And what a day it was! The first to arrive and the last one to leave the day started with some mowing and as I was finishing the CROWD started to arrive. Ryan, Karl, Katrin, Mark, Linda, Doug, Chuck, Matt, Lon, Todd, Dan, Moritz, Mark S. and Marlin. And I probably missed a couple more.
I put the mower away and started to rig as the wind came around from the west to NW but it would continue to cross periodically during the day. Mark, Linda and Ryan all launched as I rigged and slowly worked their way up. Marlin went next then Katrin and I was finally done and ready to go. The ridge was working but it would only gain you a few hundred feet at best but you could maintain and wait for the ride to the clouds. The thermals were a mixed bag with some big fat easy ones and then some high velocity bullets that would make the vario scream.
Marlin had a great flight and was working the air like a champ but finally fell to a sink cycle that had me down a hundred under launch, unzipped and working some light lift on the ridge behind the church. I saw a few hawks working something on the point on the west side of the bowl and went to them and was rewarded with a building thermal that would eventually take me back to cloud base.
Once at base you could wander at will with abundant lift and I was able to check out the entire area as I flew around. If you got low there were a few spots that would almost always be working and get you back up. I watched numerous people launch and boat around and a few climbed out and disappeared off on XC flights. I lost Mark early on and flew with Linda for a while but it was mostly just pick a cloud and go see if it was working if not try another. I was under a huge dark cloud with great lift to base but could not see the top so I was a little worried about getting sucked in but kept flying to the edge and zero sink to assure myself I was all right.
By the time I came down I was to tired to flair and basically plopped in to land and I ache in my shoulders, neck, hip and back but it is a pleasant pain considering the texture of the air and the work it took to stay in it.
Oh and ask Marlin about his flight I think he did ok and broke out with drinks, fruit and melon for all that stuck around at the end, thanks.
Flights: 1
Duration: 1hr 56min
Max altitude 4400' ASL
Max lift: 1330FPM
Max sink: 937fpm
Fun Factor: 7 of 10
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