Devil's Punchbowl (Vayermo)

 A friendly ranger met us at the Punchbowl. It's just a short drive from Wrightwood- a perfect outing! He was the lone keeper that weekend.  

The Visitor Center perished in the fire, but he gave us directions, a map, and lots of information about the fire recovery progress. 

This trail loop is about an hour. There was a devastating fire here, but there are species re-sprouting.  Looks like my partner spotted one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is really our first slide, where we enter the park... Note the fascinating rock formations, these are signature features at the Punchbowl!

Silhouetted against the rocks are two of many blackened trees from the Bottom Fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This tree didn't make it.  But it will become a home for insects that will feed lizards and birds.  And it will still be used as a perch!

Some species will take longer to recover than others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fire really blackened everything, but some species are equipped to sprout back from their base.  Others were only partially burned.  

This manzanita is making a comeback!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The landscape looks stark from here.

But once you reach the canyon bottom, you discover fresh young Sycamore trees, re-growing in the streambed. 

The trail winds around clockwise, going down deeper into the "Punchbowl!"

The formations are varied...the many outcrops are also used by rock climbers honing their craft. They have to be careful to avoid damaging the rocks.

The fire revealed the amazing rock formations more clearly. Thousands of years of folding and uplifting...

So many shapes carved by wind and weather!

These peaks looked "ghostly" to me. Also notice the plant life they are sheltering in their shade and crannies!