Here in Northern California, February 2020 was worryingly rain free; things were beginning to look a little dry for awhile. Happily, a series of March storms has given second life to the spring vegetation. Small creeks are flowing, wildflowers are bursting out, and the nectar-eating insects have more than enough to keep them busy.

In the spring of 2016, Death Valley experienced a rare “superbloom” — these occur only when three key elements align: evenly spaced intervals of rain, plenty of sunshine, and lack of drying winds. These superblooms are as rare as they are spectacular, and in 2005 Huell was lucky to experience the previous superbloom following some huge storms that caused serious flood damage to roads in the park.

Leave it to Huell to think he could go kayaking in Death Valley! But it turns out that’s exactly what he does as he travels to normally parched Death Valley National Park to kayak on the huge salt lake created by this year’s heavy rains. Ancient Lake Manly at Badwater only reappears about every 100 years, so he figured he better go for it.

In addition to the lake, Huell also captures the bounty of endless fields of wildflowers, which covered Death Valley this spring.

It’s all part of a one-hour special for everyone to enjoy as Huell shares with us this fine example of “California’s Gold.”

(Click on the linked image below to see the video.)