Part I--Death Valley 2005--a hundred year bloom

The seeds of desert wildflowers can lie dormant for decades until the right amount of rain at the right time allows them to germinate and flower. In 2005, record rainfall levels in Southern California deserts produced a record wildflower season.

In 2005, Death Valley National Park experienced what was called a "100 Year Bloom." Death Valley's Badwater--at 282 feet below sea level--is normally a salt flat. That spring it filled with with water (about 3 feet) and looked deceptively like an alpine lake. My family and I spent a weekend in Death Valley in April 2005. We saw some beautiful sights!