Back to Chiefs

From: Dan
Activity_Date: 3/31/01
Remote Name: 4.33.112.238

Comments

The cycles coming up the hill were up to 18 mph according to John's wind meter. Eddie restrung the wing tape giving us a visual of the cycles. It gave you the illusion that it might be good. Benson launched with his Epsilon and 5 seconds later the wind stopped. He was scraping most of the brush off the first bump trying to get up. The rest of us decided to wait.

Sharon was next and took a conservative line between bump one and bump two. Eddie was on the radio and soon she was up. But half way through her thermaling course she indicated her harness was not adjusted properly and was reclining too much. She toughed it out and cored another good thermal to about launch altitude and then headed out.

Claude was next and the cycles looked like they were picking up and he ridge soared out to the gap up from bump one and skied out. That was all I needed and I was out and did the same.

The most you could get was about 5700 msl/930 above launch when the thermals petered out. When Tom launched next I was at the top of the thermal again and the wind was from the west so I headed to west repeater. The glide was typical...sink..sink..sink. I got on top of the spine and there was a little lift...80-100'/min but nothing you could turn in. I kept heading west hoping to find something, but every place I would normally find lift there was NOTHING. I was getting a good glide 150'-180'/min sink at 27mph. But there was a couple of times I was thinking this was not a good idea going this direction. I ended up being short of Summit school as I landed in a cow pasture near Tree Rd. A couple of neighbors came out after I landed and were clapping.

All in all it was good to get back to Chief's. The road is in good condition. There is a little snow and I mean a little snow in the shady areas. Too bad the weather is going to be so poor today (Sunday April 1), otherwise I would be back.