Quote:
Originally Posted by Grapesoda
I'm in Kernville. No colder than the AV to be honest. And lots more roads to ride. Looking forward to Sherman Pass when the snow has all melted.
I was taking a ride last year in the crest, at about 5,000 ft a front moved in. I had to ride all the way back to the AV in sleet. The bike was drifting sideways on the roads from wind and ice. I was wearing vans, slacks and a long sleeve shirt. wow, that sucked... 
I love that valley on the bodfish-calianete road... about 1/2 way though. love to live there. the only issue with kernville is the F-35's zipping though the valley on occasion.... |
Kernville, nice. It's one of the places I'm considering for a retirement location, but Alta Sierra at Greenhorn Summit is what I'm aiming for, I'll learn to deal with the snow.
Once the road opens in the spring you can follow the river north to Quaking Aspen (what's left of it) all the way to Porterville then take the old stagecoach route, aptly named Old Stage Road, back south to Glennville and the 155 east over Greenhorn Summit to Wofford Heights, or short-cut through California Hot Springs via the M50 to Old Stage, a couple of my favorite mountain rides. I usually ride those roads in a hoodie, leather vest and half-gloves so yeah, I get "sucked".
I think I went Sherman Pass when I was a kid on a Honda Trail 90, on our way to a place called Grasshopper Canyon to go fishing on the Little Kern River. I could be wrong about that it was a long time ago and won't ride it today on a belt-drive Harley.
That little valley on the Caliente-Bodfish Road is called the Walker Basin and it gets hot AF in the summer but is beautiful in the spring, the long way around it goes through Cat Canyon and you can see a bobcat if you are lucky. If you like to ride really "basic" trail roads, between Walker Basin and Havilah on the Caliente-Bodfish road there is Breckenridge Rd. over Mt. Breckenridge to Bakersfield, again not recommended for a belt-drive Harley
If you like the desert take 178 east from Lake Isabella over Walker Pass. they used to ship gold over that route during the mining days, go to the gold mining town of Randsburg or what's left of Garlock, go see Burro Schmidt's tunnel.
BTW good burgers at Nelda's in Lake Isabella
