Kevin Palmer

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  • In December I camped out at Joshua Tree National Park. Just because it’s a desert doesn’t mean it can’t get cold here. The temperature dropped to the teens on this crystal clear morning. The cholla cactus is one of many unique plants found in the deserts of California. This subspecies is the teddy bear cholla, so called because of the soft fuzzy appearance at first glance. But they are not very cuddly. The fringes of the cholla take on an amazing golden glow when backlit by the sun low in the sky. As the plants age, the lower joints turn brown and fall to the ground. That is how they reproduce and most cholla plants in a stand are clones of one another. Another name it goes by is “jumping cholla.” If you even slightly brush up against it, the sharp quills will attach to your skin or clothing and are very difficult to remove. The park service keeps a first aid kit at this trailhead for those visitors unlucky enough to need it.
    Teddy Bear Cholla
  • In the northeast corner of Mojave National Preserve lies the largest and densest grove of joshua trees in the world. Most of these strange looking trees are quite short but some of them reach 25 feet high. In this picture, the last light of the day was shining on Kessler Peak a few miles away.<br />
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Date Taken: 1/31/14
    Kessler's Last Light
  • The weather changed quickly on this windy morning in Mojave National Preserve. It looked like it was going to stay sunny for awhile. But then the clouds descended and obscured the Granite Mountains.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 1/31/14
    Obscured Granites
  • In the northeast corner of Mojave National Preserve is the largest and densest grove of joshua trees in the world. You can see them up close while hiking the trail to Teutonia Peak. There are a lot of old mine shafts in this area. But they are all covered to reduce the danger of someone falling in.<br />
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Date Taken: 1/31/14
    Teutonia Trail
  • These desert plants at the base of Mastodon Peak were looking nice in the early morning light.
    Blooming Yucca
  • I came across several blooming pricky pear cacti while descending the South Kaibab Trail. This was the only one I could find with the Colorado River visible behind it.
    Prickly Pear and River
  • In the rolling hills and badlands in between Cody and Greybull, Wyoming, there is not much around. But there is a herd of about 100 wild mustangs living on BLM land. The first time I looked for them, they were nowhere to be found. But the second time I looked, I spotted the horses grazing on a distant ridge. After crossing a creek and following a two-track dirt road into the hills, I was able to get closer. While observing the herd, these two stallions emerged with determined looks on their faces and manes blowing around in the strong winds. They stopped not far in front of me, reared up on their hind legs, and sparred with each other. They only did this once, enough for me to get 1 picture, before walking away again.
    Fighting Stallions
  • These desert plants at the base of Mastodon Peak were looking nice in the early morning light. The ocotillo was green with blooming flowers after rainfall a couple weeks ago.
    Morning Desert Flora
  • Early morning light shines on a yucca plant and a large cholla cactus. The foothills of the Providence Mountains are partially obscured by a low cloud. The road in between is Kelbaker Road.<br />
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Date Taken: 1/31/14
    Yucca and Cholla