Sandy Flat Campground, Kern River, California

No, if one is in Bishop, with the intention of going to Oregon, it makes no sense to go south to the Kern River.

Sense is overrated.

The weather and scenery are better than Bishop, though.

I hadn't been in this area in several decades. My first time was in 1977. I had just moved to Los Angeles. A girl I was sort of dating knew a guy who was putting in his required flight time on a single-engine plane. He was flying from Van Nuys to Kernville and back and she snagged a ride for us. He piloted, we made out in the back. I didn't see much on the ground other than the Kernville airstrip.

I returned in '81 or '82 for a camping trip with some coworkers. We took a very mellow raft ride. The big excitement was the Hell's Angels who'd come to party in Kernville. VROOM-VROOM-VROOM! WOOOOOOOO!!! VROOM-VROOM!

Sandy Flat Campground is much quieter. It's a weekday, so the place is empty except for the camp host, his dog, and me. Rafters and kayakers use the place for river access.  I haven't found the sandy and flat part yet.

The campground is run for the Forest Service by a concessionaire. So the nightly rate ($22) is rather high. But, hey, that's the norm in California. My interagency senior pass gets me half off.

I'll be here a few days, then I'll head north. If I don't get distracted and wander some more.