Just Outstanding and Unal loop
Facts: Just Outstanding
Distance: 13.4 miles
Elevation gain: 150 ft.
Total descent: 4040 ft.
Duration: 1:45 h.
Date: 9/1/2012
Facts: Unal loop
Distance: 5.8 miles
Elevation gain: 800 ft.
Total descent: 800 ft.
Duration: 1:05 h.
Date: 9/1/2012
The Just Outstanding ride is a fun downhill trail next to the Lake Isabella in Kernville, at the southern tip of the Sierra Nevada. The easy way to do this ride is to shuttle up and ride down. This trail has two very different sections. After a couple of miles of downhill fire roads, the really exciting part begins: the single track. The trail goes through the pine forest down to the manzanita shrub tunnels and a final more open stretch. After that, the trail continues on fire roads and then on paved local roads down to the main road around the Lake. Since this ride is short, it is better combined with the Unal loop. This loop starts at the same point as the Just Outstanding, the parking lot of the Alta Sierra ski resort. Our recommendation is do first the Unal loop that starts and ends at the parking lot and then fly down the hill on the Just Outstanding.
Park the return car on a safe place along Road 155, South of Kernville. One good spot is at the post office at Wofford Heights. From here drive North towards Kernville for a few yards and turn left to take road 155 towards the Alta Sierra ski resort for 7.5 miles up to the pass. Turn left again towards Shearly Meadows. Continue on the paved road for 2.5 miles to the Alta Sierra ski resort parking space. That's your starting point for both Unal and the Just Outstanding rides.
Description of the route:
Unal loop
Go down the paved road from the parking lot and take the first fire road on your left. This dusty dirt road climbs up for about half mile. After that the fire road goes down. At 1.5 miles from the parking lot, a single track breaks right. You should take it and ride over several "speed bumps". After 0.25 miles it becomes a single track. Keep climbing until you arrive to a forest opening (1.8 miles from the beginning) where you should turn left. Now you will find a short rocky and very steep ramp that will take you to the Unal peak. Before the peak make a sharp right and start the fun single track downhill through the forest. At mile 3.6 you’ll arrive to the road where the trail for hikers starts. Turn right on the paved road to climb back to the car. At mile 5.8 you arrive to your car.
Just Outstanding
Start at the Alta Sierra ski resort parking lot, head towards the end of it and take the dirt road. After a few yards the fire road starts going down. Follow the Rancheria fire road and at mile 2.1 you'll arrive to the Rhymes Camp where the fun begins. Take the single track to your left. One of the markers indicates the Just Outstanding trail. A few yards down the single track there is a fork. Take the right branch. At mile 4.9, after a short climb you merge into a fire road. Keep straight. A second fire road merges again from the left. Keep straight again. This is the end of the single track. The fire roads are in very good conditions and the fun still continues.
At mile 5.6 turn left and keep riding down. At mile 6.8 turn left again. As you advance, the dirt road shows patches of asphalt and eventually it becomes paved. At mile 9.1 you get to the top of the pavement. Pay attention at mile 9.9. Here you have the option of keeping going down on the paved road or enjoy a steep and challenging section of single track. The single track joins the road 0.5 miles ahead. If you choose the single track, look for the very steep and sandy climb on the left side of the road. Most likely you will have to push your bike up for those 20 yards. Once at the crest turn right and start riding down. You will find some steep sand and gravel slopes to overcome. At mile 10.4 you rejoin the paved road pushing you bike up again. Follow the road downhill until you hit the main road at mile 11.4. Here turn left and ride the remaining 2 miles to the post office.
Just Outstanding Profile.