2467 replies to this topic

[SoySauce]

I started on rt.62 and worked my way east. I spent most of my time at e. deception road because that's where we were successful on our last outing. There seems to be a mountain wash there too so I was thinking more ground moisture. I went all the way to E of Indio hills. I have an off-road truck so I took a lot of the overland trails. That's another reason why I don't mind the drive out there because I get to off-road a bit too!

[PTAntFan]

It seems like Idylwild is the place to go, no?

[PTAntFan]

Or Hemet?  2" of rain on 27th and 86' today.

[PTAntFan]

Maybe where Anza Rd meets El Chimisal southeast of Temecula?  3" of rain and 90' temps today.  Anyone every been down that way?  Looks close to Pechanga Reservation, not sure if that's open to the public.

[PTAntFan]

Maybe where Anza Rd meets El Chimisal southeast of Temecula?  3" of rain and 90' temps today.  Anyone every been down that way?  Looks close to Pechanga Reservation, not sure if that's open to the public.

I think I'll give this a shot tomorrow.  Probably leave about 8 and get there around 9:30-10.  Should be much cooler tomorrow and make foraging for chambers easier.

[SoySauce]

Let us know how you fare. Good luck!

[soulsynapse]

The fabled quadruple post!!

[dspdrew]

Hmmm. It seemed like a decent amount fell to me.

 

Yeah, now that I look at the rainfall totals image I posted, you're right, it did rain quite a bit out there.

 

 

It seems like Idylwild is the place to go, no?

 

Wow! I can't believe it got that hot up there today. It should be snowing there again by Sunday. I wonder if any daytime fliers flew up there today. There won't be any finding founding chambers in the forest, so I wouldn't bother with that. Sometimes the queens do come out and crawl around after dark though. I'm going to the Palm Desert/Pinyon Pines area tomorrow, and I usually drive through Idyllwild on my way home from there, so I might take a look around.

[soulsynapse]

 

Maybe where Anza Rd meets El Chimisal southeast of Temecula?  3" of rain and 90' temps today.  Anyone every been down that way?  Looks close to Pechanga Reservation, not sure if that's open to the public.

I think I'll give this a shot tomorrow.  Probably leave about 8 and get there around 9:30-10.  Should be much cooler tomorrow and make foraging for chambers easier.

 

 

This was 30 minutes out from where I live and I was heading towards temecula later this evening anyway so I took a look

 

Didn't have any luck though

[PTAntFan]

Arg. That leaves me with no plan for the morning.

[dspdrew]

I stopped off Dillon Rd again near Thousand Palms Canyon Rd. this time. There were tons of new Veromessor pergandei founding chambers there so they must have just flown again. I dug up a few more and then drove to Palm Desert, where i found even more of them off the 74 at the base of the mountains. I didn't find anything further up the mountains near Pinyon Pines, but it was a lot colder up there so they probably just haven't flown yet.

 

Later I decided to try driving the little dirt road all the way over Little Thomas Mountain, but that didn't go very well. The snow and mud started getting so deep I almost got stuck. I ended up having to drive in reverse hundreds of feet back down the mountain on the tiny narrow road to a point where I could turn around and go back.

 

I've never seen so many flowers out in the desert before. Obviously from all this rain we've been getting.

 

 

 

 

[SoySauce]

Wow beautiful pictures Drew, thank you! Man I can't believe I missed the flight by a day or two! I'm going out tomorrow!

[T.C.]

Man, o man. I was in California a while back and I didn't see nothing quite as scenic as that. Next time I pass through I will have to do some exploring. Not to mention, the area would be perfect for drone flying.

[SoySauce]

Drew, you weren't kidding about everywhere! They must have flown on Friday. I missed it by one day! I'm finding their chambers in clusters



They seem to be all Vermessors tho. No pheidoles yet.

[PTAntFan]

Any left for the rest of us?

[SoySauce]

Soooooo many! I left already. It's crazy windy and cold today.

[PTAntFan]

How deep are their chambers roughly?

[SoySauce]

Some were really shallow, just under the surface. The ones next to rocks were deeper, like 4-6".

[SoySauce]

Well the shallow ones may have had deeper chambers. That's just where I found the queens.

[PTAntFan]

East or west of thousand Palms? I'm out here but I haven't seen any founding chambers or Flowers yet. there's a few flowers but not the gorgeous ones like you posted.