Special thanks to the volunteers for their tireless efforts on behalf of this event and its participants!

• CP1: Deborah Caplan and Candis Johns
• Secret Controle: Chris Kostman and Candis Johns
• CP2: Deborah Dolphin Caplan
• CP3: Dave Powell and Fred White
• CP4: Ken Kistinger
• CP5: Lynn Katano
• CP6: Jeff Tamminga
• Roving SAG: Chris Kostman and Deborah Caplan

Special thanks to Jeanne Davis and her family for letting us use their driveway for CP6 up on Saddle Peak, above Topanga Canyon.

Special thanks to Charlie Liskey, Frank McKernan and Mike Sturgill for their generous contributions to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

An earlier than usual start time of 0500 hours led a hardy band of 49 riders down the coast from Malibu for a seven mile warm-up before the climbing began in earnest. There, Topanga Canyon was the first of many hurdles that day, which would also include Old Topanga Canyon, Mulholland Highway, Little Sycamore, Yerba Buena, Cotharin, and more – and that was just in the first 50 miles, which included over 5000’ of climbing. Along the way, fuel was provided at the first CP at enchanting Malibou Lake, then on the coast at La Jolla Cove. All the riders also thankfully passed the “secret controle” high in the mountains, proof that nobody “inadvertently” took any short cuts during the morning’s mountain climbing. Deborah Dolphin Caplan, Candis Johns, and Chris Kostman did double duty at these early stops. The descent down Deer Creek to PCH was a memorable “flight” for everybody.

Next was a pretty quick shot up the coast through Oxnard to Ventura, then the gentle grade into beautiful Ojai, home of Sarzotti Park and CP3, run by veteran riders Dave Powell and Fred White. This marked the halfway mark, more or less, at mile 98. The frontrunners, a trio of stalwarts who intentionally worked together all day long after meeting up on Topanga Canyon in the morning, covered this distance in under six hours. Nobody in the group needed the full allowance of ten and a half hours, not even close.

This was the warm part of the ride, but never broke 75 degrees. All day, "the weather just couldn’t make up its mind" as it strayed between cloudy and hinting at rain, then breaking clear and providing beautiful blue sky and sunshine. Generally speaking, the winds were favorable, though solitary riders did struggle a bit on the way back to the coast after passing CP4 on Grimes Canyon. This CP was located on an incredible viewpoint above the funky "graffiti" carved into the dirt hillsides. The location was chosen on the spot by Ken Kistinger, a regular volunteer and recent finisher of the Solvang 100 after losing 60 pounds of body weight. What a guy!

After the humps out of Ojai Valley and over Grimes Canyon, this flat stretch to the coast, then down the coast on PCH, was a welcome respite before the heavy-duty climbing began again on Mulholland Hwy.

Reaching CP5 at Leo Carillo State Park at the base of Mulholland, riders refueled, prepared lights, and pysched themselves up for the final assault on the Santa Monica Mountains. This preparatory effort was enhanced by the welcome presence of Lynn Katano, a regular Planet Ultra rider who was here “slaving away” on behalf of the riders (after getting in a good ride in the morning). There were still 43 miles to go, including a ten mile climb up Mulholland from PCH, plus a five mile climb up Stunt Rd and across Saddle Peak to the final CP at Chris Kostman’s hair stylist’s house. Riders heaped praise on Jeff Tamminga, the volunteer who helped put the riders back together for the final push back to Malibu. To do that, riders enjoyed an epic, bombing descent down Tuna Canyon to the final stretch down PCH to the finish. There, the ever cheerful Deborah Caplan and/or Chris Kostman welcomed the riders across the finish line.

During the day, one rider had to DNF after damaging his bike in a fall. A few others called it a day and took a shorter route home from Leo Carillo. But two riders, both of whom had ridden valiantly all day long and stayed well enough of the cut-offs to make it home officially, had to sadly DNF. One, Raul Cordero, had his headlight go dead on Mulholland and had to be SAGged in by Debbie Caplan. She’d gone looking for him after the conditions at CP6 atop Saddle Peak had gone from great to misty to rainy to pea-soup fog, making riding with or without a light a recipe for disaster. The other, Marvin Tortoise Field, had rallied from being just ahead of the cut-offs to a full three hours ahead of them in his low-slung trike HPV. But Debbie had to steer him off course and down Malibu Canyon after the conditions at CP6 had become too treacherous. Tough breaks for both of these fine riders!

Despite the 5am start, only about seven riders managed to finish my sunset. Those with altimeters clocked around 13,700’ of total elevation, but all said "it seemed like more." A total of 49 riders began the route, of which 8 DNF’d and thus 41 finished officially. Chris Kostman rode the route solo on the previous Thursday in a time of 15:18, becoming an honorary but official 50th finisher.

Mike Sturgill of the Bull-shifters club from Arizona had this to say:
"The plunge down Deer Creek Road was 2.3 miles and 1330' for an average gradient of -11%. This was the most thrilling piece of road I've ever ridden! The vistas overlooking the ocean on this section were breathtaking... literally. This was an amazing ride that I rank up there with Solvang as the "best" double. I (we Bullshifters) also think that this ride is more difficult than Heartbreak, even though the elevation gain on Heartbreak is greater. Your description of this ride as 'Epic' was spot on! I'm looking forward to doing this ride again next year."

More Brevets - 2001 300km Results and Show - 2002 300km Results and Show