#8: [21-Oct-18]

#7: [25-Dec-11]

#5: [30-May-04]

#3: [06-Jun-03]

#2: [14-Mar-02]

#6: [18-Apr-06] (incomplete)

#4: [12-Apr-04] (incomplete)

02-Jan-2000 -- This grassy confluence looks very similar to the two confluences ([35,-119] and [37,-121]) to its south-east and north-west (respectively), and for good reason: The line formed by these three confluences runs along the foothills just to the west of California's "Central Valley".

What's noteworthy about this confluence, however, is the foothills here are part of an abandoned oil field. Several remnants of the oil pumping days - pipes, tanks, etc., can be found near the confluence point. (See photo 2 for an example.)

The confluence lies near the small town of Kettleman City, which is now known primarily for a "fast-food oasis" along a boring stretch of nearby Interstate 5.

By car, it's possible to get within 0.6 miles of the confluence, by taking a paved road that runs westward from Kettleman City (the town proper, not the fast-food oasis). This road eventually crosses over the freeway, and ends at a locked gate with a "No Trespassing" sign. (See photo 4 below.) It turns out that if you wished to ignore that sign, you could get within 200 feet of the confluence just by walking along the rest of this paved road.

Instead, I decided to try a different approach. Along CA highway 41, just west of the freeway interchange, I saw a gate without any "No Trespassing" sign, and decided to ride my mountain bike from there to the confluence - 2.5 miles away. A confusing network of dirt roads and trails eventually led to the confluence point. (At one point, I had to detour westward to bypass a ravine.)