A hike in the mountains

From: Dan
Activity_Date: 7/01/01
Remote Name: 24.8.188.224

Comments

Is it good to be home? You bet it is. I launched after SD by about 30 minutes. He was specking out and RF, our intended fearless leader, was finally above launch's altitude. I took off with a hard left to the spine where SD had ratched up and caught some nice lift. I worked it a couple of times then I saw Brendan's wing being pulled up and thought I would give him some room so I head over the the knob to the right. Big Big mistake. RF had gone there and took a beating. I could see the same was going to happen to me if I kept trying so I took a direct course to the east. I had a good glide and soon I found a little pop that gave me 200'. I kept on going east and found the convergence and was on my way up to 10,500 from 6,200'.

I took the altitude over Reyes and got up a little more and headed out over the chute. I asked Fast Eddie directions and he sent me over to San Guillermo Mtn. As I flew over the flat top leading up to the top of the Mtn, SD was packing up about 800' below me. I tried to work my way up but I could not hold on to any lift so I ended up landing on a slight up hill mound about 300 yrds from the top of the Mtn.

Sd and I talked and he said he was going to climb up the hill and relaunch. I did not figure out till later where he as heading. Unfortunately I did not bring my trusty topo map I just bought, had I, this day would have ended up quite differently. I told SD I was going west and he said it was going to be quite a hike. 2.5 miles later I radioed Fast E., and he told me to make a 180 degree turn and go back to where I started. Mind you I started this adventure about 1:00 and ended back where I started about 5:30.

By this time the ham and turkey sandwitch I ate at 9:00 in the morning had done all it could do to get me where I was. I was running very low on energy. It was hot, and I was tired and very pi..ed that I had wasted all that time and energy going the wrong direction when in fact had I taken the right tract I would have had only a 1.5 mile hike to the pick up point.

Brendan was a big help. He met me about 4-500 yards from the top and acted as my sherper. That was a huge help, because just dragging my a.. up the hill was about all that was left in the my fuel tank. We ended up at the Pine Spring camp ground at 7:00. And as SD would say we were "mobil" immediately.

Speaking of fuel tanks, SD's chase vehicle was so low on fuel, we turned off the engine at the Chief's cutoff on 33 and coasted into Ojai. We filled it in Oakview with 19.7 out of a potential 20 gallons.

I ended up at home at a little after 9:30, just a meger 12 hrs after this all started.