Kern River Loop

 There were lots of water in the river. The snow from the late storms must be melting and the river was raging, like it did in April of 2017 on our way to Death Valley. And yes, the river north of Lake Isabella was clearer. It is not Lake Tahoe-clear, but you could see through it for more than a few feet. The trail also sported several lovely sandy beaches. People's been camping there obviously -- there were charred remains of fire at several places. 5 miles in, camp, 5 miles out. Seems like a good practice for backpacking. Something I should do before attempting Rae Lakes Loop.

On the way to Johnsondale Bridge, where the Kern River Loop starts, was Brush Creek. It was only 1.7 miles long, so I decided to hike it first.  After the river loop, I may not have enough energy left for it. And I was right, I did 10 miles at 2 mph and I was pooped out. I would've missed it if I did the river loop first.

Brush Creek was just as I imagined: clear water cascading down granite rocks forming swimming holes here and there. I got to the end, skinny-dipped, dried up and came back down. It's a dopamine-inducing antidote to CFS if there ever was one.