The Location

• Clear Creek Recording is located on a 25-acre ranch in rural Hart Flat, at 3500 ft elevation in the Tehachapi mountains about midway between Bakersfield and Mojave. Access is easy via Highway 58, the main east-west corridor to the southern San Joaquin Valley; the studio is only about 10 minutes from the highway. The ranch hosts a small herd of Watusi cattle, along with walks through the woods to Clear Creek, waterfalls and ancient native American mortar rocks. The area has beautiful views all around, with national parks including Sequoia National Forest, Yosemite National Park and Death Valley National Park all within a few hours drive.
  
  
• A few miles east of the studio lies Keene, home of the famous Keene Cafe, the closest restaurant. The Cafe has existed since the 1920's, when it faced the main highway into the south end of the San Joaquin Valley, Rte 566. This was the main highway used during the Depression migrations of those from Oklahoma and Arkansas to the migrant labor camps located in the Valley between here and Bakersfield, such as Weedpatch camp (which still exists). There are still old jalopies abandoned off the sides of unused sections of the old highway. Keene is also the home of the United Farm Workers Headquarters. Cesar Chavez is buried here, and a monument in his memory was recently erected.
  
  
• Further up the road towards Tehachapi is the world famous Tehachapi Loop, built in the early 1870's and still considered one of the seven railroading wonders of the world. The trains coming up the pass go through a tunnel and loop around a small mountain before crossing over the tunnel and continuing up the pass. This allowed the tail end of the train to gain enough elevation so that the steam powered locomotive could pull it the rest of the way up the pass and on through Mojave to Los Angeles. The pass still averages 37 freight trains a day.
  
  
• Tehachapi is a growing community located at 4,000 ft. elevation at the easternmost point of the Tehachapi mountains. The local economy was primarily oriented around fruit orchards and other agriculture until the Monolith Cement Plant was built in the 1940's. The plant looks like an invasion from Mars the way it's lit up at night. John Fahey even recorded a song about it on one of his early albums.
  
  
• Bakersfield lies about 30 miles to the west, 3000 ft below Hart Flat. It's now a vibrant town of nearly half a million in the greater area. It has an interesting multi-faceted music scene with lots of local talent. Bakersfield's most famous star, Buck Owens, sadly passed away recently, but his nightclub the Crystal Palace is still going strong. It has a museum of Buck's old costumes, guitars and memorabilia including the Cadillac that the famous Nudie (flashy western wear maker to the LA cowboy stars) made for Elvis.