Indeed, the way Rick went is quite a bit longer, but still very scenic from San Marcos Pass to the La Cumbre Fire Lookout, then meeting Gibraltar Road. From Gibraltar Road, I recall it being about 17 miles to Big Caliente. Growing up in Santa Barbara, we had many friends who lived near Mountain Drive and Coyote Road, so it really wasn't too far to make the pilgrimage to the Calientes. In the old days, there were absolutely no houses off of Gibraltar Road. DCR, you probably noticed some pretty big houses now! The little Sunburst Farms communeis still there... you probably saw a cluster of buildings over halfway up where the road does a slight dip. Also, the hang gliders launch off the mountain just above the commune. We had many, many days where we had Big and Little to ourselves. The concrete tub at Big used to be in so much better shape. None of the Little Caliente improvements were present, but I must admit I like the way the pools there are set up now.
