Another brewery I visited during my stay in Longmont, CO was Wibby Brewing. Wibby specializes in lagers, so I was going to be enjoying some different beers than my usual preferred Pale Ales and IPAs. The Wibby taproom features a large, open-air seating…

“Tough. And exhausting.” Those were my first words when I was asked how last weekend’s West Virginia State IDPA match went. It was a long afternoon of shooting eleven challenging but fun stages. The Tier Three match was held at the Peacemaker National Training Center. This was my first sanctioned IDPA match so I expected a challenge, and was not disappointed in that regard.

While all were fun, a few of the stages offered especially memorable challenges. “Hug the Wall” simulated a terrorist attack in a hotel. After pushing over a popper that activated a quick up and down target, you moved to a “hallway” to engage more targets. In two positions you had to put your body flat against the wall, either your front or backside depending on the hand used to shoot, with the support hand on the wall. It was an unusual position, shooting into a narrow target area. I shot strong-hand only so had my back against the wall at one position, and my front in the second. Here’s an instance where a “mature” belly was a benefit and gave me some space away from the wall.

“Save the Hostages” was unique in that the non-threat targets were moved around between each shooter. The stage had two arrays of three shootable targets and two non-threats. You didn’t know which targets were non-threats until you come upon the target groups.

Two stages made use of an actual crashed airplane. For “Down in the Desert” we started seated in the plane, gun loaded with six rounds on the glare shield. The first three targets were engaged in tactical sequence. After a reload, we yanked on a microphone cable which activated a pop up target and a very fast swinger. Part two of the scenario involved moving a bag from the cargo area of the plane to the tail, while engaging targets over the aircraft’s body, while on the move. The stage finished with more targets from the cover of the tail section.

While I was in Longmont, CO for work, a coworker recommended I check out Longs Peak Pub & Taphouse. Waking from a short after-work nap I headed over to the brewhouse. The pub offers both outdoor patio seating and spacious interior space. Naturally, I opted to sit at the bar.

The restaurant is part of the Mountain Sun Pubs & Breweries group, and serves the complete lineup of Mountain Sun Beers, as well as a few guest taps. Immediately after taking my seat I was greeted and given the lay of the land. The employees at Longs Peak share in all duties. That was made evident as the service was attentive and my glass (water or beer) was never left wanting. The staff is extremely friendly and welcoming.

There are around twenty Mountain Sun beers on tap, so my decision process was tough. I mentioned to one of the folks behind the bar that I liked hoppy ales, and immediately found sample of three IPAs in front of me. The pub serves half pints as well as full pints, which is a welcome option when looking to try several beers. I opted to start out with a half pint of Resinous Rye. Brewed with Simcoe hops and malted rye, the seasonal beer had pleasing resinous and citrus notes. Less sweet than some IPAs, with a nice bitter citrus flavor, the small serving was quickly consumed. Judging from comments from employees stopping by for conversation, Resinous Rye is quite popular among the staff too.

My food decision was no less difficult than the beer choice. I finally opted for Tim’s Blackened Chicken Quesadilla. The quesadilla is made with with jack and cheddar cheeses, spinach, tomato, diced jalapeños, blackened chicken and garnished with salsa, guacamole and sour cream. The blackened chicken has a very robust, spicy flavor. The plate is as colorful as it is generous in size.

After my initial half pint of Resinous Rye, I ordered a half pint of Newman’s Altbier. Pouring an attractive reddish-brown color with a thick white head, the beer has toasted and caramel malts with a pleasant earthiness to the flavor. Only slightly sweet with a smooth toffee finish, I was struck by the rich flavor of the beer. I’ve tried numerous altbiers over the years, but I don’t recall one I enjoyed as much.

About the time I finished the half pint of Newman’s Altbier, the skies outside opened up and the rain came hard. Being in an unfamiliar city, driving an unfamiliar rental car, the wisest course of action seemed to be to wait it out. So I ordered a pint of Resinous Rye and nursed it until the rain slowed.

It’s worth noting that Mountain Sun pubs are cash-only establishments. However, there are ATMs on site if you happen to be short of greenbacks. I really enjoyed the beer, the food, and the friendly staff at Longs Peak Pub. It’s definitely on my list of places to revisit when I next get back to Longmont.

If you have ignition interlock in Virginia you need to be aware of changes that are coming your way effective July 1st. What’s most surprising about these changes, in my opinion, is that they were not passed by the legislature. They’re simply passed by government regulation and signed by the governor. These are regulatory administrative […]

The post Beware of Virginia Ignition Interlock Changes appeared first on Andrew Flusche.

Much to my chagrin, we’ve had to make some major HVAC “investments” recently. But, they say when life throws you lemons, you make lemonade. So I’ll look on the bright side and make use of the nice target stands the contractor left street side.All ready…

This salad with fresh seasonal strawberries turn this meal into a summer sensation!Ingredients:- 1 1/2 Tbs olive oil, divided- 1 Tbs white balsamic vinegar- 2 tsp. honey- 1 tsp. fresh thyme- 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper, divided- 1/4 tsp. salt, divided…

In Virginia, any speed over 80 miles per hour is considered reckless driving. Any speed 20 miles per hour or more over the speed limit is also reckless driving. Reckless driving tickets are more common in Virginia than any other state, as illustrated by the following Google keyword search data: In order to get an […]

The post Survey: 1 in 11 Virginians have received a reckless driving ticket appeared first on Andrew Flusche.

Now that the outdoor range is following summer hours, I haven’t even needed to hit the indoor range for practice in a couple of months. While I prefer shooting outdoors, it didn’t look like my schedule this week would allow for that, so a quick trip to the indoor range was called for.

This week I went a bit later in the day than usual and was pleasantly surprised to find just two other shooters present, and they seemed to be shooting at a conservative, controlled pace. (I make a point to observe for a few minutes before I get set up.) I stuck an IDPA target at 10 yards and went through 50 rounds, shooting in strings of one to four shots, concentrating on watching the movement of the front sight during recoil.

For the next 50 shots, I used splatter targets at 7 yards and concentrated on slow, aimed fire. I like the splatter targets in the dimly lit range mainly for the bright orange aiming area, more than the extra visibility of the hits.

As is typical, it was a short visit. I purposefully pack only 100 rounds when I go to the indoor range during the work day. Otherwise I’d never make it back to the office in a timely manner. Despite the short session, the practice was beneficial, and quite enjoyable. (I know I call it “practice” but it’s really about the fun, and getting away from my desk for a bit.)

During the winter, the temperature inside the range varies little from the temperature outside. And the same applies during the summer, although there was certainly more breeze outdoors. That’s something I’ll keep in mind  if  when I visit mid-summer.