Things are changing — 15–20 years ago your riding buddies believed a brake was required for the run down to Athenian, and now teenagers do it brakeless. After watching a few MUni riders clear Chaparral Trail at JMP without brakes recently, I would question the idea that “the dirt” makes a brake mandatory. No strong opinion though.
That is too bad. Now the Top‑10 PB results are on 36" or geared. You were the only hope. 
Thanks! I have it in my notes but not in the table. What is a little confusing to me is that here Crank length and hill climbs - #6 by tholub you wrote in 2007 that the last time you did Mount Diablo you did it on a 29er with 125 mm cranks after having used 150 mm for your previous attempts. If you were writing about MDC, that suggests you had at least three rides before 2007, but I have only found two. Did you possibly ride in 1999–2001? I also cannot believe that you stopped in 2009.