by glbro » Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:10 am
I'm posting a little late, I know, but really I'm right on time for me, Pokey. I got lucky on Sunday (and no, I don't mean with a woman). I launched relatively late (maybe 12:20 or so?) and made a b-line for the Thermal Factory. Got up nicely there to about 5k, and headed west. Didn't stop at RR since I didn't find much and still had over 4. Had to milk it a little at La Cumbre peak, but made gradual gains until I hit about 4,600, and then it really got consistent with a steady 600/min up. I got the highest that I've ever been in S.B. at just over 6k, tracking it back over the back. (My vario was not calibrated before I launched, and I believe that it was reading a couple of hundred feet high, but it showed 6,355 ft. max.!) I glided over to No Name and did a few turns, but didn't connect with anything, so I tagged the VOR and came back. This time I found something on the east side of No Name and got back up to 4,600 or so, and then headed for West Bowl. Again, on the east side (basically over the canyon, I got back up to around 4,600 and headed back to La Cumbre peak. I saw a lone PG pilot launching Alternator on the way. Didn't find much at the peak this time, so I moved on to RR. Again, didn't find much so I headed back to the Factory. Got back up to 4,500 and saw Little John and someone else climbing nicely on the back range, so I dove back and connected back up to 5,400. Headed along the back until I was behind Montecito Peak. I made a right and followed the spine south out to the peak and found nada. Took my altitude and headed for the beach. (I know, I should have headed back to launch for the lap completion, but I didn't want to fight the west and end up getting drilled back to Parma.) I feel fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time, off of launch.
Pokey