Grimes meets The Balcom Wall

Today, I visited a couple of old friends of mine- Grimes and Balcom Canyons.

You might have heard of these climbs uttered during previous Tours of California. Balcom is know as one of the steepest roads gauged at 22% and has been given the feared name- The Wall.

Todays ride started along the peaceful, rural road that is known as Guiberson in Piru. This stretch of asphalt rolls against the hillside through agricultural fields along the Santa Clara River. Guiberson ends at Highway 23 which heads south towards Moorpark. The road marches towards the bottom of one of the most characteristic climbs in Ventura County- Grimes Canyon. This road contains numerous switchbacks snaking up to the summit with rewards of amazing views and a fast descent on the other side.

Descending Grimes Canyon on the Moorpark side is fast and straight. A right-hand turn at Broadway heading west is one of the most scenic stretches of road through orange groves and ranch land. Broadway connects to Stockton Road until it ends at Balcolm Canyon.

The climb towards the backside of Grimes is alluring. The pace is comfortable and there's time to soak up the scenic beauty of the hills. I almost like to think of it as the calm before the storm. The road offers a small descent in time to recover for a right turn to The Wall. A couple short stingers soften the legs up for a slight turn revealing what looks to be a road that pitches straight up to the sky. Out of the saddle climbing with every ounce of leg strength is what is required to tackle this beast. A fantastic descent rewards the rider once again as the road dumps you out to South Mountain Road between Santa Paula and Fillmore. A right turn offers 12 miles of smooth, rolling road back to the car.

An amazingly difficult 37 miles ride through majestic orange groves with two, small fierce climbs makes this one of my favorite routes.