Sat 11/8 Ojai to Santa Barbara

[sd]

Saturday Highlights
Multiple pilots flew from Chiefs Peak Launch to Santa Barbara
A 2nd run went to Pine Mountain for a late day flight. They got to 8Kish in smooth air.
Sundowner's Flight Log, Photos, and Track Logs posted at:
http://paraglide.net/log/14/11-08/1_chiefs_to_cold_springs_tandem_w_peter.htm
Jonathan is working on a video from Saturday in collaboration with Neal. Jonathan posted a quick and dirty teaser at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=var9suiTbMk
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Saturday Dawn Update
Still on track for 8:45 at Nordhoff. We have 3 trucks so there should be plenty of room for all. Expecting to launch from Chiefs (or possibly Nordhoff) and fly back to Santa Barbara. Expect it to be soarable about 10:30 to 11. We are going a tad early to give the HGs time to set up.

The current forecast is tracking close to the earlier model runs. The wind is a bit less, with La Cumbre Peak reporting calm at dawn. The lapse rate looks a bit better in SB than earlier forecast, but still significantly weaker than Ojai. Ojai's lapse rate looks a tad weaker than earlier speculation, but the forecasted inversion at 6K has relaxed some and moved up a little higher, so expecting 5K early but hoping for the mid 6s midday and perhaps as high as 7 over the higher terrain in weak lift late in the day.

The wind is mostly light at all altitudes except for the drain paths this morning. Mostly from the east aloft. A little NE this morning giving way to light east this afternoon. Do expect a little west to pull in down low off to the west near the coast.

It is unusually warm for this time of year. The 6K temp is running in the mid 60s, so we don't need to dress warm. Ojai is forecasted to reach the low 90s, so the midday temperature spread from the surface to 6K is running in the upper mid 20s, which is a little better than average.
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Thursday Midday look at the weekend
8:30 and 8:45 meet at NHS on Saturday for Chiefs or Nordhoff

The heat wave continues with a touch of onshore flow Friday followed by returning offshore Santa Anna flow from the east on Saturday. The wind on Saturday is forecast to be east all the way through SB, so Ojai is the best bet for both a downwind run back to SB task and a stronger lapse rate compared to SB. Saturday looks like the better day compared to both Friday or Sunday with a strong lower level lapse rate up to the high 5s or lower 6s. There is an inversion above 6K, so don't expect to get stellar high, but hopefully it will be good enough to get over Casitas Pass.

The soundings are showing a little west down low along the South Coast, but not until late in the afternoon. The lapse rate fades late in the afternoon, so the window may only last for a few hours. Not sure if we will be launching from Chiefs or Nordhoff. Expect it to be soarable by 10 to 10:30 (we are back to standard time). Max altitude early will likely be lower early, maybe around 5K, rising to 6ish by midday when we are crossing Casitas Pass.

Chris Grantham has a permit for the Fly Above All Suburban. John Scott also has a permit reserved. John's vehicle will seat 8, but his racks will only hold 3 HGs. We are staggering the trucks by 15 minutes because the PGs don't need as much setup time, so John's truck at 8:30 and the Fly Above All Bus at 8:45. Recommend calling Fly Above All or John Scott to reserve a seat. The Fly Above All suburban can also accommodate HGs. If you want to take your own vehicle to launch, call the Ojai Ranger station to reserve a permit. Edward Skow is crew for John's truck.

Since we are planning to land in Santa Barbara, recommend carpooling from the coast so we can do lunch rather than retrieving vehicles from Nordhoff.

[Southside]

looks like I have a full boat.

[timobarker]

Wish I could have made the Ojai train. But, life got in the way and I was only able to squeeze time for a flight in SB. I wasn't too upset about it, considering there was a 10 degree spread and light wind. Unfortunately by the time the Eagle van made it to EJ bowl, the light wind was no more. The thermals and wind were being held at bay by the high pressure, however, when the wind and thermals broke through, we were seeing gusts up to 15 miles an hour, maybe more.

I decided to launch simply because I thought it would get better outside the compression zone and I thought the wind could make for an interesting flight west.

Right off of launch I elevatored up a 100 or so feet and took it to La Cumbre. With the gusts, I was conservative with both my thermalling and ridge soaring. I gave myself plenty of room. Probably because of that, I got drilled into the canyon on the windward side of Cathedral. I finally wrapped around Cathedral to mid-rock ban and surf back to a hundred or so below the top. I couldn't seem to connect a thermal to climb out as they were being pushed to over too much by the wind. So, I took what lift I could and jetted over to West Bowl. I intersected west bowl well below the rock band and just above the bumps out front. I was able to maintain elevation here, but again the thermals were rocketing to the west in the east wind, which made it nearly impossible to track.

I finally made the decision to wrap up the day and head out to the Alternator.

3 rides later (less than 40 minutes) I was back at my truck at Parma. Beautiful day and super interesting. Looking forward to what tomorrow brings.

[NMERider]

Great day at Chief Peak w/ good turnout. Thanks to Eddy for driving for us hangies. I'm working on the video bit by bit. Here are some frame stills to give an idea of the day.

[Southside]

Getting soft in my old age. The plan was to land at the beach in Santa Barbara. But after struggling mightily to get above White Ledge the thought turned to any ole beach. Got to the west end of the powerline ridge in good shape, but after my experience in Ojai the thought was that continuing on might be a struggle, especially when I couldn't see anyone ahead of me. Opted to fly out. I headed for Santa Claus lane but it was too crowded to land so I turned tail to Bailard.

[flychild]

Great flight yesterday from Chiefs to Parma. Tom's talk on Thursday at Rusty's was good motivation to make it over the pass this time around. Thanks Tom. Had to work hard on the east side to get over though. We weren't skying out on the east side off the pass, that's for sure. Actually got highest, about 6K, over chiefs on the first climb of the day. About 5K I think over Nordoff, and then just groveling up to the pass from about 2700 after crossing the 33, never very far from terrain. I was pretty determined to make it work this time so I just kept at it and eventually found myself close to the top but felt I still wasn't high enough to safely go through with good margin, so I decided to turn back to the east one more time in search of some more altitude before shooting through to the other side. I grabbed a couple hundred feet further east down the spine, where I ran into Tom and a hang coming westbound. it was nice after flying alone to have some friends in the air nearby. I then went comfortably over the pass behind whiteledge and got a climb right away on the peak behind it. Happy to finally be over the pass with a little bit of altitude, the crux of the route behind me, I went on glide westbound with half bar and promptly took a 70% closure. A good reminder to not relax too much! The rest of the flight was pretty easy going downhill to the west with a little east tailwind and nice glides. Got as far as the RR and couldn't find a decent climb after that. Happily landed Parma after nearly 3 1/2 hours in the air.

[NMERider]

....good motivation to make it over the pass this time around. Thanks Tom. Had to work hard on the east side to get over though. We weren't skying out on the east side off the pass, that's for sure. Actually got highest, about 6K, over chiefs on the first climb of the day....

From out of my radio speaker while I'm setting up my HG comes,"...just went through six thousand and still climbing....". That's what I call motivation. I saw you and SD briefly during my initial ingress of Whiteledge. SD appears in the following frame still. I'm not sure if you're visible but I have our tracks correctly synced and you're close-ish.

Do I or don't I?

I didn't have the testicular fortitude to shoot through that gap. I'm sorry we didn't have a group all land at the beach. Would have been some party.

[NMERider]

Well, the video edit just got more interesting. flychild sent me a video clip of his crossing of Whiteledge. I synced our video tracks together and here are a pair of contrasting perspectives from within seconds of one another. Can you feel my pain?

[gracecab]

so close... yet so far. Great to read about these trips... and motivational.

[Southside]

My video of the flight. The Gopro quit right after my first attempt at Whiteledge. Of course, all of the zigging and zagging was edited out.

http://youtu.be/8Ujhs2GkAmU