Re: Spin

From: RF
Activity_Date: 1/20/01
Remote Name: 165.247.240.6

Comments

"Three sixty on that thing!"

I wasn't on the same page as my glider. It seems like all my fun times come the day after a big night out. I launched the Nuthouse Walkup in a diminishing cycle and lost enough altitude to be facing a likely flush when I began to scratch back up. I finally had a decent thermal, I knew what I wanted and I was about equal to launch when I felt all energy leave the glider. I didn't feel the spin until two seconds later, only the rapid descent and about half a wing of pressure. The only thought in my head was "find somewhere to park this thing." I looked down to see what I was going to impact when the wing got back some energy and started to fly. I could see I was about 20 feet off the chaparral and the bushes looked benign. My hands were still fairly deep in the brakes. I killed the more active side of the wing and tumbled about 15 feet into the brush. It knocked the wind out of me. My back was sore yesterday, but better today, so not likely a serious injury. I was never scared particularly, but I could have been thinking faster. I got kind of mesmerized just watching my fall. I do tend to fly slowly, but I make a conscious effort to let energy build on the downwind. I just don't do it tight against a hill! It was interesting to know the limit of my glider and this was a good lesson. I noticed a peculiar feel last week on some very close turns in Romero Canyon, so I had been working up to this spin. Still, if I had just thought and gone "hands up", I may have saved a little drama.

With great help from my friends, I got back to launch and left last with a perfect pull-up and good cycle. An hour of work and some spectacular views of the snow covered backcountry and I was splitting the goalposts at Nordoff. Today, I hiked ten miles up Reyes Creek and the Beartrap Creek drainage to Pine Mountain. The snow was 8-12 inches deep! Strong winds and gusts to 40 mph. A good day to be on the ground.