Pine is Open. Bonzai Lives!

[faoro]

Yow! What an opening day at Pine. With Chris Grantham and John Kloer taking the East coast contingent up to Chief Peak, it left the rest of us to tackle opening day for paragliders at Pine Mountain. Chip was able to break away from parental duties with his sick kids, Fast Eddie rearranged his doctor visit and Robb Milley, Andy Palmer and I rode in Chip's rig up to launch. The Blipmaps were predicting 14,000 foot tops and it was all we could do to keep Chip's clothes on in the pick-up as we drove up to launch. He was that excited. As Marty says, the safe part is flying and Chip barely stayed in his lane 50% of the time on our way up Pine Mountain Road, while Eddie endured the many bumps and potholes on his newly fractured tibia/fibula. But we were all getting stoked as we saw new cumis popping up over the main spine and farther back toward Lockwood Valley.

We arrived at the south side launch and the cycles were blowing in perfect at 2:30 PM. It took me awhile to layer up for the predicted 30 degree temps (and colder wind chill) expected at higher altitudes. I got off at 2:40 PM. I settled in and coasted down to the Bonzai tree. There I saw the greatest harbinger of good times: the bonzai tree is sprouting green right out of the center of its damaged, brown top! The bonzai tree is coming back! Of course, with this good omen, I immediately caught a decent thermal and took it up to 9,500 feet. After briefly boating around, I caught another thermal. It was the smoothest lift of my entire career. I sailed up to 13,000 feet, barely aware that I was even moving, while ascending at 1,300 ft per minute. Sweetest lift ever! Rob joined me and we enjoyed the brisk air and the altitudes for about a half hour before setting out for Ojai. It's been awhile since I've been that high. It seemed strange to see Chip's wing barely visible at launch as I topped out in the thermal. I could see all the way around the familiar landscape from Mt. Pinos to Frazier to Lake Casitas and the ocean. Giant cumis were over the Boy's Camp and Mount Guillermo, but we'll save those for tomorrow. Cloudbase was 14K and there seemed to be little wind.

Robb soon took off for Ojai. I hedged my bet and took a line toward White Ledge. We both had 40 mph groundspeeds. Ojai was easy and I thought I'd make a play for Bates. I had 10,500 feet at Dry Lakes Ridge and White Ledge looked easy. But I was worried about getting stuck between White Ledge and Noon Peak in a west wind. So I turned toward Matilija Canyon and came in over the dam at 9,500 feet. Robb and I toured the Ojai Valley at 8K down to 3K, making a big loop south and west. That's only the second time I've arrived in Ojai with such altitude - the last time being on a tandem. We had to listen to Chip describe every bush and tree he flew over as he nervously made his way southbound, asking for Andy's help every thirty seconds. "Will I make it from this ridge or that bush or this tree?" Then Tom Pipkin called me on my cell phone. He told me to land at his house and he'd have cold beer. Enough said. I turned from over the high school and headed south. I called Bob Hurlbett to gloat about my flight. Several minutes later, I noticed I was now penetrating at about 8 mph and headed down into an orange grove. I peeled off to land at a ranch and walk the half mile that I could have glided over - had I been paying attention. Andy and Robb landed at the high school while Chip set up for his adventure on the back side of Nordhoff Ridge, failing to clear the top by only a few yards.

We sat at Tom and Debbie's house playing with Lily and having a few beers just thirty minutes later. Then we cruised down to a sushi bar at the bottom of the hill they live on. While we did sake and talked about manly things, we began to worry about Chip. Finally, Eddie called and dragged Chip in twenty minutes later. Chip was sweaty and scratched and bleeding everywhere below the knees - like he had wrestled with a feral cat over some rat carcass in the chaparral and really pissed the guy off. We gently reminded him that it's all a part of the learning curve - steeper for some than for others. He took it good-naturedly. Then I took to the open road, much to Tom Pipkin's chagrin.

Experience is the best teacher. Pine Mountain had all its magic working on this Spring day.

[Chip Bartley]

After reading Ron's novel, I obviously have to tell the unembelished version.


Truth is, there was blood, scratches and sweat. The Bonsai was green, the wiew 360 was insane however, my attitude was awesome. This is a hard croud. But how much fun is this deal

It was very exciting to drive up with the 5 of us. Not to crowded and quite a bit of hucken it up. All the signs where real good. cummies where starting a small street and developing nicely. launched 3rd and Andy was of right behind me. It took a while searching for the core out front. Andy and I played good team and finally hooked a good one about 1400 up.

I locked in to a heavy left turn and went straight to 13,500. Once I topped out I soared back and forth enjoying cloud base and the chilly thin air. After a while, I hear Andy say hes going on glide to Nordoff from about 1,000 below me. I fugured I'm not staying here, Ill head out with Andy. So I went on glide and was hell bent on getting to Ojai.

After hearing Ron and Robb gloating about their arrival at Nordoff. I believe at 7 or 8 K. (for OJ and Pipkin's benefit). Andy and where gliding and I was paying attention to Andy's glide, the land marks that I know. my speed as well as glide ratio and lift and sink rate. Right????

Well about 3/4 the way there after I passed the 33 I was even with Andy and sinking. A minute or two later I was 400 down and gliding at a 6 to 1 and gps said I needed 7 to 1. I figured, ptetty close, I'll go for it and if its to close peel off and land. I had a few what looked to be possible lz's. As I got closer to Nordoff ridge, it became apparent that I wasn't gonna clear the ridge so I got on the radio and told those guys what my status was. The responce from Pipkins Pub was something like, "Just shut up and keep flying, you'll clear it". At that point I thought I am surely on my own, Awesome?

So I took a deep breath and focused on not puckering up to much. As I was gliding about 100 feet over the ridges toward the 33, I heard a familiar voice from my radio. Fast Eddie says, "hey chip "I see you" just keep heading out the canyon and head either for the ranger station or the little field on the right. I headed to the right as my glide would have never cleared the trees on the way to the ranger station. got close to the "field" and realized it was about the size of the snake pit and surrounded by barbed wire.

Yet another decission to make. I kept gliding towrd the road and decided to use it as a run way. As soon as I glided over the blacktop I started going up. I road it out the best i could and at the end of the road as they say. I foud out about things like manzanilla, sage dust, shcale and the down side of being dressed for an expidition to the North Pole. Anyhow, an hour and a half later I broke the last branch to set my glider free. Fast Eddie sat on the tail gate of my truck drinking ice tea telling me all the places better that I could of landed. As my face swelled from the mixture of sage dust and what ever pollen floats around out there I kept talking to my self saying "its the journey not the destination". Wow what a great day I even made it back in time for sushi, beer and saki. Wouldn't change a thing. oby the way, the kids are still sick and I'm back on duty. Also, i'll see you all tomorrow at 9:30.

[andy]

It was a great opening day at pine. Gotta love the pillow-vator up to CB. OK I didn't make it to base but I had the comp wing glide so I didn't have to. I have never had to do so many triangulation calculations based on trees and ridges for Nordhoff ridge clearance. Sorry Chip I couldn't resist;) At least your radio was working, when I got spanked at pine my radio was dead...not that it would have helped.

Other than initial 400 fpm down at first crossing I was going 58-60kph at a 150fpm sink rate for most of the glide. I'm lovin' the XXL targa with 30 lbs. ballast. On full bar I was up close to 75kph with 300fpm sink. Sweeet.

Andy