Our diverted route could have taken us south to Bakersfield and then north from there but that would have been longer and with much more traffic. This route on Highway 178 today and 155 tomorrow is much quieter and takes us over the Sierras via a 5000ft pass today and a 6000ft pass tomorrow.
With a shorter mileage and having left the extreme heat of Death Valley we decided to get up at a near normal time and took in the Best Western Buffet breakfast.
We headed due west from Ridgecrest via Inyokern and then started climbing to Highway 14. This was very busy for a few miles and we were glad to leave it for the quieter route 178 up to Walkers Pass.
We were still on the eastern slopes of the Sierras with a desert landscape. As we climbed we saw more and more Joshua Trees, a type of Cactus.
As we reached the pass at 5173ft we saw our first real trees in a week and stopped in some shade for lunch. The descent was winding and into the usual headwind. Temperatures rose to 96F and we were glad to see a cafe on the way down for some cold drinks. The landscape was a mixture of barren desert hills and a lush valley floor and even some cows.
Lake Isabella is a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains with the town just below the Dam.
63 miles for the day with 3362ft of climbing.
Edwin
Posted by Edwin
at 3:04 AM BST
