Camino Cielo is Spanish for “Road to Heaven”. When the Spanish built the road over the ridge from Santa Barbara to Santa Ynez a few hundred years ago, it probably was nice. It has been abandoned for normal public use for many years. It is currently a service road used by the forest service and fire department. The current rainy season has not been kind to West Camino Cielo. I have ridden my Mt. bike over the complete section several times and portions of it many times. I have never seen it in as bad a shape as it was Wednesday. Rain water has carved some really deep and Narley ruts across and down the road.
At each one I had a choice of trying to ride over then, or walking over them. Of course, if things go wrong, I would end up riding many miles while leaking blood. If you are wandering what I decided, I will simply state that I can’t say that my mamma didn’t raise any fools, I can only say I was not one of them….
As bad as the tough climb of the dirt road was, the real problems that brought my ride to a screeching halt, occurred on the paved down hill portion.