Tony splits the gap on the Cannell Trail
Take a look at the photos from previous trips.
Presented by Mountain and River Adventure (MRA; you will find event information and registration forms on their page)
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Updates to this page |
Tony
splits the gap on the Cannell Trail
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Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wed |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
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15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 Ride #2A |
21 Ride
#3 |
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22 Ride #4 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
Friday (Alta Sierra, ride #2A) and Sunday (Cannell Trail): Get your bike off your vehicle
and onto the shuttle bus.
Saturday (Kern Canyon Trail): Caravan in your car
to the trailhead so don't take your bike off your rack at the MRA campground.
You can get the registration forms from the MRA web site on the Kernville FTF page. Register early in order to reserve your space on the shuttles!!!
Most of the time the weather is dry and warm, but it could also be snowing at the top of Cannell or Alta Sierra! Bring clothes for all possible weather conditions and have room in your pack to carry them. Plan to dress in layers, so you can remove items as you descend to warmer temperatures. Remember, it may be raining or snowing, so plan for lots of layers. It's a good idea to have a pair of long-fingered gloves handy, and perhaps even a pair of light ski gloves. Don't forget about a scarf and something to keep your ears warm.
These are the rides we plan to do as a group, but they are for strong intermediates to advanced riders only. There are other rides for less experienced riders and you can find out about them on the MRA web page.
Friday October 20, 2006. Alta Sierra Trail
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Length (miles): |
E4.5 - T4 |
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Climb (feet): |
3500 to highway, plus 350 to town, plus 300 to the MRA campgroung |
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Descent (feet): |
7600 to highway, plus 360 to town, plus 420 to the MRA campground |
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Meeting Time: |
8:00 am. Don't be late! |
Advanced or Strong Intermediate Ride: Kern Canyon Trail. Check out the maps and ride profile. This trail starts off on slightly sandy fireroads, but soon turns to singletracks through old and current grazing land. This is a true cross-country ride with a number of steep but short climbs and descents, plus a long steady climb followed by a long descent to the end. In some sections the trail is quite narrow with a steep dropoff on the left side. At the halfway point there is a watering station, but the MRA folks never provide enough water so you will only be able to stock up on it if you are one of the earlier ones to arrive there. In other words, plan to carry enough water from the beginning to get you through the whole ride! After the watering station, there is a long climb, and then the final long descent to the highway and the shuttle bus back to the beginning. This trail is not nearly as high as Cannell or Alta Sierra so you are less likely to need really cold weather clothing.
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Length (miles): |
E5
- T3.5 |
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Climb (feet): |
lots |
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Descent (feet): |
even more! |
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Meeting Time: |
7:15 am. Don't be late! |
Sunday October
22, 2006: Cannell Trail Advanced Ride: Cannell Trail. Check out the maps and ride profile. Many people consider this the ultimate ride at Kernville. It starts at the MRA campground with loading your bikes onto the trailer behind the shuttle bus. An hour and a half after the shuttle departs, you arrive at the starting point at nearly 8000' of elevation. The weather is somewhat undredictable in the mountains, so be prepared for anything on this ride. One year there was a couple of inches of snow on the ground! Another year there were snow flurries that turned to sleet and then drizzle as we descended. But usually it is sunny. From the trailhead, we climb just over a thousand feet (and you feel it at this elevation!), mostly on fireroad, but the last bit is on a singletrack. Then we start a fast and furious descent through a creek bed with lots of small broken rocks. If you only have V-brakes, be prepared to pull over a couple of times to rest your hands and wrists here. Next we get to the cabin at Cannell Meadow where we wait, usually for at least a half hour, for everyone to catch up. This is a good place for a snack and photos of your friends. From there it is a gentle ride through the meadow until we get to a rocky canyon that signals the transition to the Cannell Plunge. The Plunge is a steep (sort-of), loose, sandy, rutted trail that clings to the side of the cliff in many places, dropping several thousand feet to the valley floor. There is one nasty but very short and steep little climb about a third of the way down that you can expect to walk up. After that is another 3000 feet of descent to the highway and a short ride back to the MRA campground. Don't forget your camera because the pictures up there can be spectacular!
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Length (miles): |
E5
- T4.5 |
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Climb (feet): |
1900 |
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Descent (feet): |
6700 |
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Meeting Time: |
9:15 am. Don't be late! |
Getting to Kernville (detailed printable directions from MapQuest)
Getting honme from Kernville (detailed printable directions from MapQuest)
Directions from MRA: Take I-5 north to Highway 99 north. Once in Bakersfield, take 178 east to Lake Isabella. As you approach Lake Isabella, take the second off-ramp, which reads "Highway 155-Kernville". Turn left at the stop sign and continue around Lake Isabella (about 10 miles). Upon entering Kernville, continue through town. As you go through town you'll see a park, a Mobil station, and "Chilly Willy's". Mountain and River Adventure is on the left side as you drive through town. To register, drive on to the Mountain and River Adventures Campground. Continue east on Kernville Rd from the MRA store a block or so to the T-junction at Sierra Way (Rt 521). Turn left and drive about 2.5 miles. The campground is on the left. Registration is open until 8:00 pm on Thursday night. For all rides, meet at the MRA campground at least a half hour before departure time to prepare your bike and ensure a space on the shuttle!
(The following list was provided by MRA in 2001 or earlier and so may be out of date!)
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Bed and Breakfasts |
(760) area code |
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Whispering Pines |
376-3733 |
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The Neill House |
376-2771 |
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The Kern River Inn |
376-675O |
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Motels |
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Fallingwaters River Resort |
376-2242 |
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Pine Cone Inn |
376-6669 (As of Sept 2006, they only take reservations 2 weeks in advance) |
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Kern Lodge Motel |
376-2223 |
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Mc Cambridge Lodge |
376-2288 |
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Western Motel |
376-3222 |
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River View Lodge |
376-6019 (AAA price for a room with 2 queen beds is $99/night, or $89 for a room with one bed as of 9/2006) |
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Kernville Inn |
376-2206 |
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Sequoia Lodge |
376-2535 |
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Private Campgrounds |
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Mountain & River Retreat |
376-6553 |
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River View |
376-2345 |
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Camp James |
376-6119 |
