I've flown to Kern Valley Airport L05 countless times in a 830hp single... helicopter. Does that count? But all joking aside, it's not that difficult. At 2600 ft it's really not that high. Temperature, and therefore DA can be high. Follow the Kern River. You only need to climb to maybe 5,000 ft to safely make it up there above the walls of the canyon. The forced landing spots are pretty sparse following the river. LP for 35 and RP for 17. There is a mountain to the East. Greasy restaurant on the field. They have campgrounds available at the airport. Plenty of cabins and AirBnB options in Kernville. It gets really hot there in the summer, and the water in the river is always very cold, but refreshing for a quick dip. It's really not advised to swim in the river because of the rapids and high number of drownings every year. The lake, Lake Isabella, is muddy and gross, I wouldn't swim in it. Spring time after the rains makes the flight much prettier. The mountains will be green and even covered in poppies and other wildflowers. Right now they will be dry, brown, and ugly.
