So how the heck did I end up as the Race Director for Coyote Two Moons???
Great question. Honestly, I’m still asking myself the same thing every time I’m hanging up trail marker with three minutes until the start.

Around 2011 or 2012 it all started when Chris and Sue packed up their adventure gear and moved to the mystical land of Brrrmont a place where maple syrup flows like water and trail shoes are basically formal wear. After they left, Chris handed me a bunch of C2M race buckets and was like, “Hey, could you maybe, sort of, kind of keep the spirit of Coyote Two Moons alive with a FatAss-style event? You know...loose, fun, not super official. Oh, and people still get a buckle.”

Now, I don’t remember if I was flattered, confused, or just caught in a sugar crash at the time, but somehow I agreed. And so, every year since then, we’ve gathered a ragtag crew of runners, weirdos, and trail goblins to put on what I can only describe as the most gloriously disorganized event west of the Mississippi.

It’s definitely what you’d call a barebones operation no aid stations with fancy gels, no timing chips, and the only medal you’re getting is probably a mosquito bite. But you know what? Somehow, against all odds, a handful of brave (and slightly unhinged) runners always finish. And yes, they still get their buckle because traditions matter, dang it.

So here we are. Still running. Still laughing. Still wondering who left that cooler full of lukewarm water an coke at mile 17.

 Then in 2022, things got real. Out of the blue, Mike Scarber hits me up and says, “Hey... what if we officially brought Coyote Two Moons back as a real, honest-to-goodness event again?”

Naturally, I assumed he was either joking, delirious from a 100-miler, But nope he was serious. So, we both put on our thinking caps (which, for the record, are just trucker hats that smell like tailwind and sweat) and started scheming.

First, we called in the cavalry our fellow RD’s Luis Escobar, Howard Cohen, and Mike Epler. We basically formed a Trail Race Justice League, except with less spandex and more spreadsheets. Everyone was super supportive and somehow didn’t run away screaming when we said the words “Re-birth of C2M” So that was promising.

Then came the big one we reached out to the man himself, Chris Scott (AKA Dirtysooze, Coyote Curmudgeon and so many more names 😊). We pitched him the idea, half-expecting him to laugh, hang up, or send us a cryptic riddle in response ( some of those e-Mail I will never understand). But instead, he was totally onboard. Boom. The old coyote gave us his blessing, and we were off to the races literally.

We started planning for a glorious resurrection of C2M in May 2023. Permits, maps, trail scouting, inspirational playlists it was all coming together. We were ready to bring back the magic.

And then… Mother Nature decided to RSVP.

What we got was a once-in-50-years mega-storm. I’m talking biblical, frogs-might start falling from the sky kind of storm. It washed out several of our key trails and roads, turning our beautiful course into a giant slip ‘n slide of doom. Even now, you can still find signs of the trail damage, missing bridges, and probably a few lost aid station tables floating somewhere in the Pacific.

So yeah, the May 2023 comeback didn’t quite happen. But hey what’s a C2M revival without a little chaos, right?

Even after Mother Nature threw a full-blown tantrum and turned our 2023 course into a mud-slick obstacle course from hell, we stayed weirdly optimistic. We were determined to give it another go. The plan? C2M 2024. Bigger. Better. Less likely to be underwater.

But then just one month before the planned rebirth of Coyote Two Moon in 2023 we got the heartbreaking news that Chris Scott had passed away.

It was a gut punch. Chris was more than just the original RD; he was the soul of the race. The guy who made you believe that a buckle wasn't just a piece of metal it was a badge of survival through chaos, elevation, and probably some gastrointestinal distress. He wouldn’t be there to see C2M come back to life, and that hit hard.

But even in the face of that loss, Mike and I stayed positive (well, trail-runner positive, which is a mix of grim determination and eating handfuls of trail mix while crying slightly). We pushed ahead and pulled off not one but two comeback editions C2M 2023 and 2024. And yeah, there were moments of chaos, confusion, and at least one guy who ran 5 miles in the wrong direction and someone blazing their own trail off of Chief Peak, but that’s the spirit of Coyote Two Moon, baby!

Now let me say this loud and clear:

Mike Scarber is the reason you have Coyote Two Moon today.

He’s the guy who reached out, got the ball rolling, made the calls, and helped drag this magical beast of a race back into the world. Without Mike, you’d all be at home right now, not hallucinating on a mountain in the middle of the night with 6,000 feet of climbing left to go. So, really thank him later. Or now. With Topa Topa Beer.

Earlier this year, Mike made the tough call to step down as Co-RD. After carrying the torch through three years of chaos, mudslides, emotional rollercoasters, and endless planning, he passed the baton (or more accurately, the trail flag) to let someone else suffer I mean, lead.

So if you're out there running, hiking, volunteering, or hallucinating that you're being chased by a talking chipmunk just know: you're part of a legacy that’s messy, magical, and full of heart.

And that, my friends, is how I became the Race Director of Coyote Two Moons.

I've been mooning since 2008, and let me tell you... I’ve done it in the rain,in the snow, in the heat, in the pitch black, upside down (emotionally), and several times while deeply questioning my life choices somewhere high in the Ojai Mountains.

But every time, it’s been unforgettable. Not always comfortable, mind you but always epic.

Now it’s your turn.
The trails are calling.
The coyotes are howling.
And the moon is, well... doing its thing.

So... when will you join the madness?
Come moon with us. Just don’t forget your sense of humor.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2008

Let me take you back to 2008, when I first met Chris and honestly.  I tend to be a bit reserved, the type who usually hangs out quietly in the background. But Chris? Somehow, with his unstoppable energy, genuine kindness, and absolutely zero judgment, he managed to pull me right out of my shell faster than I ever thought possible. It was like he had this magical superpower for making people feel instantly comfortable, like you could just be your true self without any pressure or pretense.

Meeting Chris wasn’t just meeting a new person it was meeting a whirlwind of positivity and encouragement. His vibe made it easy to drop the walls and just embrace the moment, which is pretty incredible when you consider how hard that can be sometimes.

So here’s my race report from that unforgettable 2008 experience something I’m still grateful for every day. Thanks to Chris, I not only found my stride in the race but also in life, feeling freer, lighter, and way more myself than ever before. Seriously, Chris, you’re a legend. Thank you for being you! I have some big shoes (or Dirtysooze) to fill :)

2008 Coyote Two Moons Ultra

By Mauricio Puerto

After completing H.U.R.T 100 2008, I had no plan whatsoever to run another 100 miles until early fall of this year. Well I had to go to California in March for work . I started looking around for some races and found a couple: Rucky Chucky 50k and the Pirates Cove Trail Run organized by Coast Trail Run’s. Then one day while ordering some gear from Zombie Runners, I noticed that they had an event calendar flipping through and there it was: the Coyote Two Moons Ultra 100mi. The more I read about it and the more I wanted to be in it! However, I was a bit disappointed when I found out that the race had already filled. Nevertheless, I was not going to give it up so easily, so I sent an e-mail to RD Chris Scott (AKA Chief Idiot). His response was” The race is full, try next year”. That’s when I found out that I am a 100-mile addict and that I was not giving up that easily! After a couple of more e-mails the race director let me in. He made it clear though that I should “Reconsider doing the event if I was doing it for its race potential”, in fact he added “We’d prefer runners come for the challenge of the format”. So, it was January 28, only 8 days after HURT 100 and there I was signed up for another 100miler. I was still in the recovery phase and had no idea how to train for this new challenge. I knew the race was going to be tougher since there was over 28,000 feet of elevation gain, and I was going to run through two nights. When I filled out my application I asked if I could start in the 35hr group considering the extra elevation and extra loss of sleep. Training for this race was not easy as I was still recovering from HURT 100. My longest run was 40mi (2 HURT loops) which meant I wasn’t well trained for this ! (March 21, 2008) Coyote Two Moons started at Rancho Grande in Rose Valley CA in the Los Padres National Forest.

We gathered at the ranch on Friday morning to pick up our race packs which included a nice Patagonia jacket! I drove back down the mountain to drop off my kids and one of my running buddies hooked me up with a ride back up the hill (thanks Tom) for the start. By the time I made it back to Rancho Grande the first group had already started. The 6 pm group was the biggest about 30 of us. I saw one familiar face, Andy Kumeda from HURT 08. It was finally time to set off for C2MU and my adrenalin level was skyrocketing. I found myself walking the first parts of the climb about 2.5mi to reach the ridge. Once on the ridge I started to run the flats and downhill. The views were spectacular as you could see all the way to Catalina Island. I paused for a couple of minutes to take in the sunset and was feeling pretty good. By mile 6 my right foot was starting to hurt but didn’t think much of it at first. However, by mile 7 I had to stop and checked if I had a rock in my shoe or if my orthotics were incorrectly placed in my shoes. By mile 9 I could no longer run and was barely walking. I sat down on a boulder with my shoes off and started to massage my arch, the pain was excruciating. For 30 + minutes I kept on massaging my right foot arch while thinking if that was the end of C2MU for me. No way! I threw my shoe back on and limped to the first aid station at about mile 10. Here I continued massaging my foot till I realized that my shoelace was way too tight. It started to feel better, and I thought I could continue to Sisar Canyon.

The next section consisted of 8 miles downhill, for those of you who know me downhill is where I excel and I was able to make up some of that time I had lost. This part was not technical, just wide-open fire roads. The sun was gone, and we were left with our Petzl lights. I arrived at the bottom of Sisar Canyon 17 mile in, filled up on fluids and food and I hit the trail after a 5-minute rest. The next section was supposed to be the hardest part of the race. One starts at 1600ft and ends up at nearly 6000ft in less than 8 mi. As usual I suffered going uphill but had an interesting conversation with Rod Dickson about all the runs he had completed, and this was supposed to be an anniversary run for him. I ended up climbing to the bottom of Topa Peak quite well passing 3 other runners. At the bottom of Topa Peak chief idiot greeted us at the 3rd aid station. He explained that at the top of Topa Peak I should find a deck of cards and that I needed to bring back one to prove I climbed the 30% grade switch backs to the top. At this point the moon was so bright I did not need the use of lights. About 500mt from top there was snow, and I had to be really cautious! I arrived at the top and the moon lit up all of Ventura County. On my way down I passed up a couple of people and made it back down to the aid station to turn in my 7 spades to Chris. He gave me a shot of Jack Daniel Ugh! I garishly declined, topped off the pack and bottles and headed off for the next stage.

Stage two was a first-rate technical section of single track. It started to get cold as I made my way down the valley; I stopped to put on my gloves, hat, knee warmers and jacket. After a couple of streams crossings, I arrived at Rose Valley campground. It was COLD (later someone told me it was 29F). I got some hot soup and headed to higher elevation to get warmer. The uneventful climb back up to the aid station at the bottom of Topa Peak was tough due to the fact I was cold, and my knees started to hurt. At this point I was 40 miles into C2MU and was feeling pretty good considering the fact that only after 9 miles I was going to quit. The next part would take me from 5500ft to 1500ft in 10 mi. I was pretty much solo on this section and had lots of time soaked in the last of the moon light and watched the early morning sun rise. I did not suffer from sleep deprivation but was glad to see the eastern horizon starting to light up. About 1 mi from Thatcher aid station, I ran into Andy who told me that the aide station personnel were not there and our drop bags would not be there. As I reached the aid station, I realized that they were just starting to set up. I rummaged through the boxes looking for food, gels and water; the drop bags were missing so I did not have my usual Enervit liquid gels and Cliff blocks. I grabbed what I could from the boxes and headed back up Thatcher, besides not having my usual energy stuff that was in my drop bag, I missed my visor. This was one item I would have liked to have for this record temperature day. The first runner was estimated to arrive at 8:00 and it was 7:50. I was the 6th to arrive; can you say sandbaggers?

As I climbed out the sun started to beat down on us and cook us good. I made it back up on Ojai Ridge and headed back to Rose Valley campground. The road back down to Rose Valley was steep; my guesstimate was about 35% grade. After a 2mi downhill I arrive at the campground grabbed some shade, took off my shoes changed my Injinji, found my other visor ( thanks God I put one in every bag). At this point I was 62miles into C2M I was still feeling good and ready for the next stage. The climb out was HOT. It was about noon, and I felt like I was in a dryer on permanent press cycle. I reached the top and a nice cool breeze started to blow across Ojai Ridge. The next 2.5 miles took us west across Ojai Ridge to Gridley Top aid station. This was the start of a 6 mile downhill with some semi technical single track down to Gridley aid station. At the aid station I topped off with fluids and started to hike out. Our second night was approaching as the sun started to set. Now I was starting to feel the lack of sleep….. I reached Gridley Top aid station and was greeted by RD Chris Scott he was dressed up as an Easter Bunny – that’s a way of helping you stay awake! Took in a couple of laughs with the EB, ate some real food for the first time (4 QUESADILLAS) and off for the last section.

It was mile 78 and I was hurting; from Gridley Top aid station you had a 1-mile hike to the top of Nordhoff Peak and once on top the fire road winded down for .5 miles followed by 6 miles of downhill single track called Pratt/Cozy Dell trails. About ½ ways through I got confused and did not know which trail to take. After a phone call to my buddy Tom (he has been running in the area since 1999) I still could not clearly make a decision. I remained high, hoping for the best and about 30 minutes later I ran into Andy again. I felt better that I was on the right track. I wished him good luck, and a strong finish and we were off in positions directions. By this time, I thought I was ¾ of way down. That’s what I thought! Let me tell you: Cozy Dell trail NEVER ENDS! Just when you think you are at the bottom there are more switchbacks. It was dark again for the second night and Nick Ham (from the UK) had caught me on the final switchbacks. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we both reached the bottom of Cozy Dell trail. At the aid station I fueled up and talked with Nick a bit, drank some warm soup and off again.

I was pretty much spent at this point and extremely disliked the idea that I had to hike back to Nordhoff Peak 4500ft from 400 ft so it would be at least 3 to 3.5 hr. before I reached Nordhoff Peak then another 45 min to Gridley Top aid station. I found it hard to keep up with Nick but every time I would start to fall back I would remind myself that if I was alone I would not as go as fast. About 2.5 mi into the climb we saw a light moving fast down the switch backs as it got closer I saw a hat with a wind mill on top, we exchanged our usual “ looking good” comments and noticed it was Karl Meltzer. Remember Nick and I started C2MU at 6:00 pm on Friday 21 March. Karl started on 22 March at 6:00am the man was flying!!! Anyway I struggled all the way to Nordhoff Peak with Nick leading the whole way (Thanks Nick, you kept me going on Cozy Dell). We reached the top and turned on our lights to navigate the short 1mi downhill to Gridley Top aid station. It was mile 95 at Gridley Top aid station. Nick wanted to stop but I continued the last 5 mi. I told him you should catch me on the last 1 mi uphill section. I reached the top without him and felt kind of guilty since he helped me out on that last climb. So, I waited a couple of minutes for him before the last decent down to the finish line. I was descending on the last miles of C2M and felt tired but the sense of accomplishment despite the lack of training took all my pains away. When we reached the last .5 mi, we noticed a light coming down the switch backs, moving fast. As we moved over to let him pass, he screamed out “Finish Strong”. It was Karl a sub 19:30 100mi. crazy fast!!! Yes, we tried but he was too fast my legs were finished. Nick and I crossed the finish line together on Sunday morning at 1:32 am for a total time of 31:32 hr. 15 and 16 on the GC. Coyote Two Moons was my first mainland 100mi and I have to say it was tough but very entertaining. The lack of sleep for two nights, extra hills and not knowing the trails took a toll on the body and mind. I will run it again next year just because it not a race but a 5 day party with some really interesting people. As for my next adventure I will be running the Tahoe Rim Trail 50mi in July, and I have been accepted to run in the PLAIN 100mi this September. I hope to train properly this time without broken limbs and injuries. See you all on the trail!!!

Mauricio