23 Jun 2012: CO State IDPA Match

This was my first sanctioned IDPA match and it didn't get started off well. The website stated "first shots at 9:00" so I was there at 8:20 to discover that it started at 8:00. WTF? But they quickly got me out to the proper stage and explained things to me. From there on things were good. The high was supposed to be 99 but it never felt that hot. I did sunburn a little through the lotion but not badly. I do have to remember to grease up my arms though. I shot okay albeit slow. What killed my score was the simulated hard cover. Numerous targets were obscured with black paint to simulate being behind something that will stop a bullet. Naturally the A Zone where you get maximum points is the part that is being obscured so being off by an inch on two shots might change an otherwise perfect score to a complete miss on the target plus a failure to neutralize penalty on top of it. Ouch. The results haven't been published yet so I haven't been able to analyze it all yet but I know that was a big problem a number of times for me.

I didn't take many pictures - just a few to remember the stages by and show friends. I haven't uploaded anything yet but here are pictures uploaded by the organizers: IDPA CO State Championship pictures on Facebook. Not very representative and don't really show the stages so I hope to put some of mine up soon. The organizers did a great job. I didn't know what to expect and I came away amazed by how smoothly and quickly everything ran. I wish my local matches ran so nicely.

On the way home I took US50 and 285. This took me past several road crossings/walks from last year's Great Colorado Loop. Ah, the memories... especially that long road walk down US 50 to cross the dam. Lots of nostalgia. I was happy to be in an airconditioned vehicle although after spending the day in the heat, sun, and wind-borne grit, I pretty much felt the same griminess.