Ojai doesn't get any better than this.
We took a packed vehicle up to launch at Chief Peak. Carmen was on Marty's lap in the back seat of Chip's new pickup truck. Alongside them were Art, Taliban Chris and Andy Dainsberg. Fast Eddie was shotgun and I rode the plastic console in the middle with the DVD player at my head until we reached the gate in Rose Valley. The lapse rate looked strong on paper and we knew we were in for high times when the cold air came rushing in the windows on the top of the back ridge. It was only 11 AM and the cycles were strong.
My rustiness from not flying much the last three months showed and I blew about four launch attempts before getting off at 11:30. Taliban followed close behind and it took one thermal and about four minutes before we were over Chief Peak. I topped out at 7,000 feet and headed east. The better play would have been an out and back to Nordhof Peak, picking up the west wind in the afternoon and going to Fillmore. But my time was limited (got to get ready for the SCPA meeting tomorrow) and I thought I would do a scenic trip rather than a long cross country. I arrived at West Repeater with 5.5K and worked up over the antennas to 6,500 feet and continued eastbound. Art followed me while the rest of the crew went west. The air got fairly dicey over the back ridge and I moved out front looking for more benign conditions.
There were areas of big sink between the Repeaters and I jumped from ridge to ridge fairly low over to Pucker's. There I rode the escalator - not even needing to turn - straight up the ridge over the wide fire break on top toward the beautiful Topa Topa Bluffs. As soon as I approached, I could see the bushes shaking wildly in the little draws between the faces of the bluffs and all I had to do was keep a little distance between me and the rocks as I climbed at 1,500 feet per minute toward the tops. When I had safely reached the summit and could relax and look down on those stately escarpments, I felt that liitle bit of pride that hits you every now and then in certain situations. I don't know who named us the Topa Flyers, maybe it was SD, but the name sure fits. From here, you could look down on the Ojai Valley and over to Santa Paula Peak and see forever over the charred landscape in back from last year's big fire toward the I-5. Quite a sight! No bushwacking necessary if you land back there.
I could see Art coming in below me on the ridge. He continued eastward to Fillmore. I topped out at 6,600 feet and crawled back westward over the back ridge. There really wasn't much wind, so you could go wherever you wanted. I got back to launch and the same thing happened as the first go-round. One thermal to 7,050 feet and I tried to make the high school on glide. A strong southwest wind put me on the ground just short of goal in Pipkin's Meadow.
Strong lift, beautiful skies and great crew. What more can you ask for?
1,500 up; 2,300 down. One and a half hour loop of the valley. Back home by 2 PM. Can we get as lucky when it's not Friday the 13th tomorrow?