S24O near Kernville???

[Brendan Willard in SF]

Hello all,

I'll be driving from SF to LA via Ridgecrest to help a friend move, and we have an extra day to get on the bikes.  Anyone know of a good overnighter route that we can tackle?

Thanks,

Brendan in SF

[Mike Godwin]

Hi Brnedan

Ya'll better get high (in elevation of course).  If it is 110-115 in Ridgecrest, it will be 105 in Kernville.  Take 9 Mile Canyon Road to Kennedy Meadows. There are campgrounds there, you could use that as a base camp. Or, Black Rock Station, then a S24O to Osa Meadow or Powel Meadow. Osa Meadow has a stream in it (it did last year) that goes in and out of the sand meadow, closer to bedrock are cool pools, deeper sand, no water. Powell Meadow has a spring at the north end. I car camped at Osa Meadow last summer, cold nights, its 8500. The big fires last summer burned to the west edge of Osa Meadow according Cal Fire maps.   These areas are bordered to the north by the Golden Trout Wilderness.  

Roads to Osa Meadow, Powell Meadow are drivable in Mazda 3 wagon.  Big Meadow is also 2WD vehicle. 

Another cool place is Kernville to Sherman Pass Road (coming into the same area as above but from the Kernville side), up the hill to Cherry Hill Road. Do a S24O to Big Meadow and points south.  Not sure of how this area has fared in the past decade with fires. Cherry Hill area got burned 20 yrs ago or so. 

Get the area map from REI, "The Kern River Sierra Outdoor Recreation Topo Map", Extremeline Productions, 1:62,500, 100 ft contours. ISBN13 978-0-9723361-4-7  

Mike SLO CA

[Mike Godwin]

Or, go up one of the 4 or 5 canyons on the east slope of the Sierra. Some have perennial springs. Indian Wells Cyn, have some beer at the brewery before heading farther up the canyon. Start early, the winds are relentless this year.