Bad Moon Rising....

This was actually the end of the ride...as viewed from the trail's end right at the main road. Not really a bad moon. I just had that CCR song stuck in my head when we first saw the moon rise on our way down the trail.

I had debated much where to ride for Columbus Day Weekend. H couldn't go anywhwere as she had to work Saturday. I couldn't get any one else to step up either. So, I was going solo.

I'd heard a lot about the "Cannell Plunge" ride out of Kernville (hour or so north of Bakersfield near the Kern River Valley) and wanted to check it out. It is about the same driving time for me (maybe slightly less) as getting to Downieville. With the weather forecast showing it to be REALLY cold in D'ville and cold in K'ville, I decided to go with the warmer option and the chance to check out a trail I have been wanting to for some time.

So, Kernville it is. I managed to get a seat on the shuttle to Sherman Pass from town with Mountain River Adventures. There were 18 folks going on today's run. I ended up riding in a van that had, of all people, the owner of the bike shop in South Lake Tahoe that Peter goes to when he is in town. Garry and his wife Becky were there with thier fellow adventure couple friends Mike and Kirby. It sounded like they were the only ones that were going to attempt the bonus climb at the top up to Sherman Peak at 9850 feet on the topo map. Because I was there, I felt that I had to do it as well.

That would at times be a decision I would regret. I think we started riding at around 10am. It was bitter cold at the drop off point at 9200 feet. Someone said it was in the teens and I believie it. Riding to the top of Sherman Pass (at times pushing the bike), my toes, fingers, cheeks and lips were stinging numb. My core was fine. I even managed to sweat. But, my face was so numb, I couldn't quite talk very well. I think it took a little over an hour to reach the top, and for the climbing portions...I assumed my position for much of the ride...the anchor. The two couples had to be in their mid to late 40's, and here I am...the weak link in the climbing portions.

The view on top was pretty good. As you are clearly at the highest point around for many miles...you can see Mt Whitney in the background.














After warming up in the sun for a bit and attempting to dry out what bits of gear we got wet from sweating, we headed back down to Sherman Pass and the trail. Did I mention it was cold? Most of the trail on the way back down to the pass seemed very similar to various parts of the Tahoe Rim Trail.

We got to the trail and the downs were a welcome break to the climbing or bike pushing. Did I mention it was cold? At some point not too far after we passed Sherman Pass, we came across a frozen stream. It had probably been 2 hours or so since the other 13 riders passed through this section. In that time, the ice had re-formed to the point that you could not tell it had any traffic. It was that cold!

We spent the next several hours doing climb-descend-climb patterns...all between 8000-and 9500 feet. We got lost a couple of times. Lots of almost nasty rock gardens. Some good fast sections. Some crappy climbs. During many of those crappy climbs...I was at the point of wondering what I had gotten myself into. I was ready to quit. I didn't want to ride anymore and felt SO out of shape. It isn't often I end up on a ride that I am ready to give up early on.

We also got lost a couple of times around Big Meadow. Most folks say that you should avoid the ride through big meadow and instead take the fire road. Well, it isn't exactly as easy as it sounds. I even had a GPS track loaded on top of the topo map on my GPS. Due to what I think is receiver error in the trees...it was hard to find the track relative to the different fire roads until we got out into the open. Big Meadow...notice in the 2nd meadow picture...we are riding through it....hence the lost portion:

After what we thought was the final climb on the fire road (also finally along what we belived to be the right track), we got to do some sustained downhill. It was now probably 3:30 pm. And still cold. However, I think we were still up above 8000 feet. We rested and ate up a bit before hitting the trail. Started out fun. Then some uphill. Argh!

Eventually we had real good (and very welcomed) sustained down hill portions. Once we got to the "Plunge" portion of the ride where you descend around 5000 feet in 8 miles, the scenery opened up in dramatic fashion:


In the center is Lake Isabella, with a portion of the trail in the lower right hand portion of the frame. At this point, the trail isn't very technical. Just fast and LOOSE. It felt like I was driving a front wheel drive car in the snow, never sure if the bike was going to go in the direction you try to point it (massive understeer for me). Garry, the shop owner...was on fire. He was absolutely flying down this section...apparently some combo of great skill, experience, and perhaps a better setup to not experience the confidence shredding understeer issues I was having.

Here is another pic, just to prove I was there!













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And finally, we get to see the town again. Here is another shot looking at the last bit of trail. This particular section is pretty fast. I remember thinking to myself on this section: "I can't believe I am going this fast on a bike!" I have no idea how fast I was actually going since it was still too cold for my cycle-computer to function (batteries don't like the cold)





Overall, a real fun ride (minus the self doubt portions). Certainly worth the 5 hour drive. I was so tired...that if I returned home the next day...it still would have been worth it.

Now for the data points. According to my watch....3300+ feet of climbing. 9300+ feet of descent. About 5 hrs, 45 mins of riding/bike pushing. Somewhere around 32-36 miles...bike computer wasn't working and it is 32 on the GPS which is usually straight line distance. Factor in the backtracking for being lost and the distance covered due to elevation...well it is more than 32. We started the ride at 10 am and got back to the shuttle pick up point at 6 pm.

DAY 2: Whiskey Flats

I slept real well the previous night. I think I went to sleep around 8:30 pm and woke up at about 7 am. I think the last time I felt that I had been that worked over was the "Star Lake Fiasco." Maybe not even then. It was a welcome feeling of sorts. Brought back memories of trips to Moab where we'd ride all day, go into town to the Brewery for a beer or two and dinner (while sitting there with shell shocked blank experssions on our faces), go back to camp, pass out...wake up and do it all again the next day.

So, I didn't return home. After all, part of the mission objective for this trip was to scout trails to determine the fesability of taking H on the trails since her parents live in Bakersfield. I had heard of some other rides, but it looked like they were best done as a shuttle. Being solo and no shuttles being run by MRA and feeling a bit worked over still, I didn't think trying to do some of those rides without the shuttle was the smart thing to do. So, I tried to find out about other trails. Try is the key word.

I went into town to check out the MRA storefornt. I thought I'd be able to get some trail recommendations there. No joy. They had one girl working the store and she didn't ride. No maps either. Just a book that turned out to be the biggest waste of $17 I can think of. I asked here if there were any bikeshops around. She said maybe Lake Isabella. So, I drove there. Couldn't find one. Even fired up the Iphone to google "lake isabell bike" and got next to nothing usefull. Frustrated, I turned to the book.

I remember Paul and Sue said they rode Whiskey Flats when they were passing through last December. They recommended it. So, I looked it up in that worthless book. The book made it sound bad. But, I figured I'd still try to find it. Well, the book's directions to the trail head aren't quite right, but I managed to find it.

At the trailhead, I met two guys from Corona. They just got into town thinking it was kind of like D'ville where you had about an even chance of hopping on a shuttle with no reservation to get in a run. Kernville just isn't that big of a biking destination. So, they ended up tagging along as we explored Whiskey Flats. It is always nicer to ride a trail you don't know with other folks....even if they don't know it either.

This trail paralles the Kern River. Lots of Rocks in sections. Lots of short steep ups and downs...with an overall increase in elevation as you head up river. The short ups and downs seemed as steep as some sections of the Slickrock trail in Moab. Only throw in loose sand and rocks instead of super grippy sandstone surface. Yep. You guessed it (or maybe not). I was pushing the bike often again.

I read somewhere on line that someone had a good time doing the ride as a 6 mile out and 6 mile back where the whole trail is 14 miles up river. I decided that was a good goal considering the state I was in. Well, after 3 miles in...the two guys from Corona cried uncle and turned back. I pushed on...how could I only do 6 miles of riding? I tried to reach my goal of 6 miles out. But, frustration with the hike a bike portions and the eventual closing in of the trail at around 5 miles out (felt like the remaining portions of the ride were going to require lots of bushwacking), I turned back. The return trip was more fun, but again, some sections I couldn't ride up.....so I had to push. Like it seems with so many other trails here...I am guessing this would be more fun starting from the other end at 14 miles and riding it as a shuttle. Oh what fun it would be to have another person (and vehicle) to ride out there with.

Here is one of only 2 pictures I took on this ride....looking at the Kern River:

I don't want to move again

I still have 11 months left in Monterey before I get sent somewhere else. But, man, I really don't want to move anywhere else if only for the riding.

Last night I pedaled my bike over to the monthly MORCA meeting. Something like 8 or 9 miles away. After dinner, 2 beers...oh yeah, the meeting too...I pedaled back home. This time I was on the road bike and had my new Light and Motion Stella LED light on it.

The ride home was fantastic. Pedaling down the coastal bike path, with a 1/2 moon at 11 o'clock in the sky and some stars out with very little light other than the Stella. Cool, crisp ocean air...just cool enough to give you a chill if you are not moving with some effort...feels great moving over your skin once warmed up. No wind, other than what you make by going faster. Def Leppard playing on the Ipod, and no one else out there but me. Wheels rolling so smoothly, at times effortlessly gliding down the path with nothing but 30 feet of path illuminated in front of me, the moon, and the stars.

I'm going to miss this place when I do have to leave.

H does D'ville!

So, I never managed to compress the video for my last day in Tahoe way back when. Oh well. In between now and then, I did a fair amount of local riding. At least for a while. The last 6 weeks or so, school was absolutely kicking my ass....21 credits of graduate level Mech Eng courses will do that to you. But, last week I turned in my last final on Thursday Morning. I was determined to go somewhere cool to ride.

Ended up hanging around until H could get off work. I loaded put the camper on the truck and otherwise got ready. I think we left sometime around 7pm and rolled into a campsite near Downieville at about 1 am.

I had been wanting to get H to ride some neat trails with a bit more of a technical challenge than what we have been getting out at Fort Ord. Her fitness hasn't developed a whole lot, mostly due to her schedule over the summer limiting her to one ride a week a best. That and she isn't "addicted" to MTB yet (there is still hope though!). However, her confidence on the bike has taken great leaps and strides...mostly after building up the new bike for her. So, I figgured Downieville was a good option with plenty of technical challenges (all do-able) with not as much of a cardio challenge since you can shuttle the most popular runs there.

Day 1, we get up and drive to the top. There was some debate as to what the best approach was. That is, is it better to drive into town and try to get on a shuttle to the top, or just drive to the top (a hell of a lot closer to where we were camped) and hope we could catch a shuttle back to the top later on. Based on my previous experience there at the begining of the summer, I figured it shouldn't be too much of a problem for at least one of us to jump on a shuttle to go fetch the truck. So, we drove to the top with fingers crossed on catching a shuttle back up later on.

We hit the single track on Sunrise trail. I was encouraged to see H ride many features that I myself would have hesitated quite a bit just 5 years ago. She was doing really well! Then, we hit the OHV section of Butcher's Ranch. Mostly a fast paced jeep road. I looked back to see her catching little bits of air! She was having a good time! Then we hit the single track of Butcher's. I forgot how rocky it was. The rocks weren't so friendly to H. Despite being padded up with helmet, elbow/forearm pads, knee and shin pads...she managed to find enough spots of her body against the rocks on 3 separate occasions. Things weren't looking as good. But, after taking it slow and trying to talk her through some section, she got a little more confident and was soon back to having fun.

Here is a pic of H and the bike after she was having fun again:

We got down to the bottom to find that Yuba just ran their last shuttle for the day. Went to D'ville Outfitters were told they had only one shuttle left in a couple of hours and it was full, but come back by just before 3pm (the shuttle time) to see if anyone drops out. So, we grab sandwiches and I start to mentally prepare to do the 3-4000 foot climb back up to grab the truck. H talks to someone who says they are on the 2 pm shuttle with D.O. Hmmm they told us 3pm . So we go check it out and find 4 other folks looking to get in on a shuttle. D.O. guy says to check back with him after he gets back...and he *might* consider adding another run. We go to Yuba and if we sweeten the deal for the driver...we have a ride up. Sweet! I don't have to kill myself getting to the top! And we both get to go up together....


Day 2, she dropped me off at the top to get in a solo run. Plan was to meet her in town and catch a shuttle back up to the top together to get in another run together. I was having a blast sailing right down the mountain. Passed ALOT of folks on the way down. The Ventana was working well, brake issues finally behind me. Then, my rear hub started acting up. If I stopped pedaling, the cassette wanted to keep moving, slacking the upper portion of the chain. Well, the chain eventually blew up. I bent two links and flat out lost the power link. I had a spare power link with me and had to cobble the chain back up in the two spots where the links were bent. Made it into town and had the LBS look at the hub. Couldn't be fixed right away. Riding the Ventana for this trip was no longer going to happen.

However, H really wanted to get in that afternoon run and asked if I'd rent a bike so that we could do a run. Nice! After taking a beating the first day, she wanted to do it again! Unfortunately, they didn't have a Nomad or Bullit to rent...all they had left was a heckler, which is roughly comprable to the Ventana...running the same suspension setup I have on the Ventana.

So, we did the run, and apparently she had blast. Played tag with a group of 3 girls and 1 guy who were riding (2 of the girls were riding there for their first time, I think) and H made some cycling friends that added to the overall enjoyment of the run. Even better, she figured out on her own some of what caused her to go down the previous day and managed to finish her second run without going down.


Here is a pic while she shows how it is done on a bit of a drop:

And, the topping on the cake is that she wanted to ride again on Sunday! We didn't as I didn't feel like spending $100 for 1 run two days in a row (actually 75 for the bike rental and 22 for the shuttle).

Hopefully we will get to do more fun riding soon.....