People from all over the world have a certain fascination with giant trees, especially ones that are hundreds of years old. But here in Kern Valley, there is another giant that isn’t talked about as much, and it has many ancient faces.
My first time ever coming up to Kern Valley was an experience of its own. Everywhere you turn, there are different terrains, species of plant life that aren’t too common in the San Fernando Valley/Los Angeles area. Up here in Kern Valley, there really doesn’t seem like there is much “flatland” and everywhere you turn there are beautiful mountain landscapes. And that’s where you see them, the ancient faces.
The giant sequoia trees are exactly that, GIANT. However, they do plan their roots on something amazingly bigger: Mountains. I have never seen nor lived in an area where there are so many boulders and rocks on the sides of the mountains. Some are just gigantic, some look like they seem split in half, yet stuck together. I feel like a slight shake would knock them apart. Maybe looking at it daily will help my irrational fear of rock slides, or worsen it… anyway. There are patches of rubble on turnouts you could fill pools with. The smooth boulders, which have probably seen the sun time and time again down in the river, are peaking out now that the waters run low. They join their rough-looking cousins on the mountainside and in some parts where the waterfalls take their chance to give back to the river.
The rocks that stick out to me the most, the ones that are my favorites, would be the ones poking out the sides of the mountains. They are hunted and aggressive looking. Meanwhile, their cousins below are smooth and soft looking. Some are covered in moss, but most seem earthy brown. Now that there has been some rainfall and snow, there is plenty of green grass as far as your eyes can see. I bet all the cows are loving it. When I’m driving or pulled over, I stop to look at the sides of the mountain and stare at them long enough to see the faces start to emerge.
The faces, that have been watching all forms of life for millions of years, start to show themselves, and if I stay quiet long enough, they tell a story of hardship, resilience and hope. I’m sure if they could talk aloud, they would tell us about the dinosaurs, maybe the ancient natives and most likely the recent events in their existence alongside modern man who came and built Highway 178 along the river. How awesome it must’ve been for mountain and man to exist during that time together in Kern Valley. Surely still existing side by side, it’s awesome now.
Given the many amazing places to see these giants, Keyesville is one of my favorite places to go. My family and I go there often and our boys love it! Our youngest likes to run along all the boulders that are just big enough for him to pretend he’s doing some serious parkour moves. I run along with him hopping from rock to rock as he screams, “POE-COE!” He means “parkour,” but he can’t quite say it yet, so I join in and we run around like maniacs yelling, “POE-COE!” Here’s a small life hack I suggest from my experience: You do the same the next time any of you are trekking these awesome terrains. I promise that it makes running outside on boulders or climbing a tree way more interesting.
In Keyesville, the mountains and hills all have similar ancient faces like the ones throughout the valley and the canyon. Recently, I took my big brother there and he is the one who pointed out to me these magnificent giant faces that have been watching over us throughout time. Once I saw them, I knew I’ll never be able to unsee them. We talked about the waterlines on the boulders in the middle of Kern River and how we could see that it isn’t even a close indication about their age. I don’t think it’s supposed to be a big mystery but it does sometimes feel like it. As someone who loves mysteries, I will definitely keep coming back here to try to figure it all out.
These beautiful giants have been a part of existence long before us humans. If you spend some time out in Kern Valley, look at the sides of the mountains and breathe in deep, you can see their ancient faces as well and maybe hear a tale you’re looking for.
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