I don't know how or when the Adventures started, well, actually, yes I do.  The adventure started the first time I heard Kent's voice . . . but that's part of our sappy love story, not to be retold here.

What you'll find here are some specific adventures we think you'll enjoy.   

As you read of our adventures please understand that the most important aspect of a KeNevA Adventure is ATTITUDE.  KeNevA Adventures require some element of the unknown and a willingness to accept whatever you get . . . after all it's an adventure:)  Be happy.

That's not a literal statement of course, but you can sure get a taste of eternity for that price; within a 3 1/2 hour drive from our fair city (Los Banos).  Oak Flat Lookout is a fire fighter's observation tower (no longer used as such) situated atop the highest mountain peak in the Sequoia National Forest, now available for use by the general public.

It's cold and very windy up there, but the view is breathtaking, inspiring and fulfilling.  You gaze upon the mountains and valleys that have been existing before you, will exist long after you, and you are touched with the senselessness of our daily lives.

One can feel the wind, smell the fresh mountain air, hear the silence, and see the most magnificent splendor of creation itself.  Time stands still and you become one with eternity.  Watching the sunrise and/or sunset is the most important task you need accomplish.  Dinner, breakfast will wait.

The view is riveting, locking your gaze into a specific direction for minutes, until your mind and soul drink up every detail in sight, then you turn 45 degrees and the process is repeated until you've turned full circle and must "sit a spell" to catch your breath.  It is as intense as the moment of birth, when phenomenal pressure is released and you behold a miracle.  You are spent, yet exhilarated.

The journey to the Lookout can be nearly as exhilarating as the Lookout itself, particularly in inclement weather; fifteen miles up a steep, narrow, dirt road that twists around and up the mountain (mountains to be exact) with dangerous looking cliffs on one side.  Just when you're accustomed to the ride, the road abruptly ends in the Lookout's parking lot.  Your first view is the large campsite and tower's base, then your eyes trail up the metal framework of a 30-foot tower; your accommodation for the night.

Built in 1934, Oak Flat Lookout served a vitally important function for its 50 years of operation . . . providing fire fighters with an unobscured view of the spectacular Sequoia National Forest.  The lookout person (both men and women served as lookouts) scanned the horizon all day, studying maps and the forest, reporting the size and type of any smoke or fire.  The lookout was  a trained fire fighter, also receiving Aircraft Warning System training shortly after the invasion of Pearl Harbor and during the Korean Conflict, scanning the skies for enemy aircraft.  

The concept of lookouts was developed by Coert duBois in 1914.  During the '20's and '30's surveys and investigations determined lookouts needed to be connected and related to the others to shorten the discovery/response time to fires and to improve communications.  From these surveys an integrated system of lookouts from Oregon to the Mexican border was created.

Oak Flat was a key lookout in the system, providing an integral communications service in the Kern River Canyon, where radio relay was very difficult due to the terrain.  Oak Flat was the only lookout with an outgoing telephone line, acting as guardian to other lookouts, listening and helping whenever needed.

At one time there were 600 operating lookout sites in California.  Today only 185 of them are still staffed.  To date, over 300 have been demolished and burned, a number are closed; others are awaiting replacement/remodeling.  Sadly, most are slated for permanent removal.

The lookouts were built with standardized guidelines of construction.  The tallest mountain was to be used (Oak Flat is 4900 feet above sea level) a 30-foot tower constructed with a  12 x 12 room completely enclosed with glass to provide a 360 degree panoramic view of the area, whether standing or sitting.

Inside the room, the basic amenities, two twin beds (which can't be placed side by side, so either sleep cozy on one or bring a small air mattress for the floor) a propane stove/oven, fridge, light and heater . . . no running water, electricity, toilets or shower.  Out side the room a 2 foot wide catwalk and a greatly appreciated pulley for hauling your gear up to the tower.

At the campsite below you'll find a grated fire pit, complete with BBQ grill, picnic table and bench; a short walk away is a outhouse and several trails to parts unknown.                   

For the active, there are miles upon miles to hike, rocks to climb for basking in the sun, a hidden hot springs, a couple ponds, mountain bike/motorcycle paths, and wildlife to track.  During warm weather the area is plentiful with rattlesnakes, bears, mountain lion, and other, not so dangerous, woodland creatures.

For the less active, or in the event of inclement weather, you can hibernate in the tower, "bonding", playing card/board games, writing, or reading the Oak Flat Lookout Log Books (an ongoing journal in which guests share their own experiences amidst the stars and sky).

From the Lookout tower you can see Bakersfield, Wasco and other towns to the west, traffic crawling along Highway 178 to the east, overlook mountains and valleys to the north and south.  You're only a mountain top away from sunrise.

While the basic care and maintenance of the Lookout is the responsibility of the USFS, volunteers were used to restore/rescue the tower from its planned demolition in the '80's.  Today volunteers, many of whom have been touched by a Lookout adventure, clean trails and provide either labor or materials for bigger maintenance projects.

Oak Flat Lookout is an awe inspiring adventure for anyone; intimate, private, romantic for couples, and a wonderful experience for families or close friends.  For a few hours, days even, of your life, time stands still and you are as free to be, to do, as you allow yourself, becoming one with nature, with eternity.

This magnificent splendor of reality is available to the general public for the paltry sum of $25 per night.  Oh yes, you rough it, no shower, outhouse, and woodland creatures that may or may not harm you . . . but this Lookout pampers the spirit as a five star hotel (or a cruise ship) pampers the body.  The experience is empowering, intimate, and I suppose most succinctly, spiritual.

My own recent experience at Oak Flat Lookout, a surprise anniversary gift from my husband, was without doubt the most memorable weekend I've ever enjoyed.  I had no clue where we were going until we pulled into the Lookout's parking lot.

I guess he wanted to top the spiritual bonding experience I shared with my first born daughter, Steph, of our cruise to Mexico.  He did.  My heart, my mind, my body and my soul were filled to the brink of overflowing, but I lost not a drop of that precious serenity, it will eternally remain within.  I look forward to returning with family, friends, and hopefully our Girl Scout Troop.

Since it's no  longer operative, Oak Flat Lookout is available to the public year round.  Reservations may be made Monday to Friday by phoning 760.379.5646.  

As of this writing many, most perhaps, of the existing Lookouts are slated for demolition.  If you'd like to stay abreast of their status you may subscribe to the newsletter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association at 32145-A Highway 57 Priest River, ID 83856.  If you'd like to donate money, time or services for the preservation of the remaining Lookouts please contact the Buck Rock Foundation.  If you're not from the Golden State (California) you may search for a lookout tower in your area through Firetower.org

Perhaps together we can make a difference in saving these valuable, spiritual getaways so that others may experience what life is meant to be, if only for a weekend.  

If you venture up to Oak Flat, or any other Lookout, dare to be free  . . . after all isn't that want eternity is supposed to be?

"Try eternity, for only $25 a night"  was originally published in "The Paper" (a Los Banos, California locally owned publication) on Wednesday, February 24, 1999. (The price has gone up since then:)

last updated 10/10/03