Kev and Aaron came to play, and just when I thought I was high enough to make a play for the R+R Kev took off east. Aaron and I wern't as high, but took off after him anyway. We saw Kev hook a boomer as soon as he reached Monticito, so we figured we had it made. No such luck. Someone was still playing with the on-off switch on the thermals and we scratched around for a while getting close to the alt. Kev had when he continued east.
At Romero the thermal switch was locked in the off position; we all kept working and working but nothing was getting us any higher. The smart one held the high ground, while Kev and I tried for the next couple points out front. When it was clear we wern't going to get up I put my tail between my legs and limped out front to find a place to land. I found this spot - large clear opening on a hill top, no sign of recient activity except for a fire crew cutting brush:
- Unfriendly caretaker LZ
It was a great place to land safely, but the caretaker pulled up before I could get my helmit off and started with the "who said you...." private property speach. I told him I didn't want to be there either, I didn't plan to be there, and apologized for interupting his day. At that point he didn't seem to know what to do, and when Kev dropped in next to me he decided it would be easier and faster to help us go away than to continue with the mouth. As we were packing up the smart one (that would be Aaron, for those of you with out a program) sailed over head for beach landing where he was immediatly mobbed by the Swedish bikini team.
Kev and I got to hike Ortega ridge, where there was no bikini team, but we did get cheese steak sandwiches at Tinkers and a ride back (the smart one had that arranged too...)
787 up
1181 down
4554 max
1:35 flight time
Robb