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Found a rad campsite up at the north end of Kern Plateau near this pretty meadow. Had a nap.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...cheMoto/01.jpg
Getting on toward evening it was too late for a MTB ride, but not too late for moto. So I headed back a couple miles where the Monache jeep TH is and followed that down towards Monache Meadow.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...cheMoto/02.jpg
Monache is a pretty incredible area. Some USFS cabins and private property with road access, otherwise it would all be locked up in Wilderness.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...cheMoto/03.jpg
It was a Wednesday so only saw a couple campers.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...cheMoto/04.jpg
Fun little ride, got back just after dark.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...cheMoto/05.jpg
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On the moto ride I covered some of the main roads in Monache Meadow. My big plan for the trip was to check out as many side trails and connections as possible and hopefully find a nice bikepacking loop through the area.
A bit of excitement as I was getting ready to ride. A helo started circling overhead repeatedly, looked like search and rescue. I rode over to the nearby meadow and saw it had dropped off a few guys who seemed to be looking for something on the ground. Helo would take off, circle, land, repeat, numerous times. Turned out to be a Navy helicoptor. No idea what they were doing. Finally they loaded up and took off for good.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/00.jpg
The trail was right there so I started riding.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/01.jpg
Kern Plateau is full of pretty meadows. Wildflowers were out. Maybe that's what the navy was checking out
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/02.jpg
It is also moto central. Some of the trails are great for bikes, others not so much. This one was pretty good. That's why you scout them all
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/03.jpg
Dropping down to the bottom brings you into a whole network of meadows
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/04.jpg
Pretty iconic view of Olancha Peak here
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/05.jpg
I followed a track east and came to the Wilderness boundary. Pre-1984 Wilderness sign. No motor, no problem! I like it...
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/06.jpg
Picked up a primitive jeep road for a bit.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/07.jpg
After a marshy crossing I continued and then crossed the South Fork of the Kern River for the first of many times.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/08.jpg
More primitive double track on another spur
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/09.jpg
Led to a bit of nice singletrack to another dead end for bikes
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/11.jpg
Lots of froggers in the meadows and streams. Can you see it? Was only the size of a thimble
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/12.jpg
Found a bit more trail up a side canyon
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/13.jpg
With a nice view of a meadow
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/14.jpg
It climbed a bit higher
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/15.jpg
Into the rocks and not at the Wilderness boundary yet. Nice.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/16.jpg
Things got a bit sandy up top
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/17.jpg
But just around the corner was a nice campsite. That was it for the night. Quick dinner and I was out... 25mi and 3,330 climbing.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/18.jpg
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Day 2 of Monache bikepack.
Pretty ride out of camp
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/19.jpg
I was up on a ridgeline and soon had a killer view of the meadows below
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/10.jpg
The route also passed through some nice timber on the descent
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/20.jpg
Checking out another side trail
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/21.jpg
And another...this one was refreshing, and I got to wade it twice since the road didn't go too far beyond this.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/22.jpg
Was hoping this one would connect to some singletrack but there was no sign of trail at the end.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/23.jpg
This one had a sign. But no sign of the actual trail. Pass.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/24.jpg
I climbed up this OHV trail for quite a while. Came to a Wilderness boundary with sign stating motor vehicles of private landowners can pass with a permit.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/25.jpg
OK, so I ditched the bike since the trail I was looking for was a short ways down. Actually found this one, including blazes on trees and some visible cut logs. No visible tread though after walking a quarter mile, and found some large trees down that had obviously been there a very long time. No bueno.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/26.jpg
Time to finish this. Rode back along the main jeep road.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/27.jpg
And more moto trail though meadows
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/28.jpg
Climb out was tough but mostly rideable
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/29.jpg
Legs were tired so it did take a while
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/30.jpg
But was rewarded with a nice happy ending back to camp.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/31.jpg
Camp was on the far side of the meadow, which the trail went around.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/32.jpg
View over Domeland Wilderness on the drive after.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...ikepack/33.jpg
I can't say I was able to add much to the Orogenesis Route in Monache Meadow. Most of the singletrack trails are out and backs to the Wilderness boundary, and many that are on the map do not exist on the ground. I would add a bit to the route along Monache Jeep trail and then south back to Jackass Peak Trail, but that's about it. Cool place though. But holy hell did it get busy with Broverlanders by Friday when I was headed out. Just on a 3-4 mile stretch of the main jeep road I was passed by numerous convoys of 5-10 tacomas/4-runners/jeeps/pickups headed in. Apparently no one carpools anymore.
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The other big reason for this trip was a vacation trail work campout with Brent of Kern River Valley MTB Association and Lowelifes. Matt from Lowelifes has a place in Kernville and comes up often to ride and help KRVMBA out with trailwork. Since it's too hot during summer to work in the San Gabriels they decided to have a couple weekend trips to Kernville.
Met up with them in the morning and got right to work. We were working on the non-motorized section of Cannell between Big Meadow and the top of the Plunge.
Cannell is also part of the Orogenesis route (what good trail isn't???). We are going to end up with a route up the east side and another up the west side of the Sierras (and thus also a loop all the way around). On the east side the trail will climb up Cannell from Kernville and then cross Kern Plateau and run through the Monache area I was just at. Pity the fool who heads northbound on the east side who has to climb up Cannell : ) That's 5k straight up.
During:
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...nnellTW/01.jpg
After:
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...nnellTW/02.jpg
I fixed up this rock ramp so it is rideable again.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...nnellTW/03.jpg
Brent would go through with chainsaw then I'd clean toss the debris off trail and lop any stragglers off.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...nnellTW/04.jpg
Another section done. We got most of the 2 miles north of Cannell Meadow done the first day, while another crew worked between the meadow and top of the Plunge.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...nnellTW/05.jpg
After work ride from camp north through the meadow
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...nnellTW/06.jpg
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...nnellTW/07.jpg
Camp was just south of Cannell Meadow at the last road crossing. This is a really nice section of trail with a bit of embedded rock to make it interesting.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...nnellTW/08.jpg
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...nnellTW/09.jpg
Cannell Meadow. Look careful you might spot the rest of the group a ways out.
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...nnellTW/10.jpg
We rode up to the USFS cabin and found a group of volunteers from Los Padres NF there. So we aren't the only ones up here to escape the heat : )
https://www.habventures.com/photos/0...nnellTW/11.jpg
Then raced the fading light back to camp for tacos and campfire. I couldn't stick around for day 2 but the trailwork continued down the top of the Plunge.
