Bear Creek Road

Los Gatos to Santa Cruz via Bear Creek Road

Rainy night's drive from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz via Bear Creek Road, through patches of fog, up and down the Santa Cruz Mountains, twisting around switchbacks, on roads with no shoulders, illumination, or road surface marking, with what I later realized was only one working low-beam headlamp (it seemed to go out after using the high beams).

It wasn't great. It was amazing. And dangerous. And rather reckless. I don't recommend it. At all. I stumbled into it blindly, following Waze rerouting me around a full closure of State Route 17.

I opened my window: heard gurgling of small waterfalls and tires splashes, smelled aromatic chimney smoke and petrichor from redwoods and ferns. It was primeval and electric.

Behind me, I shepherded another driver who refused to take the lead when I pulled aside early on. Tucking in the side view mirror minimized reflected headlight glare during turns. Waze GPS alerted me to upcoming turns and switchbacks.

After about 10-15 minutes of this I began to feel more confidence and less disquiet and alarm: move slow, take each turn carefully, plan ahead using the GPS map, repeat and stay focused and don't get cocky.

Then road markings re-appeared, road illumination, and oncoming vehicles. By Felton, it was routine roadway.

Lesson learned: take Highway 9 or 101 south to Watsonville area instead.

Link:
https://localwiki.org/santacruz/Bear_Creek_Road

https://localwiki.org/santacruz/Highway_17