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ISSY or ISN'T HE LbNA #19644 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Cosmic Holly
Plant date:Dec 10, 2005
Location:
City:Lake Isabella
County:Kern
State:California
Boxes:1
Planted by:PenGwen
Found by: Hello From Bakersfield
Last found:Dec 25, 2016
Status:FFFFFFFFFFm
Last edited:Feb 25, 2024
This box has unfortunately become a victim of dam maintenance and is no longer available.

Scotland has the Loch Ness monster “Nessy”, China has its Lake Tianchi monster, Canada has “Ogopogo”, and “Champ” is the monster in Lake Champlain. The local fishermen of Lake Isabella think that “Issy” is a giant catfish or maybe a sturgeon. Several times fishermen have caught something very large while cat fishing, but never has the giant fish been landed. Heavy 60 to 100 pound test line has been used, but it snaps easily after spooling the reel completely. This monster fish always gets away. No one has really seen this fish, but speculation runs high. Supposedly it has razor sharp teeth and may even be related to the piranha. Some say it grew from a minnow introduced into the lake after the dam was built, and was brought in during the first fish planting. All anyone really knows is that it is big, very very big and has a voracious appetite. Some day the fish will be caught, but until that day you can find one proposed image of this monster fish.

WARNING! This image is so hideous it may not be suitable for children, pregnant women or those with weak knees.

While this is a fairly short hike it is not stroller friendly.

Clues:

From Isabella heading toward Wofford Heights on Hwy 155 take the paved road located between the two dams to the Lake Isabella Visitor Information Center. Turn right when you come to the Visitor Center parking area and follow the arrow to the boat ramp. When you come to a stop sign park where you can. There are plenty of spots. Walk towards the boat ramp and stop at the restrooms. From the corner nearest the women’s restroom look in a NE direction, and across the road will be a small hill. Beyond this hill will be a slightly higher hill with another (3rd) hill beyond. The 3rd hill has a steep drop off (cliff) on the left side. This is the hill that holds the letterbox just past it’s crest.

Return to the area near the stop sign and locate the sign stating” Kern County, Lake Permit Required for all watercraft”. Take the path behind this sign heading past an up right white marker “BM KTI-354 (4.3)" and when you reach a saddle head further north and up the next hill. Start looking for a bulldozer path and take it up to the crest of the 3rd hill. On your right find an embedded cable anchor and from here take 36 steps at 355 degrees to the letterbox under some movable rocks just off and on the left side of this bulldozer trail 4 or 5 steps.

From the letterbox you will see a tall water tower at 220 degrees, a gray water tank at 268 degrees, a bridge at 314 degrees, Rocky Point across the lake at 20 degrees, the intersection of the auxiliary dam and Hwy 178 at 99 degrees, and a cement turret on top of the dam at 121 degrees.

You will not see the parking lot for the boat ramp.

When researching our clues please be aware that when previous searchers list “ATTEMPTED” on the clue sheets it may reflect more on their abilities as finders than indicate whether the box is viable or not. We do monitor our clues and boxes pretty well and appreciate the notes written to us by those that find or attempt our letterboxes.

Please contact placer directly or through the LBNA chat list regarding status rather than unofficial databases. Up to date status can only be ascertained from placer as other information services will not have current data. The placer does not appreciate listing information about this letterbox on unauthorized information services.