Fig Report 2/22
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:05 amFig holds a special place for me. I really enjoy flying all the way back there and the challenge it presents not only in the climb out but in the complex systems of valleys, and terrain features. The battling E vs W, and valley flows that fight each other and converge behind unique terrain features.
Yesterday’s forecast called for somewhere in the realm of 6500ft on the higher terrain.
We arrived to take off at 10:15 am. Mitch, Lorimer, Todd Quigley, Ken and Kevin (seattle)
Cycles were spaced out significantly, but coming in mostly from the SE. Mitch took off first and groveled below launch for sometime, he moved W toward the bail out he found a climb that he was able to get up with.
Lorimer took off and I set up after him.
I was kiting on launch waiting for a ripper to come through.
The smoke in The Valley clearly showed an inversion that was at our altitude and the weak climbs Mitch showed us verified that only the strong ones would break through.
I took off. I hook one that drifted me to the E. The Westerly flow had begun. Mitch came in from his climb out to join me, but the climb was no longer there.
He ran back to the W where he found the climb before and I stayed put. Climbs were .5m/s at best on the avg. As I topped out at 4k over launch, I moved over to join Mitch. In hindsight I wish I would have pushed straight back to Fig Mt proper, but in the spirit of flying with friends and becoming a better teammate, I flew to him. We climbed in light lift to 4300 and moved to Fig.
I lost the climb that Mitch had found just in front of the peak. I had some harness issues anyways so while that is a good excuse it didn’t make me too bummed about having to land at the truck.
Which is one of the great things about this site, you can go and try again!
I was chatting with Lorimer on launch, he had landed below and walked back up for another go.
Mitch was working super light lift and seemed to get around 5k, he headed E bound and then double backed to try again. There was E up high still.
I set up and took off again, with low expectations this time I was going to try and fly to Los Olivos and get lunch.
Night and day from the first and second flights. The West had finally settled it, the climbs became sharp and strong at times. As I climbed to 4000 again, Mitch was headed to Happy Canyon.
I pushed down The Valley following terrain that was producing some nice buoyant seams, but still had a headwind of 12-15 mph at times.
I landed at a ranch just to the NE of San Ynez and caught a ride to town. Mitch landed in Happy Canyon.
Lorimer top landed after his second flight.
Kudos to Todd Quigley for coming out and trying something new and for getting my truck back to the Sage LZ.
Fig is an awesome place and I think it is the gateway to some big flights. It is not as deep as one might think, you might have a long walk out a gated road, but there are many valleys to land it, and treeless hills to soar and top land. It’s one big playground. I was thrilled to see Logan go OTB to little pine and come out to that side of things.
SB worked really well yesterday it sounds like but I think as we get closer to the summer months Fig will continue to offer relief from the inversion that limits our flying in the summer time.
Yesterday’s forecast called for somewhere in the realm of 6500ft on the higher terrain.
We arrived to take off at 10:15 am. Mitch, Lorimer, Todd Quigley, Ken and Kevin (seattle)
Cycles were spaced out significantly, but coming in mostly from the SE. Mitch took off first and groveled below launch for sometime, he moved W toward the bail out he found a climb that he was able to get up with.
Lorimer took off and I set up after him.
I was kiting on launch waiting for a ripper to come through.
The smoke in The Valley clearly showed an inversion that was at our altitude and the weak climbs Mitch showed us verified that only the strong ones would break through.
I took off. I hook one that drifted me to the E. The Westerly flow had begun. Mitch came in from his climb out to join me, but the climb was no longer there.
He ran back to the W where he found the climb before and I stayed put. Climbs were .5m/s at best on the avg. As I topped out at 4k over launch, I moved over to join Mitch. In hindsight I wish I would have pushed straight back to Fig Mt proper, but in the spirit of flying with friends and becoming a better teammate, I flew to him. We climbed in light lift to 4300 and moved to Fig.
I lost the climb that Mitch had found just in front of the peak. I had some harness issues anyways so while that is a good excuse it didn’t make me too bummed about having to land at the truck.
Which is one of the great things about this site, you can go and try again!
I was chatting with Lorimer on launch, he had landed below and walked back up for another go.
Mitch was working super light lift and seemed to get around 5k, he headed E bound and then double backed to try again. There was E up high still.
I set up and took off again, with low expectations this time I was going to try and fly to Los Olivos and get lunch.
Night and day from the first and second flights. The West had finally settled it, the climbs became sharp and strong at times. As I climbed to 4000 again, Mitch was headed to Happy Canyon.
I pushed down The Valley following terrain that was producing some nice buoyant seams, but still had a headwind of 12-15 mph at times.
I landed at a ranch just to the NE of San Ynez and caught a ride to town. Mitch landed in Happy Canyon.
Lorimer top landed after his second flight.
Kudos to Todd Quigley for coming out and trying something new and for getting my truck back to the Sage LZ.
Fig is an awesome place and I think it is the gateway to some big flights. It is not as deep as one might think, you might have a long walk out a gated road, but there are many valleys to land it, and treeless hills to soar and top land. It’s one big playground. I was thrilled to see Logan go OTB to little pine and come out to that side of things.
SB worked really well yesterday it sounds like but I think as we get closer to the summer months Fig will continue to offer relief from the inversion that limits our flying in the summer time.
