Fri, 3/22

From: GeneJock
Activity_Date:      
Remote Name: 63.194.40.64

Comments

Went up to Chief with the kids (yes, the road is open). Got a late start (kids, remember?) and didn't arrive at launch until close to one. Wind at launch was 15-17 out of the South and the kids decided not to fly. I figured that, if I could launch, I could either ridge soar and top land or, if the wind were lighter above launch, make it out to the valley. In either case didn't want to get stuck "way back in". Launched in a bit of a lull and went over to the spine, finding lift 1000+ feet per minute (a bit rowdy but not brutal) eventually up to 6600 ft.

It seemed like the wind was taking all the warm air generated on the valley floor and running it up the ridgelines, so there was lots of lift back by launch but not farther down the spine . Unfortunately, I had gone up so my (b) ride drove down the hill, but the wind did not lessen at altitude. So my choice was to get way high and play/pray while possibly blowing over the back or to make a run for the valley. Cowardice won the day and I made it to the kids' school with perhaps 300 - 400 feet of altitude to spare. Setting up the landing was easy -- never had to turn more than 30 degrees from the wind and essentially dropped straight down onto the field.

After landing, I felt bad for not having tried to work the lift for more than a 40 minute flight, but probably would have felt worse if I'd spent the night in Lions Camp.