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2 nites/3days at Pine

From: Dan
Activity_Date: 7/20/01
Remote Name: 24.8.188.224

Comments

Fast Eddie, myself and Bruce and Claude in tow all drove to Pine by 10:30am Friday to secure the camping sites. I was amazed that most of what we originally believed to be the better sites already had cars and tents amassed. We ended up choosing the lower campground with 3 contiguous sites as our resting place for the weekend. In retrospect the sites were the best. After discovering my tent was missing it's tent poles from the last person I loaned my tent to and pissing and moaning about that the group headed to Chief's to do some gardening by Dodge with a chain.

Claude and Bruce flew from Chief's and Fast Eddie and I drove back to Pine. Bob H was at launch watching the evening cycles and when we arrived. It was just about over for the day. We were surprised when Eddie yelled there is a bear!! It looked like a yearling in size and the black bear (a first for me in these mountains) raced over the road and down the spine to the left of launch. You could hear the branches breaking as he/she ran from something/someone at about 20 miles an hour down hill.

That nite Tom Pipkin drove up and the four of us had a great meal and reminisced of flying days of the past while we watched the magnificent display of stars over our heads. It was late and a few beers later I gave Tom my extra sleeping bag and he checked out the inside of his eye lids along with his dog in the back of his suburban. The rest of us retired to our respective tents. Tom was gone by first light only to reappear with John Kloer about 9:30/10:00 later that morning.

We all launched around 11:30 and most of us had great flights. I could never connect with anything but had a great time flying a Nova Carbon. We had two flights on Saturday, and a very nice lunch in between. We were spurred on by Eddie to hurry up for the afternoon flight and rightfully so as the wind began to blow otb. Later that day it turned out to be a little better, but there were some long waits for a "good cycle" that afternoon.

Dinner Saturday was a group effort. We ate like pigs and played Frisbee. Saturday's fireside chat seemed a little more tame than Friday's. I believe the beer and the hot sun and flying had most of the energy focused on how to pull off our boots and get to sleep.

Sunday proved to be a better time for me. We all watched Benson stumble into the convergence and sky out. I launched after Benson and found one thermal near half moon that took me from 5700 msl to 9500 msl without missing a beat. The glide to Cal Trans was ripping as my ground speed was 30-33 mph in very smooth air. Benson was at Cal Trans and reported the wind to be 10-15 blowing straight up the road. I had such a good glide on the Carbon I knew I could make it to Rose Valley, but I did not want to over work chase so I burned off beaucoup altitude over Benson packing up his wing.

The air was pretty smooth until I was about 150' agl. I was penetrating enough that figure 8's were necessary when all at once my forward speed stopped and I just started falling out of the sky. As I got within 30 feet from the ground I took two 60% collapses which spun me right into the ground. I flared as much as possible with what wing was left about 10 feet from the ground and had a controlled(?) crash that resulted in just minor scratches.

Discounting the rough landing it was a good flight and terrific weekend with the Topa flyers. Thanks to Eddie who was our driver for all his help and humor(?). I cannot imagine making this just an annual event. I am with you Bob H. Let's do it again soon.

Dan

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