2011 13th Annual Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge Report
Wonderful weather (cool and overcast most of the day) and more than 100 upbeat volunteers combined to make the 13th annual version of The Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge an unqualified success on Saturday, July 30.
About 100 bicyclists tackled the new (optional) 200K route, with its four spurs adding 6,000 feet of climbing to the same 10,000 feet for the 100-mile ride,
while the 100K riders climbed about 6,000 feet.
Jamison Creek Time Trial winners were Tim Gardin, 40, in 19:55 and Laura Stern, 49, in 23:14.
The day’s positive vibe may be summed up in one rider’s Monday morning comment to Director Maura Noel:
Thank you for putting on such a spectacular event! It was the first time I've done it,
and I thought it was one of the nicest events I've ever participated in.
Your volunteers were great, the food and drink were everything one could want, and the atmosphere was simply fantastic!
I am very grateful for all that was done in preparation and event management. Hope to be back next year!
Three Challenging Routes for 2011:
The Double Metric Challenge: New this year for those that want a longer distance and even more climbing is a double metric option. This is basically the century route with 4 spurs added. These include the tough climb of Black Road and the steep but short China Grade. About 124 miles (200 km).
200k Route Sheet, the Double Metric route sheet in xls format. 200k Map and down-loadable GPS info, the Double Metric Map and down-loadable GPS info.
The Century Challenge: From the redwoods to the ridge tops, come ride some of the most scenic and challenging roads in California while gaining over 11,000’ in elevation. Warm up with a Cat 2 climb on the famous Mt. Charley Road and then really get the heart rate elevated climbing Jamison Creek and Zayante Road. (This route is very similar to that used in 2008.) Finishers will surely have earned major bragging rights. About 100 miles.
100m Route Sheet, the Century route sheet in xls format. 100m Map and down-loadable GPS info, the Century Map and down-loadable GPS info.
The Metric Century Challenge: While not quite as strenuous as the century ride, the 65 mile route is by no means a wimpy ride. The course will cover some of the same roads as the full century. With 6,500’ in elevation, this route is clearly a challenge for the most experienced riders. Sharp switchbacks on steep descents will require alert technical riding. About 62 miles (100 km).
100k Route Sheet, the Metric Century route sheet in xls format. 100k Map and down-loadable GPS info, the Metric Century Map and down-loadable GPS info.
Downloading GPS data to GPS-enabled bike computers
Using the map link above for your chosen route (links to the ridewithgps.com site):
- go to the Overview tab to the right of the map
- click on the "Export" sub-tab,
- click on the download for the format recommended for your particular device.
We thank the following sponsors for their support:
Jamison Creek TT
Test your climbing ability against your peers on the Jamison Creek Time Trial.
Last updated 7/31/10, initial results and photos
are up. Questions can be directed here.
Volunteers Photos
Check out the folks who made it happen,
Click Here
Jamison Creek TT Results revised 8/4/09 have been posted. As you can see, there remain some issues. Not only was it a tough climb, the results posted 7/28/09 remain tough to wade through and are still not quite done. I've done some work and will post what I have but keep in mind: these results are still a work in progress and I will be changing things. If I don't have your name/number/time, it *might* be coming in an updated posting but until I'm done with the results, please hold off on your comments or "helpful suggestions." The riders' speed at the start pushed our staff to their limits to try and write down all rider numbers. Consequently, there are several riders missing start times. Combined with dozens of riders shouting out their numbers while staff were writing down other numbers, confusion reigned supreme. This will result in several riders not receiving times, including those riders vying for top times. I'm still applying the fine-toothed comb to the results but it may be some time before everything is ready to post. Keep checking back! Thank you, David Gill, Race Team Director
The Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge is put on by The Santa Cruz County Cycling
Club.
Proceeds from this annual event go to support the club's bicycling education
activities.
