Day 86

The Incredible Sherman Pass

October 29, 2018 - Wildrose to Kernville

Overlooking the winding roads of Sherman Pass down towards Kernville, California, USA

Wildrose Campground to next to gold ledge campground

Summary

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Journal

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Day 86 - Sequoia National Forest. I left Wildrose at the break of dawn and navigated the tight isolated desert plain roads. I exited Death Valley via Panamint Springs pass. Gas was $5.50 a gallon. I refused with no reception or any idea of the next gas station. It was awfully overpriced. I went on 70 miles and the next town had nothing. I gathered reception and found the nearest at Lone Pine. There was no espresso in this town. I planned a route through Sequoia via Sherman Pass. I wanted to glimpse a view of nearby Mt. Whitney which is the tallest mountain in the Sierra Nevada (14,500ft). I didn’t have time. Google refused me passage through Sherman. I asked the service station attendant “a couple went up a week ago, there’s been no snow 🤷‍♀️”. I called the Ranger, nothing. The website said ‘open’. I rode to the entrance. Surprisingly paved. A signed said ‘closed’ (halfway). I went up to find out why. It was a wonderful, degraded and empty road through Sequoia. Why anyone would take the Interstate around is beyond me. I found a worker on the road and asked if I could get through “they’re fixing the bridge, you should get though!”. I continued and found ‘Road Closed’ signs. I checked for forest roads instead of asking the workers to pass. I found a route nearby. It turned out to be a single track. I paced the skinny sandy trail. Impossible to turn around and 5 miles or treacherous trail. I went up. The heavy bike bounced, skidded and slid through sand and stone. The river approached and I prepared for a crossing. I was hot wrestling the bike. To my surprise - a well constructed bridge. I took a rested and celebrated. I continued out of the pass and surprised workers driving up it on the wrong side. I was rewarded with an amazing road all the way down to Kernville. I found my camp too close to town. I rode to the paid camps. 38 dollars. No. That’s motel prices. I needed a fire ring for my pork and considered riding into a huge campground that was ‘closed for winter’. A car rolled up and saw me pacing the ground. I better not. I rolled into a nice primitive camp by the river. I met James and Bobby from San Diego. We drank, cooked and spun yarns into the night 🔥

A post shared by Adventure Rider | Melbourne 🇦🇺 (@dylan_george_field) on Nov 8, 2018 at 8:32pm PST

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Day 87