Mild pre-frontal, Saturday, 3/2

[Faoro_Ron]

Took a fully loaded eagle van up the mountain Saturday. Pre-frontal in Santa Barbara. High cirrus clouds obscured the sun early. Drove up to EJ's Bowl where the south wind was blowing 12-15 south and east. Hustled down to Skyport where I followed Chris Paul off launch. Struggled in small lift before heading out toward the Antenna Farm. Felt some lift off toward the north and east of Bypass; I was trying to avoid rotor off Thermal Factory. Worked it up over the back antennas and finally took it up the spine to TF. Repeated attempts to connect there ended in failure. But I would hit a bubble south, out front each time. Finally got to 3,300 or 3,400 and thought I would push to the beach, since Chris and Bob Hurlbett had gone to Parma. Lots of sink over the foothills and Riviera and I was only getting a six to one glide as the east wind pushed me away from East Beach. But I saw some seagulls getting up south of Santa Barbara Junior High School and I joined them and got the 300 feet I needed to make the beach. As the day wore on, the sun peaked out more and people got higher up in the mountains. 40 minute flight.