Inspiration Point to Smoke Tree Wash
(6 miles, +600/-800 feet)

It was surprisingly calm last night, though it felt a little colder than I expected for high 30s.

We decided to avoid the main washes today, and that turned out to be a great choice.  Just north of the badlands, the terrain is pretty mellow, especially compared to our experience in the maze yesterday.

The wildflowers got thick again as we approached Palo Verde Wash.

And we had more great views of the badlands.

After waking through Smoke Tree Wash for a few minutes, I got very excited.  Right in the middle of the wash was my favorite Anza flower — the only one we saw the whole trip!

All too soon we were back at the car, but we were ready to head back home to celebrate with fine San Diego cuisine: burritos and beer!