Despite the similarity between the common names, Death Valley Goldeneye (Bahiopsis reticulata) and Nevada Goldeneye (Heliomeris multiflora) belong to different genera as you can see from their scientific names. While both are members of the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae), they aren't as closely related as their common names suggest. Sure the flower heads look quite similar, but other than that the plants are quite different. For instance the leaves of Nevada Goldeneye are linear and relatively small, whereas the leaves of Death Valley Goldeneye are quite broad. Interestingly, the scientific name of Death Valley Goldeneye was recently changed. Formerly it was Viguiera reticulata.

First the good news: This week I reached 2000 subscribers to my YouTube channel. The bad news is that after posting my latest video ("Nectar of the Gods"), I lost over ten subscribers. It's kind of discouraging when you work hard to put together an original and unique video and ten subscribers wind up unsubscribing. It kind of undermines one's sense of motivation. Of course, it's more important to create videos that one is proud of than to cater to an audience, but I think all of us like to win the approval of others whenever possible. Ultimately, it's best not to concentrate on being popular and to do one's best to make the kind of videos one is comfortable with!

This last week I explored around a bit in the White Top Mountain area. It's extremely remote, but the dirt roads that take you there are actually quite good. You'll need high clearance, but whether you come in from Hunter Mountain or Ubehebe Crater, there aren't any major obstacles to hassle with. The saddle near the end of the road provides lots of great camping spots and the views are tremendous. The juniper and pinyon forest is quite nice and at nearly 7000 feet it doesn't get unbearably hot during the day and it cools down nicely at night.