From: Randall
Activity_Date: 10/15/01
Remote Name: 216.86.200.221
While Saturday was not flyable, Sunday proved a nice mellow intro to the Owens Valley. Chad's students and a horde from Marshall launched one by one into gentle winds, many doing forward launches. After Hesham launched, I pulled a reverse, and found light lift on my first flight. Scratched my way down the hill and maintained for about 45 minutes at the lower knobs, turning endlessly and gaining little altitude but about a dozen small collapses in the small, punchy thermals. Good bump conditioning.
My second flight I worked up to 600 over launch, tried without success to claw my way higher up the hill, and briefly joined the colorful gaggle of about a dozen gliders circling in front of launch before making a token foray south, finding no lift. Two flights, about 1 1/2 hours total.
Owens was beautiful, though. The scenery and clean air alone were worth the trip.
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