turn off onto Hwy 71 heading for the town of Congress and Junction 89. From that point winding up the switched back road of Yarnell Hill we'd stop at the viewpoint at the top, look back down at the desert floor below we just traveled through and watched those previous Thunderbumpers making their way west into California. All the while the moist cool refreshing scent of creosote bush ever present. These first few hours on the first day on any of my trips were always memorable. Our stay in Preskit, Sedona, Grand Canyon and other point's north had their own monsoonal events during daylight hours, but that specific late afternoon early evening drive was always the best highlight for me. As with anything you should have a measure of caution and don't drive like an idiot in such weather. If rain is heavy pull over. If there is a dust storm preceding this pull over. If a dip in the road is a raging torrent wait it out, don't chance a crossing.
Wow, who knew ??
A big part of my fascination with monsoonal moisture events was studying the mechanics of the actual cloud and storm formation themselves. What makes it all tick ? Why does it more often than not happen over there than here, etc ? More on that in another post. But viewing it for me with just the right equipment was just as important. Take for example this often posted corner photo view of my former covered porch deck which was the perfect view portal as a monsoon lookout point. Why right there on the corner next to my steps I'd park my favourite viewing chair which overlooked all of Burnt Valley & Santa Rosa Mountains to the east, Anza Valley to the west and Thomas & San Jacinto Mountain straight out in front to the north.
And the perfect chair for me was a rounded saucer bowl shaped Rattan swivel chair which was technically called a Papasan Swivel Rocker style chair. This chair to me was/is the most perfect chair for me. I could dump all living room furniture and live with only a lamp and this chair. Fortunately I'm married and as a result civilized and not single and neanderthal. It had a heavy base much like the common Rattan Swivel Rocker with the arms like the photo to the right here. The only exception was of course the chair itself which was saucer or teacup shaped with a giant heavy duty canvas cushion pouch pillow in the center. This pouch-like cushion would conform to anyone's shape or size. I often would come home from work hot and tired and slink down into this comfortible pillow and almost fall fast asleep. Okay so I did fall asleep quite often. But viewing thunderhead cloud formations from this vantage point and with just the proper equipment made this time of year the most perfect of all the seasons.
I'd often curse the wintertime when on that same deck in a January we experienced hurricane force Santa Ana winds from the northeast with frigid near Zero Temps blowing off the snowcapped El Toro Peak to the east which would cause me to wonder what am I doing here ??? Then of course every summer I was reminded why. Yes, I miss Anza.
Note: I am very serious about cloud formation and thunderstorm anomalies. Clearly there are intriguing questions like why in all the mountains or deserts in certain specific regions or locations within those regions does it chance rain more there than other places ? What causes the clouds to form quicker on some locations before moving onto others. While there is a observational sense of randomness to it all, you'd be surprised how ultimately very organized, and conveyor belt mechanical these formations can really be. I'll have some charts and diagrams and other illustrations later and will incorporate vegetation's influence on it all. Enjoy the season in the mean time.
