wind wolves preserve -- the side trip
It had been a disastrous Sunday. I was flying model airplanes at a field near Taft and my first flight ended in my Spacer corkscrewing into the ground. I had other planes to test but the wind came up and I decided to give it up and go home. But is was only 9:30 AM. I had the camera in the car so I kept my eyes open for something photographic. I was on Highway 166 headed back to I-5 when I spotted the sign. "Wind Wolves Preserve." It conjured up visions of wild wolves being bread and raised in captivity for introduction back into the hills below the Tehachapi Mountains. I slowed down, turned off at the sign and headed north. Pictures of real wolves would be great fun. I came to a kiosk and then an administration building for visitors. Inside, I asked: Where are the wolves? The young lady cheerfully explained, there were no wolves. "Sometimes the wind formed patterns in the high grass that looked like wolves." Thus the name, "Wind Wolves Preserve." She explained that the Wind Wolves Preserve is part of the Wildlands Conservancy. A nonprofit organization that bought the land in this area and had opened it to the general public to enjoy. There are hiking trails, limited camp grounds, bike trails and streams available to individuals and groups. I decided to explore.
I unhitched my trusty electric bike and started up the trail. This little pond, fed by a small stream that meanders down the valley was very pretty.
The young lady at the visitors center wasn't sure if my electric bike was legal but I took a chance. That's it behind the rock.
I love historical land markers and this one stopped me. According to the sign in 1806 this was the original road used by stage coaches to carry passengers from San Francisco to the Pueblo de Los Angeles.
This oddly shaped rock waved to me as I passed and asked me to take it's picture. So I did.
Signs like this warning about mountains lions are scattered about the park but I never saw anything that even looked like a mountain lion. I did see a coyote near the park entrance loping across the highway.
This group of hikers appeared to be part of a Boy Scout outing. They also were not worried about the mountain lions.
