Spring is a precious commodity in Southern California. The hillsides are a vivid green after months of dull brown, and California poppies and a variety of lupine take the field, creating an astonishing show of color in the meadows and along the roadsides. The boldness of the season evokes a corresponding wanderlust in me and I find myself hungering for new landscapes, trails and waterways. Although I typically begin with a destination in mind, the magic happens when I stumble on the completely unexpected.This year’s wanderings are the cause of this very tardy post, and my most recent adventure took me to Kern County, north of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Until recently, Kern County was the county I passed through to get to the Sierras or to the Mt. Pinos/Frazier Park area. A perfunctory geography and one I (mistakenly) thought was eminently suited to passing through. I had, however, noticed the signs pointing to Lake Isabella while motoring through Bakersfield or roaring up the 395, and my curiosity about the lake kept growing.
I rose at 5:00 am one Sunday morning to get an early start and have as much time as possible to explore. I was rewarded with a beautiful clear day and hillsides dusted with California Poppies near the Tejon Pass along I-5. At our higher elevations, wildflowers are still blooming so if you missed the initial show, head above 4,000 feet for a continuing feast of color.
Driving east from Bakersfield along Hwy 178 I cruised through new housing developments and acres of ranches before the Greenhorn Mountains rose suddenly from the valley floor and I plunged into a steep gorge cut out by the Kern River. The North fork of the Kern begins high up in the Sierras near Mt. Whitney and drains in a southerly direction into the San Joaquin Valley. There are picnic areas and turnouts along the road and a number of small, unimproved campgrounds dot the south side of the river, attracting devoted fishermen and women.
The river was pounding through the gorge on the day that I drove up and a bit of additional research revealed that snow in the Kern river drainage is not melting as quickly as usual due to a cooler than normal spring so water levels remain at spring highs. This section of the gorge offers many Class III and IV runs, and the sound and sight of the river is quite spectacular. The narrow two lane road winds through Kern Canyon for about 8 miles before opening up to a wider thoroughfare and the small town of Lake Isabella.
Lake Isabella is a large reservoir in a placid, pastoral setting that was created in 1953 when the confluence of the North and South forks of the Kern were dammed. Unbelievably two towns had to be relocated when the damn was built: Lake Isabella and Kernville. I can report by observation that people do lake-ish things at Lake Isabella like fishing, boating and picnicking. There are a number of campgrounds scattered around the lake and offroading is allowed on adjacent BLM lands. In 2006 the dam was determined to be unstable and 40% of the water was let out while further studies were made. The dam apparently bisects a serious fault that could cause catastrophic failure following an earthquake. Hmm…placid? Maybe not….
The best part of my trip was the sudden, completely unplanned turn onto Hwy 155 that I made while driving clockwise around the lake. This placed me on a road headed into the southwestern edge of the Sequoia National Forest. Almost as suddenly as I had entered the gorge, the landscape changed from high chaparral and Gray pines to a forest of Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir. The opportunity to get out and hike was irresistible, and I followed a forest road heavily used by snowmobiles and Nordic skiers in the winter. The forest was particularly interesting because at approximately 5,000 feet there were Black Oaks that hadn’t leafed out yet next to Douglas Fir, Sugar Pine, Red Cedar and the occasional Ponderosa. Unexpectedly I came upon crusty areas of melting snow which crunched satisfyingly under my hiking boots.
Let’s see….blue sky, hiking-in-shorts-weather, gorgeous views, not another human being sighted for three hours and snow--all in an intriguing mixed coniferous forest. Perfect. I am now a Kern County convert. Hoping your late spring explorations are filled with at least a few surprises—summer can wait just a bit longer.
