Hemlock Colors

Cody and I decided that we had better make use of the gorgeous day we had and get the kayaks out. We headed to Hemlock Lake and met Ron at the north end and were rewarded with absolutely perfect conditions. You be the judge, the pictures say it all.

Bristol Grad Party

Katrin did a great job organizing the graduation party for this years students and there was a good turnout and a few sled rides were taken. I jumped in for a ride up and a tandem with Matt, then hung out for some dogs on the grill, good conversation and a beer. Here are a few pics from our flight.

Team Challenge

The final day of the TTTTC was canceled, so I decided to pack up and hit the road on Saturday so I did not have to drive the whole 14 hrs on Sunday.
Even though I only flew three times and two of them were sledders, I enjoyed the week camping and hanging out with new and old friends, attending seminars with a bunch of top notch speakers, and exploring the Sequatchie Valley. I see the huge potential for cross country flying there and will go back and hopefully the weather will cooperate next time.
Here are a couple pics of window rock, right down the road from launch and name sake of the road it is on, a few pilots watching the brave souls flying in strong conditions on Saturday and the rock at the entrance.

Team Challenge Day 5

We finally have a task, C pilots were sent south across two gaps to Dr. Dales, B pilots were sent to the first water tower past Dr. Dales, then back to Henson's LZ, A pilots were sent south down the ridge to the first water tower south of Dr. Dales, then to Henson's ramp, then to Buck's Knob, then back south to Dr. Dales.
Our team, the Scatter Birds, launched about 3pm into 8-10 mph slightly crossed, gusty conditions. It was an elevator ride to a few hundred over on the ridge with very textured air. We worked our way south as a team, crossed the first gap, then broke up. The ham radio people are doing an exercise in the valley so there is a ham guy right on site each day monitoring communications and we have strict instruction not to talk if you don't have a call sign. Megan(from New England), one of our C pilots got flushed at the second gap by the power lines and headed out to land, I saw her setting up to land then she hit a climb and got back up over the ridge. Twice that happened and she could not find a climb high enough to cross the gap. Keith(St. Louis) , our A pilot saw her go out to land the first time and wrote her off and never saw her again. Unfortunately I couldn't tell him she got back up, or talk her to a thermal, and eventually she went out to land. It was her first XC flight. Rick Maddy(Colorado), our other C pilot burned to goal in 35min.
I found my first thermal at the first gap, took it up to 4700' then headed down the ridge listening to Keith and Cliff(our other B pilot from St. Petersburg Fla. ) talking behind me. I knew I had options down wind so I pushed south pretty hard and got to the second gap where there were gliders marking lift. It would turn out to be my best climb to 5700', and a good thing, as I crossed the gap, flew to the turn point at the water tower and never found a bit of lift. A little zero sink, but no lift, and by the time I got back over the gap and found lift again I was down to 600' over and searching hard. It was right where I left it and in know time I was back up and headed north. I was watching a topless, Barry cruising north back behind the ridge and sinking fast so I adjusted out front a little and found zero sink or lift most of the way back to Henson's. About a mile out I knew I had the LZ and headed out into the valley and found nothing but lift the whole way to goal. It was everywhere in the valley and I reached goal with 3000', I was first to goal in 1hr, 28min. I let off the VG and boated around the valley taking in the sights and eventually landed with Barry.
Let the celebrations begin!!!! Lots of smiles as pilots came in to goal, lots at goal, lots of first goals, first XC flight and personal bests. After the long wait to get to fly there were a bunch of happy pilots at dinner last night.

Flights: 1
Air time: 1:28:01
Max alt: 5740' MSL
Fun Factor: 8

Team Challenge

Day three was officially canceled a few minutes ago due to fog in the valley. We are going to try a launch and landing clinic if the wind will allow launches this afternoon. At 2pm there was still an inversion and fog in the valley. Here are a few pictures of the valley and the pilots meeting.

Tenneessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge

I left Rochester on Friday at 2pm and drove through to Lexington Kentucky stopping about midnight. I finished the drive Saturday morning and arrived around noon. I signed in, set up camp and set up my glider to get a pre-meet flight. There was a very weak SW cross wind and the only gliders able to stay up were rigid wings and topless flex wings(and very few of them) so eventually I took my sledder like a man and dove off the ramp. Actually I had an excellent launch, kept the nose down and ran down the face of the ramp till I was air born. A quick 5 minute sledder and a decent landing and I had committed aviation at Hensons Gap.
Day one was canceled due to a strong south wind and day two was canceled due to rain. We have been spending our time at seminars with Mike Barber(the man who has flown a hang glider further than anyone in the world) and oh what a guy to boot, and Dennis Pagen( the guy who literally wrote the book(s) on hang gliding). The quote of the meet so far: Tom Lanning "after a day of driving and a sledder, a day of watching the wind blow in the wrong direction and a day of rain, it is getting about time to blow something up!!!"
Here are some pictures of the ramp at Henson's Gap, much more to come.

Flights: 1
Airtime: 5min
Fun factor: 10

The wonders of nature

On Monday I got home from work early enough to load the kayaks, grab Cody and head to Hemlock for a quick paddle. We paddled the inlet and made it a mile and a half until we hit a fallen tree that we could not cross. We saw two Blue Herons, a Beaver and an Eagle. I will have to get the Cannon out once I am sure I am not going to roll it into the drink and try and get some quality pictures.
Ron and I paddled about 12 miles on Sunday and we found a willow that has dropped roots down to "drink" out of the lake. The roots extend down into the water about six inches and get very red below the surface. They do not go to the bottom so they sway back and forth in the waves. Way cool, nature making things happen. Here are a few pics of the roots. We saw an Eagle and I did get a picture but it was to far away to be worth much.

Hemlock heaven

I found a good used kayak on Craig's list this morning and went to look at it and bought it on the spot. A Dagger Blackwater 12.5. When everyone bailed on flying I took it out to Hemlock to give it a test paddle. Cody says Hemlock is the better of the two little fingers and now I agree. There was very little boat traffic, I saw two power boats and five kayaks. I had a great paddle up the west side in the shade and the highlight was a Bald Eagle flew off a cliff and passed over me by no more than 50'. The boat performed flawlessly and I am real pleased with the deal I got. Here are a few pictures from the trip, wish I could have gotten a pic of the Eagle but I had the camera stowed and could not get it out in time. Oh well, I now have an excuse to go back soon.

Canadice cruisin'

Cody and I went to Canadice Lake on Sunday and paddled the length and back, stopped and climbed a 400' elevation change to get a cache and built a couple stone cairns. We stayed on the west side for the most part in the shade and comfortably cruisin' in a nice breeze.