Given a large number of major wildfires roaring across all corners of the state in recent years, a lot of the hardier plant life has been killed off. This younger plant material does look amazing, but it will also likely add to fuel at a later date, especially should dry times return as they tend to do in the region.<doc-sep>“At the beginning of the year, if you told me this is what we were going to be dealing with, I would have called you crazy,” said Steve Manos, the mayor of Lake Elsinore, a small town in Southern California. He was taking a brief reprieve from dealing with the biggest crisis of his short term in office yet: an explosion of picture-perfect California poppies in the Temescal Mountains, just northwest of the center of town. “The poppy bloom in Lake Elsinore is unlike anything I’ve seen in my 32 years living in Lake Elsinore,” he said. “The flowers are especially vibrant in color, they are numerous and they’re covering the entire mountain.” The problem for the mayor isn’t the flame-orange poppies themselves, which blossom in the springtime after heavy winter rains follow an extended drought. It’s their adoring, smartphone-equipped fans, who have shown up in droves over the past three weeks, bringing with them horrible traffic and occasionally horrible etiquette when they wander off the trail to pose with, trample or even pick the poppies.<doc-sep>Tens of thousands of people once again descended upon little Lake Elsinore on Saturday, March 23 to glimpse the big poppy superbloom that has captivated the imagination of Southern Californians. Wildflower lovers who witnessed what some say is the area’s most dramatic bloom since the 1980s came in droves despite city, county and state officials’ decision to bar driving to picturesque Walker Canyon, and to allow access only via bus rides for $10 per person. Those same rules will be in place Sunday, March 24. Poppy seekers waited in Disneyland-like lines for up to two hours to catch a bus going out to orange-splashed fields, and as long to hop on a shuttle headed back to cars. But for the most part visitors didn’t complain. Not even Ashlea Gaspard of La Habra, who is seven months pregnant, had something negative to say as she strolled to the back of the line with fiance Daniel Shultz. “There are a lot of people, but I see why,” Gaspard said. She said she hadn’t realized that the California poppy-carpeted hills go on for miles. Shamly Veedan of San Diego, who was touring with his wife, Ajeena, and two sons, termed the two-hour wait “not that bad for the experience we had. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.” Also once again, there were slowdowns on the 15 Freeway around Lake Elsinore. But they weren’t as crippling as those the previous weekend, law enforcement officials said. And the chaos that reigned then was largely absent this time around. California Highway Patrol Sgt. Eugene Norris said there were scattered reports of cars parking on the freeway — in sharp contrast to the 500 pulled over on the right shoulder a week ago. Norris said 10 officers patrolled the highway and quickly persuaded the few who did stop to move on. Nicole Dailey, assistant to the Lake Elsinore city manager, said significantly boosting the law enforcement presence was a central piece of the plan developed in response to the earlier problems. She said 14 Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies also worked the area. The plan’s other major piece was traffic management. Officials shut down both on-ramps at the Lake Street exit that leads to Walker Canyon, posted signs directing visitors where to catch shuttles and closed several city streets. For the most part the plan worked and traffic was moving on city streets, said City Manager Grant Yates. Residents were inclined to agree. John Trenary, who lives in the northern part of Lake Elsinore, had complained about being unable to get anywhere the previous weekend. He said conditions were still worse than a typical Saturday — but “much better” than last weekend. Simply put, Lake Elsinore, a city of 66,000, was overwhelmed with 50,000 visitors on Saturday, March 16 and 100,000 on Sunday, March 17. On that Sunday afternoon, officials threw up their hands amid the chaos and shut Walker Canyon down. The disastrous, out-of-control experience — which included the clipping of a city public works employee by a hit-and-run driver — generated deep soul searching this past week, as officials sought to regain control of the crowds. There were light moments, too, however, Yates said, such as when officials joked that Lake Elsinore now has four seasons: fires, floods, fish kills and flowers. Roger Dannen of Vista, visiting with girlfriend Lynda Christman, came back despite not getting to see the flowers the previous weekend. “We tried to make it last weekend and we never got out of the car,” Christman said, saying the Outlets of Lake Elsinore parking lot where shuttles were taking off was jammed. But this weekend the couple had no problem climbing aboard a bus, other than having to wait in line. It may be early— in Southern California— But poppy fans are out in force already at Lake Elsinore’s Walker Canyon. pic.twitter.com/OOb3AXucQC — David Downey (@DavidDowneySCNG) March 23, 2019 If the previous weekend was a nightmare, this weekend turned out to be a dream setting for a proposal. At shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday, Thomas Shallue of Murrieta asked his girlfriend Allie Rodriguez to marry him amid the poppies. She said yes. “It’s a really romantic spot,” he said. Shallue had thought about proposing at the ocean. But, he said, “This doesn’t happen all the time. The ocean’s always there.” Thomas Shallue of Murrieta took advantage of the Lake Elsinore poppy bloom to propose to girlfriend Allie Rodriguez amid the flowers shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday. “It’s a really romantic spot,” Shallue said. She said yes. pic.twitter.com/766LpqVvE3 — David Downey (@DavidDowneySCNG) March 23, 2019 The rules Lake Elsinore officials set up rules for visiting this weekend remain in place for Sunday. The Walker Canyon poppy viewing area may be reached only via shuttle; no parking or access is provided at the Walker Canyon Trail itself. The 15 Freeway interchange at Lake Street will close 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., city officials said. Abinash Mohanty takes photos of his wife, Sajan Sahili, in a field of poppies along Walker Canyon Trail in Lake Elsinore. “We heard that it was visible from space, so we really wanted to see it,” Sahili said. The former Arizona St. Univ. students are moving to San Jose. pic.twitter.com/QBoZuqdc8E — David Downey (@DavidDowneySCNG) March 23, 2019 Visitors should plan on using the Nichols Road exit only to reach shuttle parking areas. Visitors heading south on the 15 are being directed to park at the Lake Elsinore Outlets, 17600 Collier Ave. Northbound traffic is being directed to pick up a shuttle at the dirt parking lot at 10000 Nichols Road in Lake Elsinore. City officials said the first shuttles are scheduled to head over to the poppy fields at 6:30 a.m., with the last one departing the parking lots at 5 p.m. The last shuttle from Walker Canyon to the parking lots is scheduled to depart at 7 p.m. When nature calls at the Lake Elsinore poppy bloom, officials hope they will be able to accommodate the needs of the superbloom crowds. pic.twitter.com/QgnIgfBBEY — David Downey (@DavidDowneySCNG) March 23, 2019 The cost for the round trip is $10 per person, which is up from $5 a person the previous weekend. Children age 3 and younger may ride free, but must sit on an adult’s lap, city officials said. As for pets, only service animals will be allowed, officials said. A long line has developed for poppy seekers looking to catch a shuttle bus back to their cars after checking out the wildflower superbloom at Lake Elsinore’s Walker Canyon. pic.twitter.com/fY4OVYmfSR — David Downey (@DavidDowneySCNG) March 23, 2019 Related Articles New photo: California’s super bloom as seen from outer space ‘Disneyland-size crowds’ creating crisis at poppy bloom in small California town Superbloom of California poppies put the gold in Golden State Jasmine Ramirez, 22, of Placentia said Saturday the flowers were “definitely worth” the drive. “They’re vibrant,” Ramirez said. “I love that there are different colors.” Ramirez said the superbloom was even better than she imagined. “I saw so many pictures on social media and said, ‘There’s no way that it could be that beautiful,’” she said. “But it was.”<doc-sep>
Poppy fever has returned to Lake Elsinore, California. As a dense fog blanketed the city, hundreds parked at an outlet mall a few miles south of Walker Canyon and waited for shuttle rides to the poppy fields. After tens of thousands descended on the town last weekend and caused major traffic headaches, city officials and law enforcement responded with a plan to require all weekend Walker Canyon visitors to ride a $10 shuttle from the Nichols Road exit. Hundreds gathered inside a vacant store to wait for the shuttles, which started ferrying super bloom fanatics at 6:30 a.m. The parking lot was already starting to fill up around 8:15 a.m. as drivers searched for empty spaces. Jacob Vizcarra and Hourig Mardirossian, both from Pasadena, brought a picnic lunch and hot tea for their trip to the poppy fields. They got in line around 7:45 a.m. "We wanted to see them before they die," Mardirossian said. "They're so pretty," she added. "It's temporary. Enjoy them while they're there." The duo is planning to spend a half-day looking at the flowers. Marina del Rey resident Tina Bojorquez also got in line around 7:45 a.m. She said she planned on spending a couple hours seeing the poppies for the first time. "I think it's going to be amazing," she said. "I really can't wait." By also closing the Lake Street exit, which is the closest access point to the super bloom, officials are hoping the changes will make things run smoother. If you go Riverside County created a map with traffic conditions and closures of the nearby roads. Visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the poppies can exit on either side of Interstate 15 at Nichols Road. From there, they can park and wait for the shuttles, which are scheduled to run from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Cash, debit and credit cards will be accepted. The last shuttle to the poppy fields departs at 5 p.m., according to officials. The final shuttle from the fields will leave around 7 p.m. No pets, except service animals, will be allowed on the shuttles. For visitors wanting to avoid the crowds, poppy viewing is possible on weekdays at Lake Street. Parking is available on-site. Residents trying to get around the traffic jams to other parts of Lake Elsinore can still exit at Central Avenue and Indian Truck Trail. More:Move over, California. Here's where to see Arizona's super bloom of poppies More:Rare visual spectacle: Super bloom of flowers next to runways at Los Angeles airport