OWENS BABY!

[Dean S]

Could this weekend be the first run of the year? As of this morning it's looking good. I'm even thinking about getting up there Friday morning. Still need to check the weather updates after 7:30 tonight and I'll update the post. So, who's interested?

If you're a green pilot without big air experience I wouldn't advise going to the Owens this time of year. The air can be very big and usually hard to handle this early in the season. Fall conditions in the Owens are much more consistent and easier to handle.

[JimmyZ]

It looks like a few groups will be heading up on Thursday next week for the Memorial Day Owens trip. If you head up this weekend, give us a report!!

[Southside]

Could this weekend be the first run of the year? As of this morning it's looking good.

Sorry, but I'm not seeing that myself. Depending on the model, I'm seeing 5-8 knot SSE winds to 10k and SW 8-10 above that with lift to 10-11k. Also GFS is indicating high clouds, especially for Sunday.

Of course, that's way better than what Pine looks like for this weekend.

John

[Dean S]

John-John-John...why are you peeing on my parade?

I don't claim to be a weather god but I like what I'm seeing on paper at the moment, enough to justify a run. I'm planning for Sat and Sun as long as the weather holds. I'll make one last weather check tomorrow after 7:30. All in favor say "I"!

[andy]

What are you thinking? Use the S to push us up the Sierras to Whites and then Montgomery pass? I think thats 100+.

I'll go.

Andy

[Southside]

John-John-John...why are you peeing on my parade?

Well I don't mean to do that. Guess I was being a bit presumptuous thinking that you were basing your assessment on Blipmaps which always seems to have a stellar forecast for the Owens. When I looked at the NAM and GFS profiles both seem to indicate tops just above 10k through the weekend (the last updates are pretty much the same -- GFS is even more aggressive with the upper level moisture for Sunday). Having said all that, tonights winds aloft page for tomorrow is saying that the lapse rate should match the dry adiabatic rate to 18k so maybe you're right.

John

[Chip Bartley]

In

[Dean S]

John, I'm seeing pretty much the same as you. The LR is what I'm focusing on. It looks like a fun weekend more than a booming one which is fine by me. I agree the alts look like it will be between the 10-12k range on the sierra side with the occasional boosts to 14 or 15 near Onion. Hoping for one of those boosts after Onion to make the jump to the Whites and take the 10-11k run to the border. Staying optimistic...

Since the Owens is known for volatility during the spring-summer transition, as you well know, I'd prefer a little less booming/crazy conditions and still be able to capitalize on the longer day. I love the fall but the day is definitely shorter.

...hoping for the best

[BobA]

Have great time ! I'm rooting for you.

BigA

Fly straight !

[andy]

sorry hit the key twice.

[andy]

Day one and team Targa is closer to the 100 miler. Dean and I tagged up and flew 63 miles landing next to Flynns lz after launching from Horseshoe-Walts point. We launched about 11:15 or so and went up to about 12 and change and started the march north with about a 10 mph tail wind. We stayed together most of the way with Dean taking the high road most of the way and I stayed on the middle points. We had some impressive climbs 2000fpm a couple of times with averager showing 1570fpm. Base was at about 12.5 until we reached Whitney then we getting up to 14k routinely, and Dean topped out at 15.1. We didn't top out a lot of the climbs because it was cold up high and there was tons of strong lift.

It was beautiful as always with a little snow still in the mountains, and clouds forming along the ridge line. The climbs were very active and at times it was all we could do to hold on. We both had a couple of collapses but nothing serious. There was a posse from San Diego and a few of them had PR flights.

We crossed just past Big Pine at 12.4 and were side by side going across with a little plunger action from the west but not bad. After finding a little thermal in the valley just N of big ears we got back up to 12k and finished the crossing only to get skunked at the Whites. There was pretty strong south busting up all the lift at our level so we just rode the tail wind down to the deck and packed up. Kari was there to get us shortly and now were getting ready to eat sleep and do it again tomorrow.



Andy

[Leeside]

Post flight hypoxia may be the cause of hitting the key twice. Kickass flight none the less. Yahoo!

[JimmyZ]

Nice flyin'!! We're looking forward to getting some of the same this coming week. Thanks for the preview!!

James Z

[Southside]

Glad to see that I was wrong and that you didn't stay home because of my post. I'll shut up now :-)

Despite today's high cloud cover it seems as though there is some nice cu development over the range so I am curious to hear how the day turns out.

John

[Dean S]

As Andy has already summarized Saturday turned out to be great. Launched Walts around noon. All the peaks were firing on schedule and the glides between them were easy. There was a hint of West spilling over up high but it was hardly noticeable. It was too cold up high so most of our flight was spent between 12 & 13k and we were making good time. In fact, we made such good time that the cumis didn’t start popping on the Sierra side until after we left for the Whites. After connecting twice on the crossing we intersected the Whites at about 6500’ and we were sure we had the 100+ miler in the bag. All we needed was one thermal to get us established higher up on the range and it was a milk run after that. The cumis were stacked up all the way past Boundary Peak and they looked to be at about 17k; easy, right! We spent the next 10 minutes sniffing out every nook and cranny until we finally hit the dirt at the 63 mile mark. We spent another 10 minutes pouting and scratching our heads…damn, how the hell did that happen? To top it off we put down just after 3 pm (peak heating) and we had at least 2 ½ - 3 hours of airtime left…OUCH!

We hung out with Steve Prairie and the gang from San Diego that night at Steve’s house in Big Pine. After filling our bellies and passing around the flight stories fatigue soon set in and we headed down to check ourselves in at the Lone Pine Budget Inn; home of the stiffest mattresses in town.

We woke up this morning (Sunday) to a very similar day on paper with the exception of a little more West component and an impending system from the NW due around mid-afternoon. Again we launched around noon and there were less high clouds over the area than Saturday but you could see a hint of them way off to the North creeping South. It was an easy boost to 12k over launch but there was a very stout 10-12+ West wind up high. Andy and I started down range but it was soon apparent that it would be a much slower day. Climb rates were fairly similar to Saturday but they didn’t have the same heights. You could also feel the air sharks lurking nearby. Off to the North lenticulars had formed high above the Whites and conditions were changing rapidly. Andy saw the hand-writing on the wall and bugged out early near Whitney. I decided to give the day a little more of a chance and continued on. The high clouds that were once way off to the North were fast approaching and wind-blown cumis were popping up everywhere deep in the Sierras. There was definitely more moisture in the air today and the cumis off in the distance were leaning so hard to the East you’d swear they were missing a leg. Considering the West component I was giving the peaks a wide berth and staying out on the front points, but even on the front points the West wind was hell bent on delivering me some spankings. I bounced down range between 12 & 13k but each transition got harder and harder. The closer I got to Onion Valley the more I had to crab to stay on the course line. By the time I had gotten to Onion my crab angle was probably close to 35 degrees. I took a ridiculous shot at crossing Onion Valley but the West wind just laughed at me so I turned tail and took aim for Independence. Andy scooped me up near the airport and we headed home. We weren’t in the car very long before the day started to fall apart. West winds were shredding any cumi that had the nerve to form and the high clouds were taking up residence fast. What a difference a day makes, eh! Even though our day was cut short today it was still a great weekend with plenty of new information to put in the reference bank. There’s nothing like flying the Owens!

The only shots I have are from Saturday and I’ve got some comments at the bottom of a few of them:
http://www.pbase.com/fllspdahd/owens_may_19_20_2007

Even though Memorial weekend is 5 days off it already appears that we’ve got a good shot of some more great flying up there.