Seasons Change

Critics of the desert (or perhaps they’re jealous) say, “I like changing seasons.” So they shovel snow in winter and bear sweltering humidity in the summer — all for the reward of fallen leaves that they must rake, bag, and haul by the truckload. What they fail to appreciate is that the desert, too, reflects changing seasons. 

After the third wettest winter on record (dating back to 1879), the hills were alive this spring — carpeted in enough green to tempt a golfer were it not for the steep terrain. Edom Hill — a massive sand dune — threw caution to the wind and exploded in a mass of mostly yellow wildflowers.

Wherever you looked — on the mountainsides, in the canyons, or on the desert floor — this spring you found a Kodachrome moment to remember: green grass and wildflowers pretty in pink, purple, yellow, red, white — and multiple shades in between.

Of course, like renowned artist Christo, Mother Nature prefers an ephemeral exhibition that alters your perception of your surroundings. Wildflowers may focus your attention at your feet; summer’s more Spartan landscape may set your sights further into the distance.

And so, with the transitory nature of our dear Mother in mind, Palm Springs Life sent photographer Tom Brewster into the desert with his Canon to document the changing seasons. From mid-February through the third week of April, he visited Andreas Canyon, Bogert Trail, Chino Canyon, the Coachella Valley Preserve, Edom Hill, the Highway 74 roadside, Joshua Tree National Park, and Snow Creek. He revisited the same locales in June and July to capture the beautiful ruggedness of the land that harbors the seeds of yet another spring for years to come.

You might want to hang on to this magazine for the next time someone says, “I like changing seasons.”