Sat 6/8, McGee to Lee Vining, 32 miles

[Southside]

If I were to guess...

...I'd say Garlock is the place to be this Saturday.

[sd]

I have to concur with South Side on his site selection for Saturday. The lapse rate in Ojai looks dismal. The inversion is strong up to 4K, and lingering up to 6 or 7. Flights from Chiefs on Saturday will likely be sleders or a struggle to hang on at best.

The lapse rate inland is ballistic, but you have to start high. The convergence at Plowshares will likely work, but the wind aloft appears to be from the east, so don’t expect to fly upwind to Lancaster. The south side of Pine would likely be an option for HGs, but the road is closed, so… Pine may be blown out for PGs, and with the winds aloft forecast calling for mid teens out of the east, I wouldn’t recommend hiking in to the old north launch.

Black Hawk my also be a bit windy for PGs. There is less wind at altitude further north. Bishop is calling for light and variable up through 12K. Garlock looks to be sitting in the sweet spot, but getting to launch is a task in itself.

The coastal ridge lift had been working all week, but was a no show on Friday.

I’ll likely sit out Saturday and try to be productive so I can fly in August.

[Southside]

This is obviously too late, but the forecast this morning was showing more east than SE in the desert and more north north of Ridgecrest. Blackhawk was probably a better call than Garlock.

[Dizzy]

Well, not the record type of day, but we flew in Owens and its amazing feeling to watch Sierra from 16646 ft. Unfortunatly, I forget my camera at home, so there're only couple pictures from the ground made on my phone:

http://skydizzy.blogspot.com/2013/06/mcgee-to-lee-vining-32-miles.html

[Aaron]

Nice flights Alex! thanks for sharing. i love your quote on your blog about dave being confident as it gave me a big chuckle "After Mammoth Lakes there is a 10 miles "no landing" section until June lake. Dave was leading and reporting some head wind over this section and potential of top landing and long hike out, but this is his home site and he was confident." Dave Turner would be confident and optimistic even if he was hanging by a barbed noose around his neck over an erupting volcano with a starving tiger tied to his feet with his head in a block of ice and his hands behind his back in enough chains to make houdini nervous and people were shooting at him with automatic assault weapons. that guy is an amazing rare breed and contagiously fun to hang out with. he learned to fly in the owens and has been flying there everyday for the last couple of years doing some amazing things. he has some entertaining posts/videos at his site sierraparagliding.com and his sierra pilots facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/groups/572758099419600/.

[Dizzy]

Hi Aaron,
What a great comments, I laugh a lot. By the way, Sunday looks good for the Owens with light SE wind down low and more SW on top of lift (16K or so), so I may be flying there again.
Alex