The flight that almost was...

There are tons of times we don't fly. I'm kind of sick of it actually, however, life being what it is, you suck it up. This is one of those times.
I am kind of amped on flying The Avenue. Ventura Avenue, you know, in Ventura. After getting a thorough tutorial, and history from the Oracle (SD in case you didn't know), I am continually thinking about if and when I am going to be able to fly. Fortunately for me, I drive home by it every day. Unfortunately for me, no one else I know does regularly.
So, I am going to become the cheerleader and evangelist... I'm good with that because:
1. I don't generally want or enjoy flying alone just for the experience.
2. Having a bottom and top car is primo for this spot, in case you can't top land (even though streets go back to the top.)
3. Other peeps want to get out and become better pilots, and changing up where you fly is a way to do that.
So, the story. More like just facts: I got off work early last Friday, specifically because Thursday was a great day, and this pattern with the fog burning off and it opening up, was something I was pretty sure would happen again... and hopefully the direction would clock around to the NW like it did Thursday as well. I would have put money on it... and I was wrong... and right. The fog burned off, and we got a nice steady sea breeze from the W. However, I got to the top at about 3:30, and the direction was pretty much W. Problem is, the wedge, Grant Park, The Avenue, whatever that ridge is called actually is pretty much facing N. You really need it to come from the NW better N, I think. So, hoping for the "it's too cross at Bates, so I'm going to see if the Avenue is picking up any of this lift" just wasn't happening, at least today.
Fortunately, there are streamers some paragliders/Hangliders have put up there, which indicated the almost pure cross direction. Some thermals, boomers, were coming through and the streamers would clock around, but waiting it out showed again and again that the direction was pretty much guaranteeing a sideways down elevator, no lift, one direction facing out toward the ocean rather than out away from the slope kind of ride to the bottom greenbelt, and if lucky, maybe a turn or two to DeAnza playground.... but definitely not the best use of my time, even though I had all the best laid plans of mice and men. Oh yeah, only a few crows occassionaly came skimming along the ridge low, anhedral style... knowing already what I was just figuring out... stay on the ground.
So, with no ride back up, with no experienced pilots with, unsure of the strength of the wind ABOVE launch though pretty sure it was blasting esp. with the boomers coming through, and no SPOT/GPS/Flares/or coon dogs to come find me in the lee of this beautiful soaring ridge, I had to bow out...
Did I want to fly soooooooooo bad. Yes.
Did I have plenty of wind knowledge, experience, internet data, current wind and condition observations from the top, and margin of error built in to make it an easy choice? Yep.
Was it easy. Nope.
I'm a junkie. Still in that newbie stage where every time I fly is a new experience. It's great. I hope the thrill never goes away, though I know the newness wears off like anything. But, the thrill of something dominating your thinking, when you are at your computer at work, and you are looking at the wind report hoping that Bates won't block today, or the van will indeed go to Skyport so I can book out for a lunchtime sortee... that is something to be honest I haven't felt in a while.
I'm at the stage where, parking in the lot up top at The Avenue, waking up, setting up, and then not getting to fly, is still super cool... focusing all my hopes and excitement, and using all that I've learned so far, is still super cool, even when I don't get to fly. Because I know I will... very soon.
I am kind of amped on flying The Avenue. Ventura Avenue, you know, in Ventura. After getting a thorough tutorial, and history from the Oracle (SD in case you didn't know), I am continually thinking about if and when I am going to be able to fly. Fortunately for me, I drive home by it every day. Unfortunately for me, no one else I know does regularly.
So, I am going to become the cheerleader and evangelist... I'm good with that because:
1. I don't generally want or enjoy flying alone just for the experience.
2. Having a bottom and top car is primo for this spot, in case you can't top land (even though streets go back to the top.)
3. Other peeps want to get out and become better pilots, and changing up where you fly is a way to do that.
So, the story. More like just facts: I got off work early last Friday, specifically because Thursday was a great day, and this pattern with the fog burning off and it opening up, was something I was pretty sure would happen again... and hopefully the direction would clock around to the NW like it did Thursday as well. I would have put money on it... and I was wrong... and right. The fog burned off, and we got a nice steady sea breeze from the W. However, I got to the top at about 3:30, and the direction was pretty much W. Problem is, the wedge, Grant Park, The Avenue, whatever that ridge is called actually is pretty much facing N. You really need it to come from the NW better N, I think. So, hoping for the "it's too cross at Bates, so I'm going to see if the Avenue is picking up any of this lift" just wasn't happening, at least today.
Fortunately, there are streamers some paragliders/Hangliders have put up there, which indicated the almost pure cross direction. Some thermals, boomers, were coming through and the streamers would clock around, but waiting it out showed again and again that the direction was pretty much guaranteeing a sideways down elevator, no lift, one direction facing out toward the ocean rather than out away from the slope kind of ride to the bottom greenbelt, and if lucky, maybe a turn or two to DeAnza playground.... but definitely not the best use of my time, even though I had all the best laid plans of mice and men. Oh yeah, only a few crows occassionaly came skimming along the ridge low, anhedral style... knowing already what I was just figuring out... stay on the ground.
So, with no ride back up, with no experienced pilots with, unsure of the strength of the wind ABOVE launch though pretty sure it was blasting esp. with the boomers coming through, and no SPOT/GPS/Flares/or coon dogs to come find me in the lee of this beautiful soaring ridge, I had to bow out...
Did I want to fly soooooooooo bad. Yes.
Did I have plenty of wind knowledge, experience, internet data, current wind and condition observations from the top, and margin of error built in to make it an easy choice? Yep.
Was it easy. Nope.
I'm a junkie. Still in that newbie stage where every time I fly is a new experience. It's great. I hope the thrill never goes away, though I know the newness wears off like anything. But, the thrill of something dominating your thinking, when you are at your computer at work, and you are looking at the wind report hoping that Bates won't block today, or the van will indeed go to Skyport so I can book out for a lunchtime sortee... that is something to be honest I haven't felt in a while.
I'm at the stage where, parking in the lot up top at The Avenue, waking up, setting up, and then not getting to fly, is still super cool... focusing all my hopes and excitement, and using all that I've learned so far, is still super cool, even when I don't get to fly. Because I know I will... very soon.