RR - Downhill Nirvana



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The Ogre

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Just got back from vacation down in Gloomy Southern California and we had an incredible time. We hit
Yosemite Park which unfortunately has no Mountain Biking, but we did ride around on the roads and up
to mirror lake. Then on Tuesday we went to Kernsville which is a bit east of Bakersfield. While
there I hooked up with one of my riding buddies, and we rode the Cannell Plunge.

The Cannell Plunge is an incredible ride that starts way up in the mountains at Shermen Pass and
then cuts across ridges and through mountain meadows until it hits the "plunge" which drops 6000'
over the final 8 miles of the ride.

We started with some really fun buffed singletrack with lots of creek crossings and some loose sandy
sections: http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=0&tv=0

Next we crossed Big Meadow http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=3&tv=0

Then we dropped down some steep rocky and loose sections... We lowered our seats about 2" for these
parts. http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=4&tv=0

Cannell Meadow is incredibly beautiful this time of year. I don't think I have ever take a picture
with such beautiful blues and greens as this one.
http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=6&tv=0

At the top of the plunge we were treated to some more sloppy loose singletrack
http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=9&tv=0

The view from the top was incredible. For a bit of perspective our ride ends at the river that flows
into the lake on the far right side of the image.
http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=11&tv=0

Thin sloppy lines and steep fast singletrack was the name of the game on the plunge:
http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=12&tv=0

Then we hopped on the rocket sled for most of the rest of the ride. Long stretched of beautiful hard
packed singletrack launched us across this ridgeline and down a couple of switchbacks on the
mountainside across from us. http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=13&tv=0

We were both sad to see the exit to the trail which had provided us so many hours of awesome riding.
http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=14&tv=0

We did a couple other rides on the trip but none were as awesome as this one. See you on the trails

-- The Ogre http://ogrehut.NET
 
The Ogre thoughtfully penned:
> Just got back from vacation down in Gloomy Southern California and we had an incredible time. We
> hit Yosemite Park which unfortunately has no Mountain Biking, but we did ride around on the roads
> and up to mirror lake. Then on Tuesday we went to Kernsville which is a bit east of Bakersfield.
> While there I hooked up with one of my riding buddies, and we rode the Cannell Plunge.
>
> The Cannell Plunge is an incredible ride that starts way up in the mountains at Shermen Pass and
> then cuts across ridges and through mountain meadows until it hits the "plunge" which drops 6000'
> over the final 8 miles of the ride.
>

looks like lots of fun but what's with the haze: smog or fire?

penny
 
On 22 Jun 2003 10:21:39 -0700, [email protected] (The Ogre) wrote:

>Just got back from vacation down in Gloomy Southern California and we had an incredible time. We
>hit Yosemite Park which unfortunately has no Mountain Biking, but we did ride around on the roads
>and up to mirror lake. Then on Tuesday we went to Kernsville which is a bit east of Bakersfield.
>While there I hooked up with one of my riding buddies, and we rode the Cannell Plunge.
>
>The Cannell Plunge is an incredible ride that starts way up in the mountains at Shermen Pass and
>then cuts across ridges and through mountain meadows until it hits the "plunge" which drops 6000'
>over the final 8 miles of the ride.
>
>We started with some really fun buffed singletrack with lots of creek crossings and some loose
>sandy sections: http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=0&tv=0
>
>Next we crossed Big Meadow http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=3&tv=0
>
>Then we dropped down some steep rocky and loose sections... We lowered our seats about 2" for these
>parts. http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=4&tv=0
>
>Cannell Meadow is incredibly beautiful this time of year. I don't think I have ever take a picture
>with such beautiful blues and greens as this one.
>http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=6&tv=0
>
>At the top of the plunge we were treated to some more sloppy loose singletrack
>http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=9&tv=0
>
>The view from the top was incredible. For a bit of perspective our ride ends at the river that
>flows into the lake on the far right side of the image.
>http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=11&tv=0
>
>Thin sloppy lines and steep fast singletrack was the name of the game on the plunge:
>http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=12&tv=0
>
>Then we hopped on the rocket sled for most of the rest of the ride. Long stretched of beautiful
>hard packed singletrack launched us across this ridgeline and down a couple of switchbacks on the
>mountainside across from us. http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=13&tv=0
>
>We were both sad to see the exit to the trail which had provided us so many hours of awesome
>riding. http://www.ogrehut.net/trails.php/KernCounty/CannellPlunge?os=14&tv=0
>
>We did a couple other rides on the trip but none were as awesome as this one. See you on the trails
>
>-- The Ogre http://ogrehut.NET

Sweet! Sorry I missed you and Steve. I have been itching to do this ride for sometime. Did you goes
do your own shuttling our did you use one of the services?

Bill Porter www.mountainbikebill.com
 
"Penny S." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> The Ogre thoughtfully penned:
> > Just got back from vacation down in Gloomy Southern California and we had an incredible time. We
> > hit Yosemite Park which unfortunately has no Mountain Biking, but we did ride around on the
> > roads and up to mirror lake. Then on Tuesday we went to Kernsville which is a bit east of
> > Bakersfield. While there I hooked up with one of my riding buddies, and we rode the Cannell
> > Plunge.
> >
> > The Cannell Plunge is an incredible ride that starts way up in the mountains at Shermen Pass and
> > then cuts across ridges and through mountain meadows until it hits the "plunge" which drops
> > 6000' over the final 8 miles of the ride.
> >
>
> looks like lots of fun but what's with the haze: smog or fire?
>
> penny

I'm not certain... It wasn't smokey or anything, perhaps it's dust in the air. Or maybe just
distance, the lake was about 5-8 miles as the crow flys from where we were.

-- The Ogre
 
[email protected] (Bill Porter) wrote in message

> >Just got back from vacation down in Gloomy Southern California and we had an incredible time. We
> >hit Yosemite Park which unfortunately has no Mountain Biking, but we did ride around on the roads
> >and up to mirror lake. Then on Tuesday we went to Kernsville which is a bit east of Bakersfield.
> >While there I hooked up with one of my riding buddies, and we rode the Cannell Plunge.
> >
> >The Cannell Plunge is an incredible ride that starts way up in the mountains at Shermen Pass and
> >then cuts across ridges and through mountain meadows until it hits the "plunge" which drops 6000'
> >over the final 8 miles of the ride.

> Sweet! Sorry I missed you and Steve. I have been itching to do this ride for sometime. Did you
> goes do your own shuttling our did you use one of the services?

My wife drove us to the top. There is an adventure shop in town that costs $25/ person with a 4
person minimum. It takes about 1 hour to get to Sherman pass from Kernsville but it is a plesant
drive up. I have heard that you can ride this as a killer loop where you climb up to the top of the
plunge before dropping down. I might just try to ride it that way next time although it's
questionable if I can take that much climbing at once.

I am trying to talk my brother into riding it with me when we go to the October Classic (Auto Races)
in Bakersfield, sometime around the 15th of October. I'll drop you a line if I'm headed that way.

-- The Ogre http://ogrehut.NET
 
On 22 Jun 2003 10:21:39 -0700, [email protected] (The Ogre) wrote:

|Just got back from vacation down in Gloomy Southern California and we |had an incredible time. We
hit Yosemite Park which unfortunately has |no Mountain Biking,

...ummmm, nevermind.
 
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