Skyport/Groundhog's Day

From: RF
Activity_Date: 2/2/02
Remote Name: 165.247.232.227

Comments

What a fantastic weekend for flying! Many of the hard working people who couldn't get out during the week were joined at launch by the usual suspects and were not disappointed. The hang gliders were lined up deep and paraglider wings were all over the place. The weather was definitely obliging as the high pressure did not create an inversion; it was clear and cold at Skyport with abundant strong lift in most anyplace one cared to look.

I had a lonely flight down range. Not necessarily because no one followed me early, but because I flew without a radio today. The silence allowed me to just concentrate on flying and appreciate the scenery. I did find my radio in my pack after I landed, so the quiet trip was self-imposed. However, compared to the usual chatter on a busy flight day, it was magnificent!

I launched behind Art and Bob around 11 AM. That would have been a little early under similar circumstances, but everyone skied out in the house thermal. I followed Bob and Art to the R&R where we jacked it up another 500 feet and took the glide to the Thermal Factory. Bob immediately soared to about 500 over, but he had to pick up his daughter at the airport and soon left. When I got over the top, I pointed it east for new territory. A few turns on the cruise to Montecito Peak and I came in midway down the ridge. After 10 minutes, I was at 3,500 feet and left Montecito for points east. The lift was so smooth and fairly strong that Ojai entered my mind and I started looking toward White Ledge for our compatriots who did the Nuthouse hike-up. I stopped at each lift source for a boost, yelled some hellos to hikers and bikers on the Romero trail and basically just leaped on to the next ridge anytime the lift faded, which was usually about 3,700 feet. I could see all the colorful wings in the air at the Thermal Factory and knew it was good news for everyone flying. Soon, the wings became specks and I had to concentrate more and more on the terrain and the lift as I angled back away from the coast at the top of the mountains. There was a motorcyclist doing the ridge top road and we shared several hoots as we both kept pace with each other east. Several times I was only 50 feet above him struggling to hang on. I could see Juncal Dam and Jameson Lake, as well as Lake Casitas. But I got low on the bowl face before the powerlines and had to fall off toward Carpinteria. It looked like a three or four hour hike wasn't out of the question. The knob a mile out in front rescued me and a zinger took me back to the top at around 3,900 feet. Twice I took the altitude and flew to the powerlines, but 50-100 feet, even for a guy like me, seemed a bit on the thin side. There was no sign of any paragliders coming from Ojai, and alone, without a radio, I thought, better think Ojai on a little stronger day. The lift wasn't as consistent, it was a bit chopped up in the wind on the ridge line; I couldn't get above four grand. In fact, I got blown over the back a bit and almost landed in a snow bank on my hangout at the powerlines. I don't take a gift like that lightly, and on my next thermal, despite being a couple of hundred over the powerlines, I turned toward Carpinteria. Just then a powered hang glider flew overhead. I waved to that pilot and headed for touchdown at a schoolyard where a Brooks student was taking pictures; she had seen me come out of the mountains. The student, Beth, took me the eleven miles back to Parma!