2003 Mt. Baldy 200km Brevet

Images by Chris Kostman, RBA, March 8, 2003:
La Tuna Canyon, Azusa CP, Glendora Mountain Road, Mt. Baldy Village, Azusa, and Finish

More Brevets - Mt. Baldy 200km Home

A quite chilly morning turned into a perfect riding day for the thrity-seven riders who took on our third annual Mt. Baldy 200km Brevet on Saturday, March 8. Among them was Regional Brevet Administrator Chris Kostman, who actually gets to ride one or two of these events each year! The urban tour of the upscale communities of the San Gabriel Valley such as Sierra Madre, Pasadena, and Glendora provided a great warm up as the riders made their way due east towards their date with The Big Mountain. A checkpoint in Azusa run by Scott Smith provided an opportunity to refuel before tackling Glendora Mountain Road, the tiny bikes-and-hikers-only ribbon of road that leads onto the flanks of Mt. Baldy.

It was a whole new world up on G.M.R. due to the massive wildfire that torched this region late last year. The destruction of the overgrowth was sad to see, but it was still a beautiful locale and one has to remember that wildfires are an intrinsic part of the natural cycle of things.

As a bonus, G.M.R. has been closed to motorized traffic ever since the fire, making one of California's best cycling roads that much nicer for our group of intrepid brevet riders.

The 200km route is a lollipop with a long stick: out and back from Pacoima’s Hansen Dame Recreation Area to Glendora and back, plus the 45 mile loop up to Mt. Baldy on G.M.R. and then back around via Upland and San Dimas. The ride altogether had 8800 feet of total elevation gain, of which 4300 feet were in that 45 mile Baldy loop in the middle.

The Mt. Baldy Village checkpoint, run by Debbie Dolphin Caplan, was a welcome oasis in the mountains with good food, all manner of refueling opportunities, plus Subway sandwiches. It was enjoyed by all and so was what followed: a bombing downhill off the flanks of Mt. Baldy to initiate the return “back to the barn.”

It was about three times faster to get back to Azusa from Mt. Baldy, as compared to climbing the other direction. There, Scott Smith waited diligently for all the riders to pass through and refuel before continuing their adventure ride back along the San Gabriel Valley. After passing the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, with seemingly thousands of locals out enjoying their bikes, running shoes, soccer, kite flying and much more, the brevet riders could smell the barn and bee-lined back to Pacoima. The descent down La Tuna Canyon was a welcome “free speed” section and then it was over: at the 200km mark, Laurie Hennessy awaited with sodas and smiles for all the brave riders. Thirty-five of the 37 completed the course, bonded with Mt. Baldy, and spent a wonderful day on the bike. We thank them all.

Special thanks to the volunteers for their efforts:

• Pioneer Park, Azusa: Scott Smith
  
• Mt. Baldy Village: Deborah Claplan
• Finish Line: Laurie Hennessy