Owens Valley

[andy]

Flew Magees (sp) today. predicted NE in the low teens and tops at about 14, it was SE on launch and in the valley. The cycles were up to 16mph or so down to 8 from the SE about 45 degrees cross, launched in a lull and penetrated OK to SE were the first trigger was and found some light up, but I saw a bird smoking up a little further upwind so I pushed on and hooked a good one and it was up over 11k. What a view uprange and down. I played around tagging a couple of points and waiting for the rest to launch. Only Kari and Brian launched and they headed out shortly to the LZ, so I was faced with the dilemma of turning downwind and going to June lakes and a hitch-hike back, or go out over Crowley and throw down a little. Well my fingers were numb by then so it was out to the valley for a little acro session, thin air makes for some fast action. Nice LZ by the cars.
Plan is for Walts tomorrow if the forecast winds materialize.
Leave next Weds. for OR to pick up the towboat and winch, woo-hoo.
Andy

[andy]

Sunday and we flew horseshoe,(Walts) Kari and her clients and a couple of OV locals, and a HG from OR, 7 total. Launched at 11:30 in good cycles and the light SSE, no west up top. I went first and immediately climbed to 11.5 and waited for the rest, after they launched I headed out with 12.4. It was a little stronger S up high but only about 8-10mph. Everything was working the points high and the points out front with pretty easy climbs and suprisingly soft edges for a HP day-no clouds anywhere but a layer of smoke to the east marking the boundary.
Kari, Steve and I hooked up on the second crossing and basically stayed together until Onion Valley. Climbing to 12 and change before going. Kari kind of got low at onion but kept charging on the low points until she glided over me 4k higher at big pine creek. It was here that things started to slow down and lift was harder to find and I had got low and was working the ridges out to Big Pine thinking my day was over, but I kept hitting little triggers that were in the afternoon sun until one of them released and it was back in the ball game. I was hoping to make Bishop and catch up to Kari-everybody else had dirted already- I had the golf course on glide, and Kari had already landed there, when I connected with a boomer out over the flats and it was back up to 11k. I contemplated going over to Flynns and try to connect on the Whites, but retrieve was tired and I didn't want to dirt out in hitch-hike country so I landed North of Bishop 62 miles from launch.
Time 4:40, max climb 1300fpm, max alt 12.7.
Andy

[Ron M]

Great job Andy

That's a new personal distance record, isn't it? It's tough to match the feeling you get when you set a new distance record for yourself.

Good on ya mate...

[andy]

On monday we flew Paiute. It was light north on launch at 1:30, good cycles, and crows specking out over launch. I launched last about 2:00, Robin, Aussie Bob, Bridog, Kari/Cookie tandem got off and all climbed out and headed North- the flow had shifted to light south- and I launched and proceeded to sink out but managed to finally get something to climb out in. We started out topping at close to 12k. I was in full chase mode and was just about to catch Kari/Cookie when I got rejected in the lift they just skyed out in, so I kept going low and getting just enough to make the crossings all the way to Benton where it was crucial for me get something or flush. Shazam there it was the lift of dreams that benched me up to Montgomery peak at 14+k I was right over the top of the peak and loving life. So of on glide I went for the pass when I entered the best lift of the day north of Montgomery and up to 15.5 I went. Unfortunately I didn't really dress for success and I was shivering so bad I could hardly control the glider. Then it was an easy glide to the retrieve spot at the intersection of two highways out in the next valley.
I did find out how easy it is to go parachutal at 6k. I was on final and coming in fast so I slowed the glider down and the gave a couple of quick snaps at about 30 feet over and what do ya know I was parachutal for the last bit. I did stop the fall with full breaks prior to impact and landed pretty soft, but not pretty. Now I know how to enter helicopters a lot easier than at trim speed.
Distance was 35 miles, 2:30, max climb 1500fpm, max alt 15.5, being covered in chalk dust in front of everybody...priceless!

Today I had to leave but it looked epic, clouds poppin a couple of grand over the Sierras at 10:30 as I drove past longing to be with the rest of the crew.