Here's the short version: Hooked up with Bill Porter, Miles Todd, Sorni, Michael Paul, Steve Wolf,
and Bryan Lee and we had the best ride ever.
The longer version with pictures.
Steve W. dropped me a line, he was going to do the Cannell Plunge again. Last time I had done the
plunge it was an absolutely incredible ride, I didn't have anything planned for the weekend so I
figured what the hell, go for it.
I met up with Steve, Bill P, Miles, Bill S (Sorni), and Bryan at the Motel 6 in Bakersfield where we
were all staying and we drove up separately to Kernville. Bryan and I fueled up at the local Cafe
while Steve made final arrangements for the (Gasp!) shuttle. It was running a bit late but we
managed to get the bikes loaded and rolling about 1 1/2 hours after Lance cinced the Tour de France
(which I didn't find out about until I got home).
We got to Sherman pass at around 10:30AM. Unloaded the bikes and this time we decided to do the
bonus miles to Sherman Peak, an extra 700' vertical up to 9,900'. While there we snapped a few
photos: ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗ (Bonus points for whoever
figures out what's wrong with this next picture)
ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗
Bill and Michael fired up their helmet cams, then we pointed our bikes downhill and zoom! We blasted
back down the mountain over some really killer fast/ rocky SWEEEET singletrack.
ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗ Miles doing it with style
ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗ Michael hogging the camera
ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗
After the out-and-back to the peak we started the bread and butter portion of the ride, the 15 miles
of cross county which was required to reach the top of the plunge.
ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗ Sorni at Big Meadow
ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗ Michael slogging through a mudbog in
Big Meadow ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗ All of us gaining an
appreciation for fire road climbs ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗
Bill Porter on the rocks ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗
After the XC journey we paused for a few minutes at the top of the Plunge to appreciate the
incredible view of Lake Isabella.
Sorni, Bryan, Bill, and Michael (Where's Miles?). Sorni looks out of place in this group without a
helmet cam. ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗
After a few brief moments playing for the camera we started down the plunge which is more than 1
hour of nearly uninterrupted downhill bliss. 8 miles of buffed singletrack glazed with a healthy
coating of decomposed granite and occasional chunks of exposed rocks or babyheads thrown in to keep
it exciting. Not many pictures of the really fun stuff because nobody wanted to stop.
Bill getting rolling: ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗ Sorni
cruising along about mid way through the plunge:
ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗ Sorni in the mountains:
ogrehut.netCannell2Open ↗
Thanks guys for making this the best ride ever.
-- The Ogre ogrehut.netogrehut.netOpen ↗