August 30, 2017 - Updated KERN RIVER water Flow Graph

For those of you who love camping near the KERN RIVER and rafting and tubing as much as my little family does, this updated chart (as of today, August 30, 2017) for the Kern River flow will let you know how safe the water flow is.  I hope you find it useful. We are seriously Jones'in to go, but have no time to make it there.  I'm secretly boo-hoo'ing into my oatmeal right now.  If anyone sees this blog and uses my info please feel free to post some photos or if you can link to it so I can see whom I help with my info, that would be awesome! JUST A NOTE: The photos I have listed directly below this post has a water flow of between 8,000 and 11,000.  The area was truly flooded and a majority of the campgrounds were under water.  However, the photos I first posted from July 2016, the flow there was where it is now on this graph.

Just some Photos of Lower Springhill Campground near Kernville....

Here are a few photos. Most of the beach area along the river is under water.  Our site is right on the water's edge and is pretty large. Loved this spot.

NOT COOL!

So today was awards ceremony day at my son, Atreides', school.  He has had issue all school year long due to his ADHD/ODD/SPD and has made great strides in improving.  For the last month or so he has pretty much gotten 100% on his spelling tests and improved over 40% on his science and math. (he is in 2nd grade btw). So his teacher, who has had him for an entire year mutilates his name to the point that he doesn't even realize he has been called. His classmates say "I think that's you".  The fact that the other kids had to use the work "I THINK" means they aren't 100% sure, but they are assuming so because it sounds like his nickname "Trey".  She pronounced it "a-TREY NATCH-REENER".  His name is Atreides (atray-deez) Nach (sounds like the composer Bach) Reiner (as in the actor Rob Reiner).  1 year and she couldn't get it right.  I am truly offended and I know my son was hurt. He worked hard and didn't get the full recognition he deserved. The expected him to work his ass of, which he did, yet she couldn't put in the slightest effort to get his name right.  ONE PISSED OFF MOMMY right now. I will be having a talk with his teacher and the principal. We have an IEP (Independent Educational Program) in place for him, and part of that is to boost his self confidence. How is this supposed to help when his own teacher can't even get his name right.

Ok, venting done for the day.
grrrrr

CHILAO CAMPGROUND - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Chilao has two loops. Manzanita and Little Pines. There are roughly 83 spots total. Almost a 50/50 split, but I believe Manzanita has a few more.  Great for small tents. A few good for larger ones. This review is for Little Pines.  The best sites for LARGE tents (our is a 17x13) is 22, 2,1, 3 and/or 4, 35 and 33. In that order. (in our opinion).  We were at pad 1.

Payment -- Bring a pen. On the Kiosk at the front of the Little Pines loop you will find an envelope with the window tag and post marker tag. Take that with you to your site, put some of your stuff there so no one else will take it. Go back to the kiosk and write down your pad number and put your $12 (per night) fee in the envelope and stick it in the lock box.  Exact change. No one there to give you change. We checked in at 5 pm on 10/10 and we paid for 2 days, and check out was 11 am Monday morning. They usually  have a clip on the site post marker, but bring one just in case and hang the tag on your review  mirror.

Water ---There are faucets throughout the loops. But on 10/10 - 10/12 the water was off due to a leak. 

Bathrooms --- A few port-a-potties. Nasty! Spiders, Flies, gnats, mosquitos. Keep the toilet seat down so they aren't in the port a potties and keep the door closed so that they die in there instead of keeping the door open and allowing new and olds one to go in and out.

Toilet paper --- provided and well stocked.

Bugs --- Bring an arsenal of bug killer. Ants, flies, gnats, yellowjackets mosquitos, beetles, and a few I've never seen before and have no Idea what they were. You are at war with this buggers and they see you as a walking buffet.

Neighbors --- Most neighbors play their music until about sundown, then they turn it off. 

Rangers --- They come around often, day and night. They do enforce the rules. Which is great to know, especially if you have bothersome neighbors.

Animals --- There are bears and wildcats. We just didn't see any. There are no bear lock boxes, but is suggested that you lock your food in your car or up in a tree. Keep any food that have strong smells out of your tent.

Fire Rings -- These are provided, one per site.

Tables --- One Wooden table per site pad.

Local Store -- NONE! There is Newcombs Restaurant and Bar (motorcycle hangout) just a little down the road, but it is strictly those two things. They do not sell anything you'd need for camping. Please bring whatever water, Ice, Dry Ice, Bug Spray, etc with you, or get it in La Canada on your way in. It is roughly 23 1/2 miles from the edge of La Canada/Flintridge to Chilao Campgrounds. That's one way.

Garbage Receptacles --- There are a few garbage bins that are kept shut, please brings bags that tie shut so garbage isn't strewn everywhere.

The DRIVE -- Luckily they graded this road rather well, so the inclines are not steep. Even a 2002 Ford Taurus with 100k miles on it had no problem handlings the roads. Just make sure your radiator is in good working conditions because it can get very hot up there, for you and your car/truck.

Gas Stations --- NONE. Gas up at La Canada/Flintridge. There are NO gas stations anywhere on this mountain.

Motorcyclists -- This road is a cyclists dream.  You have to be a special breed of super human to ride a motorcycle down and up that road as fast as some do. To you, my hats are off and I bow to you!!  But, some may not be veterans at riding and tend to take some of those curves wide. Please remember to stay more to the right of the road just in case one of those newbies shoots around that corner.

Police Officers --- YES they do patrol those roads. YES, they will pull you over. YES, they loveeee motorcyclists! So don't speed, for everyone's safety. Please.

TURN OUTS --- You will see MANY of these up the mountain. They aren't just for site seeing. Although they are great for this.  They are also for you to pull over so that faster traffic behind you can pass you.  You do NOT want to be the source of a massive back up on that mountain because you are too afraid to drive the speed limit. This irritates everyone, so pull over and allow others to pass.

ROADWORK --- As of 10/12/2015 they are paving the roads a little below Chilao up towards Buckhorn.  So there is loose gravel on that part of the road. You will need to follow a LEAD TRUCK in order to go up and down that section.

HUNTERS --- Deer season opened Saturday, October 10, 2015.  At first I saw a few guys in camo gear off to the side of the road with rifles. Deliverance started to play in the back of my head. Only after we settled into our site and the guys next to us had a table covered in weapons were we told it was the first day of hunting seaon.  Thank GOD, I thought a revolution was being staged at first. So be mindful that there are hunters out there when you take your hikes.

Overall, we loved it.

COLDBROOK CAMPGROUND - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

We wanted to go winter camping. UMMMM.. yeah, not gonna do that again unless we have a blast furnace with us.

Visited Sunday, December 27 - Tuesday December 29, 2015.

FEES: Bring a pen. On the Kiosk at the entrance you will find an envelope with the window tag and post marker tag [$12 per night] [$10 with Adventure Pass] [$6 for Disability Pass]. Bring exact amounts. Day use pass is $5.

CHECK OUT TIME: 2pm following day. 

CAMP HOST: His name is Ron. He lives there year round. He is awesome, knowledgeable, and very helpful. If you have any questions please ask him. Also say hi to his black cat Arthur. He is located on Pad #4 at entrance. Also, if there is an emergency you can contact him and he has the ability to call for assistance.

PAD SITES: 21 pads, but only 20 are available year round. 

WATER: There are faucets throughout the campground. Clean, fresh, drinkable mountain water. Ice cold in December.

BATHROOM: Many throughout the campground. Plastic toilets (no metal). CLEAN! With plenty of toilet paper. 

BUGS: No BUGS in December. Summer may be different. 

NEIGHBORS: We went on December 27-29th so we had only one other campsite visitors (Jim and Mike).  

WILDLIFE: Bears, snakes, squirrels and deer and other small critters. We saw only squirrels and Deer; a family of 7 deer which was cool. 

FIRE RINGS:  one per site. (please clean before and after use - DO NOT leave a messy pit!!)

TABLES: One Wooden table per site pad. 

FIREWOOD:  You can use the fallen wood throughout the campsite. Just bring an ax and handsaw of some kind.  No need to ever buy firewood from a store. 

STORE: Either stop in Azusa before coming up the mountain, or you can get some last minute emergency items at the Crystal Café which is 8 miles up the mountain from the campground. 

GARBAGE RECEPTACLES: Bear Garbage cans throughout site. USE THEM!! DO NOT give bears a reason to visit you or others near you.

GAS STATION:  NONE. Gas up in Azusa. There are NO gas stations anywhere on this mountain. 

TRAILS: There are many trails throughout the campsite and beyond. 

THE BROOK:  There is indeed a small brook that runs through the campground. Between site 9 and 11 at the top of the loop is a small path towards where the brook comes out of the mountain, there is a HUGE corrugated tunnel that runs through the mountain, so you can go to the other side and see where the water comes through. 

TRAFFIC: Almost no traffic going up. From Disneyland to campsite it took us 55 minutes total.

CELL RECEPTION: Cell reception stops at the bottom of the mountain where the last section of housing is. 

FOOD: I pre-made our meals and had them triple wrapped in foil so they could be cooked within the foil.  (1) Denver omelets.  (2) Deconstructed stuffed peppers. (3) Hobo tri tip/potato/yellow pepper/onions/carrots in burgundy balsamic sauce. (4) Steaks (5) Breaded Chicken strips (6) Bacon -lots of it (7) Southwest Stuffed baked potatoes (8) cubed ham and cheese and crackers (9) junk food - chips, oreos, hot chocolate.

WEATHER: It was 36° day and 21° night. The wind was 2-6 mph days and 14-24 mph at night. STRONG! We were more impressed that our tent made it with no issues at all. No snow at the campground, but it did snow up at Crystal Lake 8 miles up the road. 

If you freeze your food and items at home, you won't need ice for the cooler. It's cold enough to keep everything frozen. 

You will need MANY blankets and sleeping bags if you do not have a heating system. Since we didn't, we clipped solar blankets over the top of the tent fly and then put the rain barrier over it. We then placed solar blankets inside our tent to reflect heat from the walls. We placed two blankets on the floor of the tent and then our air mattresses. Then a sleeping bag, and covered it with 4 blankets and 1 Swiss Army Blanket to cover our heads. With all this, we were super warm. Only when we had to get up to go to the bathroom did we feel the full force of the cold. We tried using fire stones in a deep pan to keep the tent warm, but it only lasted for 2 hours.  Don't bring a tempurpedic type pillow or mattress with you during this type of weather, it will literally freeze solid. My pillow was a useless brick for sleeping, but was a great wind barrier between the air mattress and tent. Bring warm clothes, scarves and gloves. Bring a few pairs of gloves. One pair specifically for cooking and one for day use and one for night! you don't want to smell dirt and or food when you sleep. If you can smell it, so can the bears.

Remember, keep your dirty/stained clothes in the car and wear clean clothes to sleep in. Keep your food in the car and not in the tent. 

Also, if by chance you are a diabetic, please note that at these temperatures, your glucometer will give you a temperature error. You will need to get the monitor warm first so it will register properly.

Overall we loved this little place. Had we not had our 6 year old son, we would have stayed many more days, even with the cold. NO RESERVATIONS NEEDED!! 1ST COME 1ST SERVED!!

We also went during one of the other holidays, I think it was memorial day or labor day, but man, i had never seen so many tents in such small spaces. Avoid if possible, unless someone got your spot ahead of time.