The Southwest Voice

The months of October and November can provide some of the finest opportunities for good weather in Kern County’s mountains or deserts while enjoying a day trip, or better yet, a camping trip consisting of several days.

The weather can always take a turn for the worst and we can usually count on autumn having a few surprises like rain, wind or snow. Kern’s desert temperatures can be much like those in Bakersfield this time of year, but you get the added benefit of clearer skies. The mountains are a slightly different story, with daytime temps slightly below those in Bakersfield, but nighttime temps dropping 20 or more degrees lower. 

On the other hand, when Bakersfield and the rest of the Central Valley are shrouded in fog or clouds, making the trip to the desert or mountains can be a welcome relief. It’s not unusual (hey, wasn’t that a Tom Jones song?) to be wearing a light jacket or flannel shirt here in town and find out it’s T-shirt and short-sleeve weather in the desert or mountains during the day.

But don’t be fooled into only wearing a T-shirt on a trail ride, as unforeseen events can turn your ride into an overnighter while snuggling up with another guy for warmth next to broken down motorcycles or quads.   

Night time can be another story. However, don’t let these paradise-like conditions fool you into venturing out to the backcountry unprepared. At a minimum, you should be taking foul weather gear and leaving word with someone back home or at camp where you will be heading to and approximately what time you plan to return. 

A word of caution here: don’t be so regimented in your time frame estimations with your family or friends back at home or camp that they call 911 when you are five minutes late to return. There has been more than one occasion where a well-meaning friend or loved one has rustled up the Kern County Sheriff Search and Rescue folks only to have the travelers return to camp unharmed but simply having lost track of time due to enjoying their outing so much. 

Some mountain backcountry areas can get an early dusting of snow this time of year, so watch the weather forecast before you head out. Several great off-road trails became obliterated recently with the Day Fire near Frazier Park. In preparation for a possible change in wind direction affecting the fire, bulldozers cut fire breaks right along the East Frazier snowy trails. So instead of these being single-track motorcycle trails, these are now wide enough to drive an RV through, if you can negotiate the steep grades. 

There will be some major restoration work in store for many of those areas where the trails became a huge firebreak to protect the communities surrounding Frazier Park and Lebec. By the way, some unbalanced environmentalists will use events like the Day Fire to justify closing down riding areas for off-highway vehicles (OHVs). 

With the doubling of OHVs in Kern County in the last five years, that makes about as much sense as reducing Rosedale Highway into a one-lane road again. We should be adding OHV recreational opportunities, not removing them. 

Cheryl and I recently had the pleasure of working with some local folks filming a Public Service Announcement depicting exciting outdoor adventures in Kern County through the Kern County Board of Trade.