Nuthouse Saturday?

[DeVietti_Marty]

For anyone who didn't see my thinly veiled invitation for hiking and flying the Nuthouse on Saturday in Aarron's post prior to this one, consider yourself invited!

Meet time tentatively is for 10:30am at Nordoff High School parking lot near the football field. I am a big fan of getting there early and hiking slowly, and still having time to rest, recuperate, and dry sweaty laundry on top.

Looks like a West wind component might set up an East push to Fillmore and beyond?

Cheers,

Marty

[DeVietti_Marty]

Randall and I met at 10:30 and were both very wary of being too optimistic, yet we were both game for a hike and who knows, maybe we'll get lucky? We took our time getting ready and finally drove to the base of the hike around 11am, and started up slow and easy. The cool misty air and clouds made for the coolest and most comfortable hike I can remember, and not really any bugs!

Once on top, things looked a little grim at first, but it seemed like it was improving, so we had some time to relax, dry off and contemplate the forecast. By 2:30 I decided to get ready and be off by 3:00 even if it was only a sled ride. Well 3pm is the new 11:45! The sun peeked out, the cycles seemed stronger and I was off!

Mentally I went from hoping to extend my sledder (to the base of the hill) to contemplating hanging on until Randall was off so we could both fly together. Sure enough, I got almost 1000' over and the clouds that topped the ridge forced me to move to Spine one, where I waited for quite a while while he launched and inched up and out and up some more. I headed back towards him as he came across and we both tanked up together at the bump on spine one to base, heading out to NHS to land uneventfully together on his very first trip to the Nut!

3320' was my max altitude and climb rates were varied from 50 fpm to 600 fpm up at times. 1+ hour and all smiles for us. Thanks for the rooting section Brendan, Oj, Andy and John W. Cheers,

Marty

Here's the photos from today:

https://plus.google.com/photos/110871143058661933036/albums/5866515251824311089

[oj]

This is just too good to be buried in your photos link.

[NMERider]

This is just too good to be buried in your photos link....

Nuthenge?

[andy dainsberg]

u didnt have a relief map in your bag? dont know if u were explaining the terrain or just killing time with that model but if i wanted a refresher at a site that would be perfect. words, pointing, paper and pix can work but a model "rocks." why is that? 3D i suppose... anyway, marty youre a natural born instructor. you completely suck as pilot , but you can explain things all right...