Wildflowers to put on quite the show on side roads

Colorful wildflowers brighten scenic side roads to the Colorado River and Lake Mohave this month. Look for good wildflower displays now along the road through Nelson and Eldorado Canyon, the route to Cottonwood Cove from Searchlight, and in the Newberry Mountains along the highway to Laughlin.

For many places on the desert, the past cool season had enough rain in the fall, followed by several light winter rains, to produce a good to better than average wildflower show this spring. In the mountains paralleling the river, the wildflowers seem more abundant. Perhaps more rain falls there or the rocky terrain holds the precipitation longer, but the wildflower show along these roads is worth the gasoline burned getting there.

A pleasant drive any time, the road through Nelson, Highway 165, reaches a scenic and historically significant area in a drive of about 45 minutes from downtown Las Vegas. Follow U.S. 93/95 to Railroad Pass, turning there to go south on U.S. 95. Drive about 10 miles to the Nelson turnoff.

Notice the display of yellow blossoms as you leave the highway and climb about 11 miles to the 3,000-foot summit of the Eldorado Mountains at Nelson, a remnant of an active mining past. In the old town itself, spires of blue lupine and fuchsia penstemon punctuate the roadsides. Along the winding seven miles toward the lake through Eldorado Canyon, golden brittlebush dominate, crowding the road shoulders, but many other plants show off, including beavertail cactus.

Park safely off the roadside and stroll around for a better look at dozens of varieties, taking care not to tread upon the "belly" flowers, tiny plants close to the ground. Take plenty of film, but no blossoms. Although it is tempting, do not pick wildflowers. They do not last like garden flowers. More importantly, they need to finish their life cycle to make seeds for future springtime flowers. The seeds sometimes lie dormant for years until conditions are right again for them to bloom.

Eldorado Canyon's colorful past produced scenes unrivaled by the wildest Hollywood movie plots. Sample a bit of its history when you stop at the little general store across the highway from the old Techatticup and Savage mines, some of the oldest excavations in Nevada. Owners Tony and Bobby Werly know a lot about the area. Dozens of mining era photos, maps and other memorabilia hang upon the walls and display cases show off rustic artifacts.

The Werlys operate tours of the nearby gold and silver diggings and rent canoes and kayaks to those who want to explore the Colorado River and upper Lake Mohave. Guided tours of the grounds and mine tunnels take about an hour, available daily with the most popular tours at 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. The tours cost $12.50 for adults and $7.50 for children age 12 years and younger. Call Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours Inc. at 291-0026 for reservations.

Too busy with the mine tours to continue their river touring operation, the Werlys now rent canoes for three or four people and double and single kayaks. Renting the watercraft costs $25 or $30 per boat per day. Use the same phone number to make arrangements.

To reach the Cottonwood Cove drive, continue on U.S. 95 to Searchlight, another mining town that boomed a century ago. Turn east on Highway 164. This scenic highway follows a major runoff channel toward the lake. Expect the flowers closest to the shoreline to be nearing the end of their bloom cycle while plants in the higher elevations are just beginning to show off.

The road to Laughlin, busy Highway 163, should still have flowers, particularly in the pass through the mountains. For an adventurous side trip, turn off the highway onto the Christmas Tree Pass Road. Stop at Grapevine Canyon and walk through wildflowers along the trail to the mouth of the canyon where extensive displays of ancient petroglyphs decorate the faces of the boulders.

For those with high clearance or four-wheel drive vehicles, the Christmas Tree Pass jeep road takes you over the mountains and down to U.S. 95 just a few miles from Searchlight. The slopes on the western side of the mountains over the summit often boast good displays of wildflowers.

Margo Bartlett Pesek's column appears on Sundays.