We are wrapping up our stay on the Kern. Not that we are eager to leave, but we do need to make progress towards Flagstaff. The cottonwoods are just beginning to seed, and the tiny tufts float by on the slightest breeze. Soon, the surrounding countryside will be blanketed in the soft downy fur. The low water seems to be keeping the population down. Although we do have the nearby neighbors with their deep-bass stereo, the river drowns out most of it, and they shut it down by 10PM or so.

All in all, this is a pretty decent place to spend some time. There is a huge amount of surrounding forest to explore, and of course there’s just the “drab” opportunity to sit by the river and watch the day go by.

Lake Isabella is of course a victim of the drought, and is down to 15% capacity. The new shoreline is 3/4 mile away from the old one. A forest of lake-bottom snags sticks out of the water for hundreds of acres, reaching 10-20 feet above the water’s surface. Lakeside marinas and boat docks stand forlornly against the dry, dusty shore-slope that was once underwater, or have simply moved miles downstream to try to salvage their business. A huge USFS campsite with nearly 200 spaces is totally empty, brush-strewn and abandoned.

We explore the shore a little bit, but are blocked by an ancient canal, built no doubt before the dam created the Lake. The sides are 45 degrees, loose eroded concrete – – too steep for our precious Ralph to attempt.

Leaving the Lake, this odd sight presents itself: a chain-link-fenced bridge, on elevated struts. Do they transport this somewhere for use during higher water? No explanation, just a silent puzzle destined to be one of life’s (many) mysteries.

Lakeside residence, obviously occupied by an old Hippie. The glass objects are power-pole insulators.

Our current plan is to split up the 500 miles to Flagstaff into two days. Our next stop should be in eastern Mojave Preserve to check out an old military camp there. So Sunday will be gas-up, tour outbound on the scenic CA178 along the Kern south fork, and then boogie for another 200 miles out I-40. No telling about Internet (as usual), but we may be close enough to the highway to get a wee bit of coverage.