nuthouse sun

[andy dainsberg]

nuthouse ojai -p3+ hike/flying. meet hs at 10:30.

[Pegg_Brendan]

Another day where we were indecicive to the last minute.

Showed up at the Nuthouse meet time with Pipkin questioning whether or not it might be better to go to Pine and try to fly back to the high school. No driver of course made the logistics more challenging.

We opted to drive part way and check with Rhonda. By the time we reached the check point, however, we said, "well, we've come this far, let's go on up."

At the north launch the wind was blowing in smooth at about 8mph. Rhonda reporting 0-8 N. But the north launch is the north launch, so we didn't like it. We drove over to the south launch. Conditions were variable on the south side, but some long and strong north cycles in the steamers at launch convinced us it was not a south side day.

Back to the north launch. Pipkin and I got off okay. Andy decided to take one for the team and drive. Pipkin's style was more surgical, mine was more in the nature of a prolonged flounder. After a lengthy grovel-fest, I was setting up a landing at Shydeck while Pipkin was corking one up next to launch and heading south. Luck was with me and I nursed some 1-2 hundred up and eventually got back to launch. Too low to dive south, I had to flounder my way back down the main spine and try again. Some weak bubbles, a few pops, a beep here and there and eventually I was back at launch, maybe a hundred or two over. Decided it was enough. Pipkin was on the radio talking about climbing through 8 grand at the Sandpile. Andy was on chase southbound on the 33, I had been fishing for scraps for over an hour on the northside and it was time for a change of scenery. I crossed the road with a whopping 6500.

GPS reading wind at 8mph out of the north. Didn't get worked in rotor, but basically went on a flush glide to Condor ranch. A few hundred over and setting up for my base leg and I got a few beeps so I went with it. The air was trashy and I decided that I would rather land at Wolf's Grill than Condor ranch.

By Wolf's grill I was 500 over so I kept farting around with the light lift. Maybe I would rather land at the Sandpile. Caught something to the south of the Sandpile that got me up to 7K, but by that time Pipkin reported a likely landing at Caltrans, so I knew that 8K wasn't enough and if all I was going to get was 7, I would rather land at the Sandpile. Yo-yo'd up to 7 a couple of times and then went fishing again. Down to 5200 by the rocks north of the Sandpile. Andy was sitting in his truck watching from the LZ. I figured that was pretty much it.

Then, miracle of all miracles, I found it. Went from 5200 to 9500 hundred over the Sandpile. Wind consistent from 10-14 out of the NW. Left for Ojai going 43 mph and a 30:1 glide. Crossed Nordoff ridge with 7K. Got to the HS with about 53. Hadn't touched my brakes since I left the Sandpile. Just seat steered my way around town.

Fun debrief with Andy and Pipkin at Deer Lodge after.

Flight time 2:05
Max lift 1200 fpm

[Randall]

Nice work, dude!