New Year's Day XC

[flychild]

Contemplating launching at the Nuthouse tomorrow with SD and Timmay and trying to fly back to Elings if others are interested. Not sure I want to hike, but it would be a cool flight.
Otherwise, Skyport to Santa Ynez peak to Elings? Perhaps Skyport Whiteledge Elings.
Any thoughts? Takers?

[NMERider]

Being the sadly out-of-shape pilot with 98# of flying gear that I am, I was contemplating Skyport to Whiteledge to Elings. I've never even set foot at Elings so that would be a nice way to visit. If anyone wants to pool with me and my gear along the route I can leave my RAV4 at Baillard Av or pick up a PG or two someplace just in case.
Jonathan

[gracecab]

Im sure there will be a good turnout in the am, weather willing... and the hangovers dont hit folks too hard. Ill plan on Skyport and a landing at Parma, P2 style. Great way to start the new year!

[sd]

Thursday Pre-Dawn Update / Carpinteria at 8:15 for the Nuthouse

Dress Warm. The midday freezing level is below 5K

Good soaring conditions in the mountains today with a progressively fading lapse rate toward the weekend. Light wind at altitude clocking around to come from the NE this afternoon should assist the glide out to Elings.

The La Cumbre Peak reporting station continues to be out of service, but the Montecito reporting station was reporting light drainage at 5:47 and the channel buoys are all showing light wind. For max distance it may be possible to launch in Santa Barbara and do an early eastbound leg into a light NE headwind and then return in the afternoon with a slightly stronger NE tailwind as the NE flow increases through early afternoon before tapering off later in the day and swinging around to come from the WNW on Friday. As typical, the east wind is stronger toward the east.

A few of us (SD, flychild, and the Spin Doctor) are heading to the Nuthouse because? I guess we like the punishment, but are also drawn to the novelty of flying into the Elings New Year gathering from Ojai. Elizabeth will drop us off at the bottom so we won't have to do a vehicle retrieve back to Ojai. The SB pilots are leaving around 8 am to be in Carpinteria at 8:15, to be at the base of the Nuthouse by 9ish. The younger pilots can likely start hiking an hour later, but us slow pokes need to start early.

Expecting adequate altitude to get over Casitas Pass, but not stellar. Hoping to launch about 11ish, but might need to wait until 11:30. It should be launchable earlier in Santa Barbara because the ocean influence is moderating the surface cooling overnight resulting in less of an early morning surface inversion (it got colder in Ojai last night).

As noted previously, the mid altitude lapse rate above 3K fades on Friday, and even more so over the weekend, but it should still be soarable down lower.

An initial discussion was posted on Monday at:
http://scpa.info/bb/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3119

[Faoro_Ron]

Great way to start off the new year with a flight from Ojai to Santa Barbara with a good crew. Never got above 5,300 in the Pass and got stuck behind White Ledge for 30 minutes close to the terrain with no exit. Finally busted out and the flight to East Beach was unremarkable. Three hours fifteen minutes.

I had to land early to catch the Rose Bowl where my alma mater (Oregon Ducks) beat Sundowner's alma mater (Florida State Seminoles) in a rout. Fantastic start to 2015!

[NMERider]

Launch Zoo!

Me & JR...

Crossing paths...

Me & Southside...

[NMERider]

The Oz Report News Hound (web robot) picked up this tidbit from a local hiker.
http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=145857

[BobA]

Great Pics! LJ is that you ?

http://swt.org/events/hanggliderdown2015-0101/

[NMERider]

Great Pics! LJ is that you ? ...

I heard he was a new pilot in Sherwood Forest called, 'Flyer Tuck'

[timobarker]

What a beautiful new year. Today totally reaffirmed my commitment to free flight and why I think it is so special. The best glimpse of the day started early, leaving bump 2 or 3 for the back ridge I saw SD, Aileron, and Flychild soaring the gleaming green ridge against the startling blue of the sky toward the ever dramatic White Ledge peak. Looking down and North, I could see frost and patches of snow on the Northern slopes of the hills. Looking back I saw Brian and Ron climbing into this paradise that we call "our backyard." All the while, I was thinking to the pulse of my vario: I can't believe this is happening right now….I made the first critical connection of the day: crossing the pass and connecting into the SB range.
There were more glimpses as the day went by, like crossing from the back ridge to White Ledge, the ocean dramatically shimmering in its stillness. Immediately and thankfully I hooked into a thermal, climbing up to meet Neal and Aaron in our first of several thermals together.
The most memorable moment was landing at Elings. The last 2 attempts I made at Elings, I fell short and landed on the backside of the hill. This day was my first successful landing from the mountains at Elings! I was stoked to land on the field surrounded by friends and smiles.
A revelations: a week ago, I bailed from the power lines, watching my friends soar off to Ojai. I flew to Carp and landed at the beach. I've got a list of excuses for not going, dinner plans with mom, high wind, low altitude, etc… But truth be told, it simply didn't feel right to me. I had the hebejebees, instinct telling me not to continue and I couldn't find the commitment to continue with that flight. Today, I didn't feel any of those feelings. During flight, I came to the conclusion that one decision lead to the other. I had to work hard through the week and with my family to make sure that I had no loose ends undone so that I could soar to my heart's content, weather permitting….which it did.
This was a top 5 flight for me. It's beauty, doing it with friends, and the novelty of it being New Year's and landing at Eling's pushes it near the top of the list.
Big thanks goes out to SD for giving his knowledge and time to us newbies. Also, I have to personally thank Dave Bader, who gave me his radio on launch, which I left in my car. Thanks to Aaron and Brian for hauling my slow ass up that hill, bringing me some much needed coffee and haranguing me for my lousy pack job. Neal, thanks for the support upon landing! That was fun!
See you ya'll out there next time!

[flychild]

What can I say but a GREAT start to the New Year with 6 of us launching the Nuthouse in Ojai and all making it over the pass to SB (5 landed Elings and Ron landed E Beach). Beautiful hike in the cool weather to launch. It was my first time launching there. It's a smallish but immaculately clean launch site. Handtools are kept up there for continued maintenance and SD got to it as soon as he was on launch. I brought a go pro but unfortunately forgot the mounting clamp so I didn't take much in the way of in air footage. Tim, Aaron and I got stuck low over the peak of Whiteldge for a little bit and I really wish I had the camera going then while the 3 of us circled together closely hoping for a climb that would let us chase down SD on his westbound leg. Got a great climb over 4000' at the RR that made for an easy glide to Elings to join the party. As soon as we can do another flight from Nuthouse westbound I'm in!

[Southside]

A video of the day. At least three of the westbound crew from Ojai are captured. Best seen in full view in high def.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQzAtdDpcsM

[NMERider]

My humble attempt to give others a vicarious expereince of 40 miles from La Cumbre Peak to Whiteledge to East Beach. 32 minutes of narration w/ animated tracks and flight stats:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CYty_Hd649Y

[sd]

Finally got around to posting my archive for the New Year's Day weekend at
http://paraglide.net/log/15/01-01/2_summary.htm

Including an item index with a table of links to
Flight Articles, Track Logs, Photos, and Video
http://paraglide.net/log/amigo/0_occasion/2015/01-01_to_04/weekend_item_index.htm