Looking Forward to Deer Turd

Looking for change and excitement? Head to Deer Trail, CO, it is ripe with history, mystery, adventure, and fun . . . or something like that. I haven't spent much time in town per se, but I have passed through a couple times. Read the town's history, it is interesting to know that a cemetery was platted at the same time as the town.

Despite the Deer Trail race being "pre-reg" only, the promoter has decided to open the afternoon groups for race day registration as well with a small fee for this convenience. When I show up tomorrow and the wind is blowing at hurricane force, adding to the cold and possible rain from the forecast, you can be sure I will be cursing the promoter for duping us with the pre-reg only ruse. While I suspect there was no dishonesty intended, money is a powerful motivator.

Predicted race conditions are actually pretty typical for Deer Trail. I remember one year hearing the tornado siren going off at the start line while we were getting our instructions from the race official. We got sleeted on for a little bit, followed by some rain, and then it cleared up. I guess the wind is good for something. The race is usually won and lost in the crosswind sections since the headwind and tailwind bits tend to stay together. It is when you really have to fight for a draft, in the gutter, that the field starts coming apart.

Pinkerton and I got some practice in the wind yesterday, he on the TT bike, me on the road bike. The plan was to head out to Lookout, blast up it, and head home before it got dark. The wind had other plans for us. We fought our way out west, started up the extra credit loop in the neighborhood at the base of Lookout, decided 30 mile an hour wind combined with slow speeds of climbing wouldn't be all that entertaining so we put up the spinnaker and coasted home at a good clip.