Comments on: Joshua Tree/SoCal Trip – Part VIII – Mastodon Peak, Cholla Cactus Garden revisited http://blog.adampaul.com/2009/07/27/joshua-treesocal-trip-part-viii-mastodon-peak-cholla-cactus-garden-revisited/ Nature & Travel Photography and Narratives Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:46:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Mary Carlson http://blog.adampaul.com/2009/07/27/joshua-treesocal-trip-part-viii-mastodon-peak-cholla-cactus-garden-revisited/#comment-4865 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 20:12:28 +0000 http://blog.adampaul.com/?p=790#comment-4865 Wow! Impressive photos again, Adam. I loved all those lizard photos. Very colorful looking creatures in such an environment that *seems* to lack contrasting colors. I found a web site you might want to look at for the unknown cactus bloom. Once you mentioned it was possibly some type of cholla, I checked the book I have (Flowers of the Southwest Deserts by N Dodge). It seems that your plant looked like opuntia acanthocarpa. I then googled that name and found the following link: http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?where-taxon=Opuntia+acanthocarpa
It seems to have a couple of nicknames or common names: buckhorn cholla or cholla espinosa. When I was in the “calphotos” website I noticed a couple of the plants that looked very similar to your photo. Their ID numbers are: 0000-0000-0304-0025 and 0000-0000-0105-2579. Check it out and let me know what you think. Could it possibly be buckhorn cholla? My book also mentions that in the California deserts they bloom April-May.

]]> By: Adam R. Paul http://blog.adampaul.com/2009/07/27/joshua-treesocal-trip-part-viii-mastodon-peak-cholla-cactus-garden-revisited/#comment-4855 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 06:01:19 +0000 http://blog.adampaul.com/?p=790#comment-4855 Yeah, they may have needed some privacy after all of the voyeurs earlier.

I have seen a photograph of the “Mastodon” from an angle where it’s not totally inconceivable that someone might have thought, in a water-deprived and overworked state, that it sort of looked like some sort of pachyderm.

]]> By: Adam R. Paul http://blog.adampaul.com/2009/07/27/joshua-treesocal-trip-part-viii-mastodon-peak-cholla-cactus-garden-revisited/#comment-4854 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:58:49 +0000 http://blog.adampaul.com/?p=790#comment-4854 It was very cool to be sure. Like every National Park I’ve visited (which isn’t many of them) – they’re National Parks for a good reason!

]]> By: Adam R. Paul http://blog.adampaul.com/2009/07/27/joshua-treesocal-trip-part-viii-mastodon-peak-cholla-cactus-garden-revisited/#comment-4853 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:57:49 +0000 http://blog.adampaul.com/?p=790#comment-4853 Thanks, Terry!

]]> By: Heidi http://blog.adampaul.com/2009/07/27/joshua-treesocal-trip-part-viii-mastodon-peak-cholla-cactus-garden-revisited/#comment-4852 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:41:41 +0000 http://blog.adampaul.com/?p=790#comment-4852 A shame you didn’t see the turtles coupling, but they probably didn’t need an audience ;)

My guess is the Mastodon sustained some damage since it was named… the lumps look like a body, but it’s missing a trunk and tusks.

You certainly saw quite a bit on that hike… thanks for sharing!

]]> By: Bernie Kasper http://blog.adampaul.com/2009/07/27/joshua-treesocal-trip-part-viii-mastodon-peak-cholla-cactus-garden-revisited/#comment-4849 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:07:15 +0000 http://blog.adampaul.com/?p=790#comment-4849 What a ride you went on Adam, wonderful post and images, I would love to travel to such a a place !!

]]> By: montucky http://blog.adampaul.com/2009/07/27/joshua-treesocal-trip-part-viii-mastodon-peak-cholla-cactus-garden-revisited/#comment-4848 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:27:16 +0000 http://blog.adampaul.com/?p=790#comment-4848 Great post and wonderful photos, Adam! I really enjoyed sharing your trip!

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