Ft. Steilacoom Park is located just off a busy street, boasting sprawling parking lots, three soccer fields, a dog park and some random red barns. The starting line was set up in a wide grassy field, with a stand of trees at the far side and no visible hills whatsoever. Looking at this landscape, we assumed the race course would be mellow, maybe twisty, but mostly flat and fast. Derik even brought his single speed cyclocross bike, feeling it might be the best performer given the terrain. At the registration tent, one of the race organizers mentioned that each 4.5 mile lap had 1100 feet of elevation gain. Not possible, we thought. 1100 feet in 4.5 miles? Here? We were wrong.
If there is anything the course was not, it was flat. With the exception of the starting sprint into the trees and the singletrack, the course was constant up and down. There was no sustained climbing, but many short climbs, and three lung-busters. The course started off tightly twisting through trees, where there were some large log rollers, and then it headed up some doubletrack to the water towers that was the first (and steepest) climb. After a short downhill section where I crashed on my second lap, the course climbed back up and opened up into a field of small bushes and scotch broom. The course ended with a fast downhill section. With the climbs, log rollers, fast downhills and hairpin turns, racers were kept on their toes the entire time. The course was an unexpected pleasure to ride!!
Results
Beginner Women 30-39
Dani Vergara, 4th
Sport Women 30-39
Kerry Tarullo, 1st
Erin Roe, 4th
Sport Men 30-39
Edward Vergara, 15th
Sport Men 40+
David Snyder, 13th
John Curtin, 26th
Sport SS
Derik Archibald, 7th
Lee Peterson, 9th
Sport U-18
Kyle Curtin, 2nd
Expert Men 40+
Bernie Miller, 6th
Expert Women 40+
Michelle Kautzmann, 4th
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