Saturday Pine Mountain
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:55 amThe conditions thru the week continued to deteriorate. Southside, Fast Eddie, and I headed for takeoff, not far behind us was the Santa Barbara crew with Bob A., Little John, John Lyons, Bob Ramey, Erin and Marge. Behind takeoff, in the chute, clouds were beginning to form they had nortwest in them. My concern was that the Northwest was building in and if we weren't careful we might get stuck on the hill. John was first off the hill into shaded skys. I followed behind him. John began to climb out in front of the knob, I joined him and we topped out at 11,500ish. The stronger lift was on the north side of the range. I would penetrate northwest into the convergence and at times my ground speed was only 20-25 which meant that the winds at altitude were in the 20's. It was apparent that the northwest was overriding the south/southeast. The majority of the development was in the area of the chute and south of Lockwood Valley Road. I tanked up in the chute and went on glide for Lockwood Valley via Guillermo. The majority of the glide I was climbing at 200-500' per minute up. There was a dark cloud forming just west of Grade Valley, and after my cloud flying misadventure of 2 weeks ago, I gave it wide berth feeling that I had to tankup at least once more before going on glide to The Antelope Valley. Entering Lockwood Valley with 11k+ and into a northeasterly headwind I went on glide to Frazier. The air in the Lockwood Valley was choppy with a lot of sink and left me with the feeling that I was in the lee of Abel and Pinos. The clouds at Frazier were blown off from the northwest. About that time Southside came on the radio stating that he was at 7K near Moutaw Flats and if he did not connect would be landing there-which he did. Apparently Southside enjoys taking the southerly route even when its is on the wrongside of the convergence 
! At the southwest corner of Frazier and down to 7500" I began to climb to cloudbase, approx 12K and went on glide for the desert. Up ahead there were cumulous clouds on The Tehacapis beginning near the radar installation, the clouds were drifting out of the northwest. On glide from Frazier I headed for Booster junction, the intersection of Highway 138 and Highway 5. All the while my glider had a left hand turn in it. I wanted to avoid the northwest down wash from the Tehacapis. West of Nenanche I turned northeasterly and went on glide towards the clouds and the radar installation. At this time my ground speed was only 35-37 mph which left me with about an 8-10 mph head wind. After a few miles of this in heavy sink I turned 45 degrees and let the northwind carry me to the convergence line just north of Highway 138. Climbing thru 10k and with clouds forming near El Mirage and I tailwind I decided to go on glide south of Edwards into a "blue" whole knowing that I would need to get up at least on more time. My hope was that I would get up connect at El Mirage and head up to Barstow and maybe Vegas. This strategy was akin to dreaming but I wanted to try something other than flying up into The Owens. I was now just north of Fairmont Buttes and down to 7k in the southwesterly marine flow from the pass south of Palmdale. After passing Fox Field I tried to angle south of Edwards anticipating that the southwest wind would cause me to drift into the airspace which I did not want to do. Unfortunately I was on final glide and landed on the east side of Highway 14 1 mile north of the 14 and 138 intersection in 20-25+ winds. This is when the fun really began. Still clipped in I sat there for 10-15 minutes before someone who had stopped came out to help me. At that point in time the "help" began to arrive! The second assistant was a CHP officer. Then 3 other CHP officers and their vehicles and an additional 4 sheriffs and their 2 vehicles. We were able to get the glider turned into the wind and answer the typical questions. Apparently the first "assistant" had called in an airplane crash in the desert which prompted all of the help. While breaking down my glider a gust of wind lifted up my glider and as I was trying to catch it it knocked me over backwards which left me packing up my glider upside down. After exploring the Southend of the John Muir trail Southside and Fast Eddie arrived at the scene 2 hours later. As far as the SB crew-John Lyons to Ojai, 2 pilots to the Halfway Station and 2 at or near the Sand Pile? This may need some correction.
! At the southwest corner of Frazier and down to 7500" I began to climb to cloudbase, approx 12K and went on glide for the desert. Up ahead there were cumulous clouds on The Tehacapis beginning near the radar installation, the clouds were drifting out of the northwest. On glide from Frazier I headed for Booster junction, the intersection of Highway 138 and Highway 5. All the while my glider had a left hand turn in it. I wanted to avoid the northwest down wash from the Tehacapis. West of Nenanche I turned northeasterly and went on glide towards the clouds and the radar installation. At this time my ground speed was only 35-37 mph which left me with about an 8-10 mph head wind. After a few miles of this in heavy sink I turned 45 degrees and let the northwind carry me to the convergence line just north of Highway 138. Climbing thru 10k and with clouds forming near El Mirage and I tailwind I decided to go on glide south of Edwards into a "blue" whole knowing that I would need to get up at least on more time. My hope was that I would get up connect at El Mirage and head up to Barstow and maybe Vegas. This strategy was akin to dreaming but I wanted to try something other than flying up into The Owens. I was now just north of Fairmont Buttes and down to 7k in the southwesterly marine flow from the pass south of Palmdale. After passing Fox Field I tried to angle south of Edwards anticipating that the southwest wind would cause me to drift into the airspace which I did not want to do. Unfortunately I was on final glide and landed on the east side of Highway 14 1 mile north of the 14 and 138 intersection in 20-25+ winds. This is when the fun really began. Still clipped in I sat there for 10-15 minutes before someone who had stopped came out to help me. At that point in time the "help" began to arrive! The second assistant was a CHP officer. Then 3 other CHP officers and their vehicles and an additional 4 sheriffs and their 2 vehicles. We were able to get the glider turned into the wind and answer the typical questions. Apparently the first "assistant" had called in an airplane crash in the desert which prompted all of the help. While breaking down my glider a gust of wind lifted up my glider and as I was trying to catch it it knocked me over backwards which left me packing up my glider upside down. After exploring the Southend of the John Muir trail Southside and Fast Eddie arrived at the scene 2 hours later. As far as the SB crew-John Lyons to Ojai, 2 pilots to the Halfway Station and 2 at or near the Sand Pile? This may need some correction.