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I've laid around and played around this old town too long
Summers almost gone, winters coming on
I've laid around and played around this old town too long
And I feel like I've gotta travel on
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Andrew Weber (valleydrew559) and I plan to host an end of summer/start of autumn weekend encampment at Lake Isabella. The plan is to set up a base camp on the shore of Lake Isabella (about an hour’s drive northeast of Bakersfield on Highway 178, about three hours from Los Angeles, about four hours from Orange County and about five hours from the Bay Area), then run some of the trails in the area.
Directions:
From Bakersfield. From the intersection of CA-99 and CA-58, go east on CA-58 for 7 miles. Take the CA-184/Lamont exit, turn left and head north on CA-184 for 1.2 miles. Turn right on CA-178 (Kern Canyon Road). Go 36 miles to the entrance to the Auxiliary Dam Campground on the left.
From San Diego or the Inland Empire: Take I-15 to US-395 to Inyokern. Turn left on CA-178 (W. Inyokern Road). CA-178 merges with CA-14 after 3 miles, and turns right after 4 miles. Stay on CA-178. Go 43 miles to the entrance to the Auxiliary Dam Campground on the right.
Base camp:
Base camp will be at the Lake Isabella Auxiliary Dam campground. The campground is on the beach adjacent to the dam. It has restrooms and plenty of room for tents, Jeeps, RVs, tow vehicles, and best of all, for WATER TOYS. Bring your fishing gear. The camp is adjacent to the town of Lake Isabella, so it is easy to get fuel, food and supplies. The fee is five dollars per vehicle per night and you are on the honor system; you deposit your fee in the fee box at the entrance to the campground. The base camp will be at the extreme north end of the beach, approximately ½ mile from the entrance.
[SIZED]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b53/UF92134/Lake%20Isabella%202006-Aug/P1040106.jpg[/SIZED]
The runs:
On Saturday, September 30, Andrew will lead a run on the Freeway Ridge trail (Trail #70 in the Charles Wells Northern California Guide). This trail is rated “most difficult”, but is well within the capability of a stock Rubicon. Drivers meeting will be held at base camp at 8:45 am, departure at 9:00 am.
[SIZED]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b53/UF92134/Lake%20Isabella%202006-Aug/P1040075.jpg[/SIZED]
On Saturday evening, Andrew and Russ plan to make an easy run to view the sunset and see the lights of Lake Isabella. Drivers meeting will be held at base camp at 5:45 pm, departure at 6:00 pm. Following the run, everyone will return to base camp, enjoy the campfire and possibly a moonlit dip in the lake before retiring for the night.
On Sunday, Russ will lead a run along the Sherman Pass 4x4 trail (Trail #68 in the Wells Northern California Guide). Drivers meeting will be held at base camp at 8:45 am, departure at 9:00 am. This scenic trail is also rated “most difficult” and easily negotiated by a stock Rubicon. Bring warm clothing; although rare, snow is possible at this time of year. The lunch stop will be at the top of Sherman Peak (elevation 9,900). Anyone who needs to leave early to make the journey home can take an easy forest road to return to the highway. The rest of the group will continue to the end of the Sherman Pass 4x4 trail and should finish by mid-afternoon.
[SIZED]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b53/UF92134/Lake%20Isabella%202006-Aug/P1040128.jpg[/SIZED]
[SIZED]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b53/UF92134/Lake%20Isabella%202006-Aug/P1040129.jpg[/SIZED]
More pictures of Lake Isabella and the two trails can be found here: Lake Isabella Pictures
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