Season Wrap-Up: The 2001 AdventureCORPS Southern California Brevet SeriesBy Perry Swan Smith NOTE: The 2002 Furnace Creek 508 bicycle race was dedicated to Perry Swan Smith, along with Jonathan Abalone Arnow. For more info, click here.
"You gotta' do PBP." Everyone who has ridden the Paris-Brest-Paris randonée says it. "So, you've done Paris-Brest-Paris?” I ask. "Yep, you gotta' do PBP." It almost sounds like one long word now. YougottadoPBP. The 2001 AdventureCorps Southern California Brevet Series offered me a convenient opportunity to get some randoneering experience while building base miles for other ultra-distance events. The price was right, the rides would be launched locally, and the pacing would be comfortable brevet style. However, being all too familiar with AdventureCORPS' Chris Kostman's penchant for extreme challenges (Furnace Creek 508, Badwater Ultra Marathon, etc.), I should have expected a little extra. The AdventureCORPS Southern California Brevet Series introduced local riders to a new randoneering experience with a series best described as a trial by fire. Surprisingly tough for brevets these are uniquely challenging rides. Tough, scenic, and barely a junk mile in the bunch. The 200K was a manageable and mostly suburban affair detoured by snow. The 300K was a hard-hitting 185-miler with 13,000' of climbing. We enjoyed great weather, inspiring ocean vistas and stimulating descents offered just compensation. The 400K, held in early May was a brutal death march that decimated a starting field of 27 down to a paltry remnant of 9 drawn and quartered survivors. The 600K was predictably long, hot, and demanding. The 200K: "Basic" RandoneuringThe 200K launched eastward from Pacoima and traversed LA's northern neighborhoods, past Pasadena's Rose Bowl to Glendora Mountain. At Glendora Mountain Road we began an earnest climb that was to take us to our outward-most controle (63 mi.) at Mt. Baldy. The first 9-10 miles up the mountain went fine, then...Snow on the ground! The further we climbed, the more unplowed snow, and the more it seemed we wouldn't be able to complete the passage to the controle. Before long we met lead riders who had turned back. Not passable they said. But curiosity drove David Nakai and I to continue and find out for ourselves maybe collect some evidence since he had a camera. It couldn't be that bad. Soon we were walking our bikes, then carrying them, and finally trudging through virgin banks of decent ski pack. From one point we could see the road wind ahead for almost 2 miles. Snowbound. Time to turn around. By now we were 5 or 6 riders including Charlie Grifface, Chuck Bramwell, David and myself. As soon as we could, we remounted and skidded back across patches of ice and wet pavement. As we neared the snow line, we met ride promoter Chris Kostman, Debbie Caplan and two others heading into the snow. Undaunted, like us before, they couldn’t be persuaded to turn back. We never saw them again...that day. To make up for the foreshortened course, we were directed to do makeup loops around the Rose Bowl on the return. I finished a little before sunset with 123 miles. This was a good tough ride that required a good fitness base to complete comfortably. I learned later that Kostman and cohorts had found themselves hopelessly outflanked by a snowed-in Glendora Mountain Road. By the time they realized it was an impassable route, they had made the passage. Low on water, unequipped for night riding, and short of time, they groped their way to the finish having eaten snow for hydration and having rummaged Radio Shacks en route for barely adequate lighting solutions. The 200K was nothing more than a typical day-ride with nothing to distinguish it as a brevet. It imparted no particular lessons in randoneering. It did, however, breach the 100-mile barrier calling on some reserves of fitness and attention to nutrition. The 300K: Into The NightI left the start point—a West LA Starbucks—around 6:00am and finished around 11:30pm. More than 17 hours to cover 186 miles. Part of the reason was a series of missed turns early in the ride. Another was the 13,000 feet of climbing. After a 4-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway we turned inland to climb Topanga Canyon Road into LA's scenic Santa Monica Mountains. The mountains' proximity to the Ocean kept them shrouded in mist in the morning and bathed in bright, crisp sunlight throughout the day. After a stop at the first controle at the idyllically nestled "Lake Malibou," the toughest stretch on the outward leg carried us over a stiff, hot climb back over the range to the ocean. Then for 30 miles, favorable winds pushed us north along the coast through two controles. Eventually we turned inland again, this time for a gentle but steady climb to Ojai and the fourth controle at Premananda Child's "Friends Juice Bar." Returning via Santa Paula and Moorpark, nightfall caught us at the next controle at the home of Chris Kostman's gracious friend Adrienne. Debbie Caplan and I paired up for the finish. Her knowledge of the area's roads and climbs made navigating the final climbs back through the Santa Monicas much less of a chore than if we had navigated by route sheets alone. After several climbs totaling 1500'-2000' we arrived cold and hungry at the mountaintop home of "Jeanne," Kostman's hair stylist. There we were warned of a fallen tree on an upcoming fast, steep, and technical descent. Good thing. We took evasive measures. This was the brevet, probably by design, that takes most riders into, but not through, the night. The 300K is a great experience that points out the needs of the night: lighting, safety, clothing, partnership. And though this was a seriously tough ride for a brevet, it was also an unparalleled scenic tour. A beauty and a beast. The 400K: All Day and All NightThis ride starts, prophetically, at what used to be The Valencia Inn (Now Best Western)—the starting point for the Furnace Creek 508 bike race--and takes you from Valencia to Valencia to Valencia. It would have been enough to manage three out-and-back loops covering 250 miles. But being an AdventureCorps production, we had to face the added challenge of 9,000 feet of climbing in the first 90 miles and another 10,000 feet spread over the final 160 miles. Worse, from mile 14 to around mile 40 we endured steep climbs over virtually abandoned, un-maintained, "historical" road surfaces pocked with sand pits and potholes. That no one went down was a miracle. Fortunately, the descents were not too technical, not too fast, and free of dangerous spots. After the first controle, the route followed mile after mile of lightly trafficked, scenic back roads. But the cumulative effect of the earlier climbing and onset of midday heat conspired to slow things down for the final miles of the first loop. The second loop climaxed at the 5000-foot Angeles Crest Summit. By then we had spent the last hour of daylight carving up a spectacular nine-mile ascent over newly refinished roads with the only traffic being a lone forest ranger. Terry Hutt and I shared the lighting and navigation, ground our way 1500 feet to the summit, and landed back in Valencia around 10:30-11:00pm. An hour later we headed back out for the final loop. The highlight of this ride was the gentle, moonlit climb up Boquet Canyon. For 20 miles Terry and I cruised over smooth, quiet asphalt under shadows cast by overhanging trees. The final loop on this brute of a ride tested our fitness, pacing and perseverance. We stopped whenever we needed a break from the climbing or when we got sleepy. We knew it would eventually end if we kept the bikes moving. I would do it again. Many would not. We finished around 7:00am after several naps and battery changes. There was no way to finish this ride without reserves of fitness and resolve. The first 90 miles was a punishing test of your ability to absorb punishment while looking forward to longer distances and even more overall climbing on later stages. This 250 miles seemed tougher than any 300-mile stretch of the Furnace Creek 508 race. The 400K brevet applied the lessons learned in the previous two brevets: prepare well; it gets dark, it gets cold, eat, drink, keep the bike moving. The 600K: Final ExamSo, what have we learned so far? Get through this one and you'll be a randonneur. Stretching our endurance from Simi Valley to Pismo Beach and back, via Ojai in both directions, the AdventureCORPS 600K brevet covered half the distance of a typical 1200K and most of the climbing. At 372 miles and 21,000 feet, this was another exceedingly challenging ride. Curiously though, even with greater distance spread over nearly two full days of riding, the 600K didn't leave nearly as indelible an impression as the notorious 400K. The toughest stretch of this ride was the 3- to 4-hour climb out of Ojai to the controle at Pine Mountain Summit. This extended ascent coursed upward at a steady 5-7%, the altitude gain doing little to offset the rising mid-day temperatures. Afterwards we traveled rural roads flanked by a mixture of alpine fauna and desert shrub. Crossing into Santa Barbara County, a favorable tailwind pushed us past the town of New Cuyama, vanished, then became a strong headwind that persisted for 25 miles until the next controle. Chris Kostman manned the 143-mile controle. There I took a longer break to mount lights, eat a sandwich and visit with nature. Leaving on the final outward leg, the terrain flattened out and I arrived at the Pismo Beach controle just after nightfall. At the Pismo controle, where my drop bag was waiting, I put on warmer clothes, clear glasses, downed 3 or 4 bottles of liquid food and headed back out with Ron Way and Paul Vlasfeld. I battled drowsiness all the way back to the Kostman controle at the 227-mile point. Awake and alert by then, I was doubtful about my ability to go on safely without a sleep break. Chris offered me a space blanket and lounge chair as well as the front seat in Debbie's SUV. I decided to sleep for a couple of hours. After learning that the tandem of Dan Crain and Amy Beck was en route to this controle on the return leg, I decided I would take a nap and finish the ride with them. They arrived an hour later and pitched a tent, so we all slept until 6:00am. We pulled out at around 6:15am at the tail end of the remaining riders. Chris and Debbie provided close support until we neared New Cuyama and then we were on our own for 25 or 30 miles. After a stop at the 284-mile "Halfway Cafe" controle we faced a hot but short climb back to Pine Mountain Summit. Then we descended for most of the remaining 30 miles to the "Friends" controle. But coming into Ojai, the route sheet carried us over a bruising "shortcut" called Fairview Road. Less than 3 miles from the controle we found ourselves grunting and cursing over a tight mile-and-a-half residential road with 10-12% grades. An excessive, anger-inducing harassment was the only purpose we could imagine. This one had the mark of Chris Kostman written all over it. We arrived at the control plotting to take revenge on our sadistic and malicious brevet organizer. But serious contemplation and introspection over the final distance to the finish mellowed our annoyance into forgiveness. Besides, Chris wasn't there when we arrived. Ride Director Scott Sheff drove out and cheered us on for the last five miles, validated our brevet cards, and congratulated us more than was necessary. With no Kostman around to chew on, Dan Crain, Amy Beck and I posed for pictures, congratulated each other and drove home. My Overall ImpressionOverall a challenging series of well-organized and well-tended rides. The upfront costs are fitness and a good ultra-distance attitude. You could't come into the 2001 AdventureCORPS Brevet Series with the expectation of using it as a fitness builder. You will probably survive the 200K, but come prepared to tackle 9000 feet of climbing on the 200K and expect the effort to increase significantly from there. I couldn't recommend this series to the casual randonneur. These rides—especially the 300K and 400K—may discourage some neophyte ultra riders. I would consider the AdventureCORPS brevets as a "bridge" series. That is, these rides are most beneficial to those with 1200K (PBP-/BMB-level) ambitions and, perhaps, a RAAM qualifier in mind. It will help to have a good reason when overworked legs, fatigue and a rebelling mind demand an answer to the inevitable question: "Why am I doing this?" The great thing about the AdventureCORPS series is the support. All you need to do is navigate and ride your bike. There is little or no need to go foraging in Seven-Elevens or scrounging for water from remote homesteads. In short, you forego some of the rustic demands of self-sufficiency in exchange for a season of supreme physical challenges. KYUDOFrom Master Osaki, a contemporary Japanese Imperial Guard: "You don't aim to hit the target in Kyudo. You get the posture right. The arrow goes to the target of its own accord." (National Geographic, January, 2001) Note from Chris Kostman: We are doing some tweaking of routes and plans for next year, so please don't be put off by Perry's somewhat over-zealous comments about the difficulty of our Brevet Series! Thanks to Perry for riding all of them so well and being so supportive! |
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