Well, Lake Isabella took the top prize of "Most difficult to get to location" handsomely away from Blue Jay today. It took a total of 2.5 hours to go round trip, from where the 178 meets the 99, which made the rest of my day a bit useless. Of course I never actually got to see the lake, just the lakebed of a town that subsists on its name. The drive was pretty however as you will see from the photos I took, assuming you click on the appropriate link, it would seem that someone decided now would be a good time to completely eradicate a portion of 178 so as to put it back slowly over the course of God knows how long. I was lucky enough to be a part of this magnificent event.
Directions: Three hours north of Los Angeles and one hour northeast of Bakersfield, where Hwy. 178 meets Hwy. 155, scenic Lake Isabella lies between two sections of the Sequoia National Forest at an elevation of 2,578 feet.
Directions to Lake Isabella (opens new window)
History: In 1953, the U. S. Corps of Engineers built earthen dams across two forks of the Kern River to create the Isabella reservoir, Kern County's largest body of water year round with a surface area of 11,200 acres. The communities of Wofford Heights, Lake Isabella and Kernville now bustle with outdoor enthusiasts: fishermen, boatmen, hikers and campers. Kernville, just to the north on Highway 178 beside the north fork of the Kern River, boasts a historic past as an 1850's gold rush camp. The town pays tribute to its rip-roaring past with its Whiskey Flats Days and the exhibits in the Kern Valley Museum.
No comments:
Post a Comment