Pine, North Launch

From: Tom Pipkin
Activity_Date: 5/26/01
Remote Name: 4.33.112.238

Comments

SD launched first with a tandem passenger around 1:00pm. We all watched as SD worked the ridges east of launch. He made it look so easy, I couldn't resist. As I set-up, SD top lands on the road, his passenger had become a little queezy. My first attempted launch put my wing in the manzanita, the second attempt worked as Eddie pushed me over the edge.

The air was smooth but I barely made the glide. Once over the ridge, the thermals took me to over 8k. I hung out waiting for SD & his new tandem pilot John. Between the north wind & the thermals, it was increasingly hard to resist making the jump over pine, so I went with it. I took a good glide over the valley, and was soon over Cal Trans at 6900'. Another thermal to 8300', still, SD & john were not in sight. I started glide towards Rose valley and found major sink & head wind just short rose valley road. I attempted a top landing on a ridge but couldn't penetrate & landed short in a valley. This is were the fun really starts. 2 hours of bush-wacking back to 33hwy, hitch-hiked a ride back to Eddie, and met SD & John at Nordhoff HS. Lets do it again tomorrow!

Tom