Pine Lift

From: Chris
Activity_Date: 5/4/2002
Remote Name: 64.160.25.152

Comments

What a day. Punched off around 11:30 and ridge soared launch for a few minutes. Didnt get more than a hundred or so over and bailed for the point. Nothin over the point and I was getting nervous about the glide to the LZ given that Hesham had put down in the bushes and others had some close calls. Headed out with minimal altitude and arrived over the rock cliffs with 5500. Just about that time Truax called the convergence at reyes. Air over the cliffs was ratty but had some lift to it. Cored a few and within 15 minutes it had smoothed out to a gloss. Lift EVERYWHERE and I was soon back at 7500. Oscillated between 6500 and 8170 for the next hour and a half right over the cliffs in the best lift i'd felt in a long time. Right shoulder started to ache so I decided to put down in the Sandpile. Easier said than done. I couldnt get DOWN! Had to actually hunt out sink and spiral in it and inevitably i'd end up back in lift going up again. Never had such a hard time coming down. Finally got down within 500 of the LZ and easily could have gone back to 8 from there. Thrashed my wing around a bit more and managed to put down in some nasty thermals that were being kicked up by the LZ.

Randall and I waited for Hesham to emerge from the scrub for nearly three hours but by the time he got out my shoulder wasnt in so much pain and I was ready for another. Back up to launch around 3:30 or 4. Sharon and Truax were still up and praising the sweet lift. I wasnt convinced and when we had left the LZ it was blowing HARD from the south west. The flying may be great but if there's no place to land what's the point right? Randall and Ron punched off and went up off the point and dan was calling light winds at the LZ. Punched off and drifted out to the point. Didnt find anything and things were looking bleak until a point several hundred yards beyond the point. One big buttery thermal took me to 8700. The sun was getting low, the haze had cleared, and I was the only one left at pine. Truly amazing flying/view. Boated around for 30 minutes and went on glide for CalTrans where Ron had put down. At that point I had to pay my karmic dues and within 5 minutes both my radio and my GPS went on the fritz. With no idea what my ground speed was making it to CalTrans seemed like a gamble but i figured the worst that could happen is i land on the ridge and walk a few hundred yards to the road. Managed to squeak it into CT with minimal alt for a landing on the road.

Couldnt have asked for a better day!