Well Spring is finally here in Northern CA and Paddlenbike is getting married. Perfect time to plan a little wheeling trip. Most of the mountain trails here are either under snow, still under winter closure or closed due to a Forest Service Order. We have a lot of coastal locations that would be fun but Ken likes the desert and we decided to get down there before it got too hot.
We had a small group of guys and all of them, for the most part, met the criteria. They all owned 4Runners. At most we had 5, 4 3rd gens and one 2nd gen. We decided on Red Rock Canyon State Park because it looked cool and none of us had ever been. Check it out: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=631
We set out on Friday and planned to return on Sunday. It was a lot of highway miles but with some junk food, In and Out (the burger joint), and a simplex frequency we hit the road.
Traveling down the valley was somewhat uneventful from the Sacramento area to Bakersfield. After Bakersfield we turned East over the Tehachapi's and towards highway 14 North of Mojave to Ricardo State Campground. The campground was a nice 50 spot site. The desert landscape is much different than we're used to up north and this campground very much desert. Flat, sandy and no trees.
After setting up camp we decided to hit the dirt near Opal Canyon. The terrain was very up and down and was mostly sand and rocks with no real obstacles. We had no real destination but decided to find some mines we had seen on the map.
We took up most of the AM/PM in Bakersfield.
We told Ken this was full of the strippers we had hired to come out with us. Only in Bakersfield.
Tehachapi through my dirty windshield
Almost there. Starting to get windy.
We made it there and so did the important stuff. Tequila and peanuts, and Matt.
It was windier at the campsite than on the road. Tents were pitched to use for gear instead of sleeping in, with the exception of the bachelor guy and the peanut man. Empty the contents of your 4Runner into a tent so there would be room for sleeping. A tent pole was the first casualty. Duct tape to the rescue.
Dirt under the tires.
Even more windy on ridge tops.