friday 1/9

[Cormac]

looks like grantham and some others are going to try the nuthouse today with a meet time at nordhoff @ 10am. Any SB peeps interested in carpooling? Cormac 8055709652

[Chris G]

I was so stoked that more pilots came out to fly with us today. Aside from the regulars, Andy and Art, we had Marty join us again and Cormac and Brian Stratton for their first trek up the Nuthouse (which, due to a suggestion at the SBSA meeting last night will be henceforth referred to as Baby Seals & Butterflies). Brian was looking and feeling his absolute best and was fired up to go after downing 8 beers last night and having nothing but cereal this morning. Arrived at launch around 11:15 with nice cycles starting to build. Marty was off first and the rest of us followed uneventfully. By the time I'd launched at the back end of the pack the climbs were good and we got to the top of the ridge fairly quickly. Cormac and I were chasing Brian with Marty and Andy leading the charge. Art got low in front of Nordhoff and bailed for the golf course. Cormac and I surfed across with 3k until he made a run to the next spine, got low and had to ditch all the way back to the Nuthouse...er Baby Seals & Butterflies for a reset. It didn't pan out for him and after an epic scratch session he threw in the towel. I continued on to the Pyramid where Brian had just left, benched up to 4200 and felt like I was getting a little NE wind. Not bad but enough to make you think twice about getting low in front of Nordhoff. Bounced across the top points of Nordhoff with Brian and tagged Bruce's. By that time Andy and Marty were scratching low at Twin Peaks and we were bucking a bit of a headwind so I headed out for the HS with Brian close behind. Andy and Marty, again, showed us what the potential was and got halfway up Chief's before coming all the way back across to the HS. Stellar flying. As usual the Nuthouse blessed us with great, challenging, and rewarding flights and it was a stellar day for two Baby Seals & Butterflies virgins. Great flying guys, and you'll get it next time Cormac.

[andy dainsberg]

3 cheers for cormac and brian comin out and taking a whack at "baby seals" today. after a zany launch and the typical scratchfest i caught the bottom of an escape thermal marty and art were working and was soon eastbound. lift was marginal to decent along the way to twin peaks. again, the lift was capped 1/2 way up chief spine. i enjoyed the return cruise back to the high school as we had to work a little at the major peaks...

[Cormac]

I could get used to the hike & fly! Great way to burn some calories and try and fall off the side of a mountain with 50 lbs on your back. Great day but as Chris mentioned I was scratching around after a first banking-up attempt, my scratch tolerance was being severely tested so I went out for some open air and threw in the towel... Super stoked that everyone made it to the H.S. and a few others with a few extra laps as well!
http://picasaweb.google.com/CormacPara/Nuthouse09#

[Chris G]

What happened to Picture 14? It'd be great if it didn't look like a bad trip.

[Cormac]

ya that was a weird one with the iphone... i must have moved mid photo and it looks like a fisheye lens.. weird...