This route is known by many names, and covered in some great detail in various forums online. I don't assume to provide you any new information but perhaps some new perspectives with my pictures and an entertaining yarn spun with my words.
Bowman Lake sits at coordinates 39°27'6.15"N 120°39'8.63"W in the Sierra Nevada mountain range at about 5500 feet above sea level. With a capacity of 65000+ acre feet of water, Bowman is a man made lake in the Canyon Creek watershed, one of several created by the irrigation district to collect and manage the water resources in the area. The area is remote, by most standards, and access generally requires both high clearance and 4x4 capability. The geographical area where Bowman resides has many quality locations for boating, ATV and dirt bike riding, hiking and camping. The lake boarders on the Grouse Ridge Non-Motorized Area, which can give a perspective of what true wilderness is like, though it lies within miles of a major interstate corridor. If an adventurer was so inclined, you could even reach the famous Fordyce and Rubicon 4x4 trails from these back roads. For someone like me who grew up in a remote part of the country it is a nice place to replenish those energy stores that can only be recharged by nature.
The Jeep KJ platform was billed as a replacement for the fabled Cherokee (XJ) and ran its years from 2002 to 2007. The limited numbers of production models makes this a rare classic in the off-roading world. That is a made up statement: but the limited run for this independent front suspension, highly capable, short wheel base vehicle does make it a more rare breed than some other mass production, long running model names. This being my first real exposure to any Jeep platform I found it operated with ease in environments that I typically enjoy exploring, which was endearing.
This particular model belonged to a friend of mine. A 2003 Jeep Liberty Sport 4x4 3.7 in some shade of grey and wearing a well worn set of Goodyear Wrangler radials in 225. The stock interior was much like the stock exterior, grey in both look and function. Of the Jeeps out there that are not intending to be flashy or assuming, this was the leader of the pack. This base model lacked the fancy refinements and electronic doodads of it's larger and smarter siblings. Professional reviews and early model issues aside, the feel and experience from the drivers seat was captivating and certainly gave this driver a sense of comfort when operating in the varied terrain of the Sierra Nevada. The rig I usually adventure in is a long bed Dodge, full size in every sense of the word. This was not and I think what I experienced driving this vehicle must have been that "Jeep Thing" people talk about.
Some might call a test drive such as this a daft idea and clearly unsafe. My better half certainly did. I say I needed to know the full capabilities of this rig before I could adequately make a decision on purchasing. The day trip was all I intended, and more so, as it ended up being the first outing in my first ever Jeep. The plan was to head up Hwy 20 out of Nevada City and get into the back country through the small town of Washington. From there, the forest highways weave paths and carve adventures through the western slope of the Sierra. Taking the road out of Washington and climbing up the ridgeline, the 17 miles or so to Bowman Lake is an alternative route to arrive in paradise. Normally, one could just head up Hwy 20 a ways further and take a left on Bowman Lake Rd, reaching your destination by a much more concrete path. This alternate route spends more time in the back country, which always pulls me into that pace of time measured by the movement of the sun and not by the watch on my wrist.
More to come!
Bowman Lake sits at coordinates 39°27'6.15"N 120°39'8.63"W in the Sierra Nevada mountain range at about 5500 feet above sea level. With a capacity of 65000+ acre feet of water, Bowman is a man made lake in the Canyon Creek watershed, one of several created by the irrigation district to collect and manage the water resources in the area. The area is remote, by most standards, and access generally requires both high clearance and 4x4 capability. The geographical area where Bowman resides has many quality locations for boating, ATV and dirt bike riding, hiking and camping. The lake boarders on the Grouse Ridge Non-Motorized Area, which can give a perspective of what true wilderness is like, though it lies within miles of a major interstate corridor. If an adventurer was so inclined, you could even reach the famous Fordyce and Rubicon 4x4 trails from these back roads. For someone like me who grew up in a remote part of the country it is a nice place to replenish those energy stores that can only be recharged by nature.
The Jeep KJ platform was billed as a replacement for the fabled Cherokee (XJ) and ran its years from 2002 to 2007. The limited numbers of production models makes this a rare classic in the off-roading world. That is a made up statement: but the limited run for this independent front suspension, highly capable, short wheel base vehicle does make it a more rare breed than some other mass production, long running model names. This being my first real exposure to any Jeep platform I found it operated with ease in environments that I typically enjoy exploring, which was endearing.
This particular model belonged to a friend of mine. A 2003 Jeep Liberty Sport 4x4 3.7 in some shade of grey and wearing a well worn set of Goodyear Wrangler radials in 225. The stock interior was much like the stock exterior, grey in both look and function. Of the Jeeps out there that are not intending to be flashy or assuming, this was the leader of the pack. This base model lacked the fancy refinements and electronic doodads of it's larger and smarter siblings. Professional reviews and early model issues aside, the feel and experience from the drivers seat was captivating and certainly gave this driver a sense of comfort when operating in the varied terrain of the Sierra Nevada. The rig I usually adventure in is a long bed Dodge, full size in every sense of the word. This was not and I think what I experienced driving this vehicle must have been that "Jeep Thing" people talk about.
Some might call a test drive such as this a daft idea and clearly unsafe. My better half certainly did. I say I needed to know the full capabilities of this rig before I could adequately make a decision on purchasing. The day trip was all I intended, and more so, as it ended up being the first outing in my first ever Jeep. The plan was to head up Hwy 20 out of Nevada City and get into the back country through the small town of Washington. From there, the forest highways weave paths and carve adventures through the western slope of the Sierra. Taking the road out of Washington and climbing up the ridgeline, the 17 miles or so to Bowman Lake is an alternative route to arrive in paradise. Normally, one could just head up Hwy 20 a ways further and take a left on Bowman Lake Rd, reaching your destination by a much more concrete path. This alternate route spends more time in the back country, which always pulls me into that pace of time measured by the movement of the sun and not by the watch on my wrist.
More to come!
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