Boy Scout Trail-Loaded With Flowers

This was a first for 'Margie' and I. We had friends in town, so we parked a car at the Indian Cove Backcountry board and a car at the Boy Scout Trail Parking Lot and hiked the 8 miles overland to Indian Cove. That's quite a hike... we were plumb tuckered when we got back to the car, but it is a great hike and worth doing... at least once. We saw tons of flowers, particularly Fiddlenecks, along with Primrose, Mallow, Brittlebush, Indian Paint Brush, Desert Marigold, Pincushion, Tackstem, Lupines, Heliotrope, Purple mat, Mojave Aster, Canterbury Bells and last but not least, Chia. And those are the ones I can name. We also ran into a tortoise who scooted across the trail so fast, I couldn't get a good shot of him and this obliging Desert Iguana, who posed for his moment of fame. The hike starts off across open country with distant rock formations and expansive views. Eventually, you come down into a boulder strewn wash, past an old cattleman's tank and then on to an overlook from which you can see '29' in the distance. Then it's down, down, down to another wash which eventually leads you across the open plain to the Indian Cove Backcountry board. Make sure you take plenty of water and pack a lunch. There are some nice shady places in the wash along the way to enjoy your repast and a little nap before continuing on.