On June 24 -26 Bob, Craig, and I went on a backpack to Jordan Hot Springs in the Golden Trout Wilderness. The trailhead is about 70 miles northeast of Lake Isabella via twisty mountain roads. On the way we stopped at the Blackrock Forest Station to inquire about some smoke we had seen in the distance. They told us that it was a small fire, only 30 acres, about 30 miles away. By the time we returned two days later the fire had grown to 600 acres and there were many firefighters at the forest station preparing to fight it!


We set out hiking from the Blackrock Trailhead at 9000 feet down to beautiful Casa Vieja Meadows. It‚s a huge, green, flat meadow, surrounded by large trees. Despite its being a little late in the afternoon, we decided to continue on to Jordan Hot Springs. We arrived at around 7 PM, having hiked about 5 miles and dropping 2500 feet from the trailhead. We camped next to an old cabin in the forest on the edge of another large meadow. The campsite had a nice fire ring, a low log table and log benches. Better than the Biltmore! The weather was perfect, in the 70s during the day and probably high 40s overnight.

The next day we explored the old Jordan Hot Springs resort. It's been closed for about 10 years. There are about five buildings and they're declining, but still in reasonably good shape. There was an interesting small sawmill setup, powered by an old 4-cylinder car engine. Many tools, utensils, and other artifacts were lying about.


We then decided to take a day hike down Ninemile Creek to the Kern River. It was about 3 - 4 miles with another 1300 feet elevation drop. On the way we hiked through many areas that had been burned in the McNally fire two years ago. The fire was spotty in its effects, some areas were totally turned to charcoal and in other areas only a few trees burned. As we continued, we passed Soda Flat. This is a horse camp in a private inholding in the forest. There were about 20 - 30 cowboy types there with their horses. They were working on the place and sipping a few tasty beverages. When we reached the river we came to Painter Camp. It's a rustic camp that apparently can be reserved by the public. There were several old log buildings and a covered kitchen/dining area.


By the time we hiked back up to Jordan Hot Springs we were ready for a rest! We searched around and found the hot springs themselves along the creek. Naturally, we jumped in. What a treat! Soaking our weary muscles in that warm water was wonderful!


The next day we retraced our route up to the trailhead. It was a long, hard slog, but we made it with a minimal amount of whining. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Casa Vieja Meadows on the way up. There were lots of beautiful wildflowers in the canyon.

All-in-all it was a great trip: fine scenery, great weather, interesting historical structures, challenging hiking, good companionship. We're looking forward to the next one!