It was chilly, even for a December day, and the pattering of raindrops on the hood of my parka was out of character for a desert hike.

With head down, I continued to walk through the light rain, knowing that each drop brought hope for another beautiful spring wildflower bloom in just a few months.

I was hiking from Indian Hill back to my truck in the southern part of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Little did I know then that this would be the beginning of what is shaping up as at least a good wet winter, and perhaps another epic spring wildflower season.

Since that time, a series of storms have made their way over the coastal mountains, bringing precious moisture to the arid sands of San Diego’s eastern desert.


December rains are not unusual in the desert, but the storms that followed this season have been ideally spaced and abundant. And Nature abides.

Already, eastern portions of Anza-Borrego have come alive with unseasonably early blooms of desert sunflowers, clusters of purple sand verbena and beautiful displays of the large, white desert lilies.

I’ve written before about the eternal optimism of veteran desert travelers. With the first drops of rain each winter our hopes soar for an epic bloom. Thankfully that is more often not the case.

If every spring wildflower show was spectacular, it would become ho-hum and routine.


There are always spring wildflowers, but some years desert visitors must hunt for the isolated pocket of blooms. It might be five, 10 or 20 years between those memorable spring shows that will be talked about for a long time.

While our last super bloom was just two years ago in the spring of 2017, conditions right now are pointing to another spectacular event this year.

Time and conditions will tell.

The miracle of a truly beautiful wildflower bloom lies with water, wind and temperatures.


The water already seems to be there. This week, the latest storms dumped more than a half inch of rain from Borrego Springs to Ocotillo Wells. Combined with other storms that began in December, including a New Year’s downpour that brought snow to some areas, sands are wet.

Spring also brings two things that can hurt emerging delicate blossoms. Sudden spikes in temperature can wilt the flowers, and harsh winds can dry and shred them.

In 2017, conditions meshed nicely, and the desert was alive with a blanket of flowers.

It was also hard on the tiny community of Borrego Springs that normally hosts about 3,000 residents.


You might call 2017 the first social media flower season. When as many as 200,000 arrived in the tiny remote community to see the flowers, many wondered why?

The answer seemed to be news of bloom spread through social media. Borrego had never experienced this before and had to scramble to provide additional restroom facilities and services. It was challenging to say the least.

Here are a few survival tips if Super Bloom 2019 happens this year.

The biggest crowds are on weekends. If you can get away during the week, you will have smaller crowds to deal with.


Pack a picnic and enjoy a quiet lunch in the beauty of nature.

Bring plenty of water. Even in winter, it can get warm in the desert.

Go out early. It takes about two hours from San Diego, so an early start will let you see the flowers and enjoy wandering back through places like Julian and Ramona.

Get away from the crowd. If you have a high clearance vehicle, many roads within the park will allow you to get into more remote areas. Most wildflower hunters stay on paved roads.


Hiking is also a good way of getting away from the crowds. Maps and trail guides are available at the park visitor center and at the State Park Store operated by Anza-Borrego Foundation in the Borrego Springs Mall.

As we move into spring, visitors can expect the bloom to progress westward as temperature climb.

Brittlebush are already growing nicely and soon will be offering a crown of happy yellow flowers clustered along the edges of Montezuma Grade from Ranchita into Borrego like a welcoming committee.

Ocotillo, that look lifeless and dead most of the year, are already covered in clusters of green leaves. Soon the tips of the whip-like branches will catch fire with bright red, waxy flowers.


Vast fields of verbena, primrose and sunflowers will provide splashes of color across the desert, while keen-eyed hikers can discover more singular treasures like the desert five-spot or the elusive ghost flower.

For the latest bloom information, call the Anza-Borrego Wildflower Hot Line at (760) 767-4684.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Email ernie@packtrain.com or visit erniesoutdoors.blogspot.com.