You don’t need a lot of space to have a good time on a bike, especially when the scenery is this good. Last Sunday, a group of us left the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles living, for the quiet countryside outside of Bakersfield. There lies a conservancy, a private lot of land called the Wind Wolves Preserve. Open daily to the public, but not RVs (yesssss!), you can enter this beautiful landscape for free, although a donation is requested. You can even camp there. We called ahead and made a site reservation a few days in advanced before loading up our vehicles with bikes, camping equipment, and food. It took about an hour and a half to arrive and once our plot of land was claimed, we set up our tents, caught up on each other’s life events and waited out the heat of the day.

In years prior, the Wind Wolves, like much of California was a scorched landscape. Like kindling for a fire, it was a ticking time bomb just waiting to be engulfed in flames either by man’s hand or Mother Nature. Luckily with all of our winter and spring rains, the preserve was emerald green and life was abound everywhere. Rabbits, road runners, coyotes and a lot of gopher snakes were spotted on our ride.

Speaking of which, you’re allowed to ride approximately three dirt roads in the park, all of which stem off of the San Emigdio Rd, which follows the San Emigdio Creek. Signs mark which areas are off-limits to bikes and reserved for hiking only. We climbed around 1,600′ in a few miles and explored the roads that sprung off the main road before heading back to camp for the night. All of this is closed to motor vehicles and only 90 miles from Los Angeles.

The next morning, Cari and I headed home via scenic byways, exploring dirt roads to catch views of the last bit of “Superbloom” that had engulfed the valleys.