Walden CO
We spent a couple of days at Sparky's taking care of vehicle issues (truck A/C, trailer tires). Went out to the local scooter tow operation and learned a lot but didn't fly because of switchy light wind at altitude. Met a youn French woman who is learning to use scooter tow - turned out her base in SW France is where i took my first PG tandem ten years ago.
Yesterday, we negotiated a rough 4 Wheel drive road for an hour up to the 10200 foot launch at William's Peak (NW of Denver/SSE of Steamboat Springs). The thermals caused strong gusts (to 28 mph) but by the time we launched after 3:30 there were nice lulls for launching. The actual horizontal wind up to 14000 was 10 or less. Joe and I found continuous lift from 14000 somewhat disconcerting since we had the bars stuffed and were without oxygen. We both went out over Green Mountain Reservoir to find someplace to get down to the shoreline LZ at 8000 for outstanding landings. Bruce fled lift north along the ridge and landed at Kremmling airport. Toyota will be gratified to learn that the Highlander hybrid could negotiate the 7 mile road back up.
Bull Mountain or the Crawfords today. - Hugh
2007 Trip West II - continued
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
Today we investigated Bull Mountain, which is in Colorado, but is reached through Wyoming. It's "only" 1000 vertical (that's how they talk around here), launch is at 8750. The smoothest dirt road any of us had ever seen led us through the drop-dead gorgeous Laramie River Valley. Another slow four wheel drive road to launch. Promptly at 1215, as the locals predicted, the wind turned on. The LZ is 1 1/2 miles out front across a gully. We measured sustained winds at 20-22 with gusts to 26, there was considerable cumulus development, so we bagged it. As we drove NE toward Laramie, the thunderstorm development with virga and probable higher winds made us comfortable with that decision. We drove 4-5 hours to within striking distance of Randolph, Utah (The Crawfords) under threatening skies with lightening and rain. We are hoping for good post-frontal conditions the next couple of days. - Hugh
Randolph Utah (The Crawfords) We arrived in plenty of time for a noon sled with Falcons and paraglider before the forecast 13 mph winds turned into howling south crosswinds at up to 40 mph. We napped in the truck with our higher performance gliders set up over the back until things got reasonable just before 6 o'clock. I launched my U2 first in high teens (still south cross but you can shop around for launch locations on the mountain) and could penetrate straight into the wind at 8-10 as I climbed steadily to 9750 (launch is 7500). Bruce flew his T2 and made a tour of the gorgeous flat grass valley (can you spell mile long LZs?). Joe followed in his Sport 2 and proceeded to spank me for the rest of the evening. A local PG pilot arrived as we landed in the 6100 foot LZ with three cuties in his truck (Mormon?) and seemed to suffer a collapse on launch, but we saw him, apparently healthy, as we went back up to retrieve the truck. Cut a tire on the Highlander (no more tire problems for the rest of the trip!!!) Ready to do it again tomorrow, being careful to avoid the afternoon ramp-up while taking our morning sleds in low-performance aircraft. Bruce has loaded his oxygen tank into his harness and may go cross-country tomorrow... - Hugh
Re: 2007 Trip West II - continued
Some shots (taken in 2005) from Williams launch. CLick-em to view the larger versionHugh wrote: ... Yesterday, we negotiated a rough 4 Wheel drive road for an hour up to the 10200 foot launch at William's Peak (NW of Denver/SSE of Steamboat Springs). ... - Hugh
On the road to launch near the dinosaur spine
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1373 ... flee"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/t/42/43/3/9 ... lee_th.jpg" alt="011-Driving-up-WIlliams"></a>
views from launch
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1373 ... IjZp"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/t/22/22/3/9 ... jZp_th.jpg" alt="012-Green-Mountain-reservoir"></a>
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1373 ... AGRG"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/t/48/48/3/9 ... GRG_th.jpg" alt="013-Launch"></a>
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1373 ... tZoi"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/t/44/44/3/9 ... Zoi_th.jpg" alt="017-Glider-over-launch"></a>
A stand of aspens
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1373 ... jCvA"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/t/26/26/4/3 ... CvA_th.jpg" alt="019-Aspen"></a>
The LZ from the air
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1373 ... GNen"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/t/42/43/4/1 ... Nen_th.jpg" alt="025-LZ-from-the-air"></a>
Sunset Cu-Nim from launch
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1373 ... VXKJ"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/t/46/47/4/2 ... XKJ_th.jpg" alt="035-Sunset-Overdevelopment"></a>
'Spark
Some pix of the Crawford range (Randolph Utah) - click-em to view the larger versionHugh wrote:Randolph Utah (The Crawfords) ...- Hugh
A view of the ridge from the valley
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1178 ... OhDg"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/s/thumb4/0/ ... hDg_th.jpg" alt="DSCF0026"></a>
A view of the ridge from the LZ.
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1178 ... lkLr"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/s/thumb4/0/ ... kLr_th.jpg" alt="DSCF0024"></a>
A view from an alternative launch I did in 2003
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1177 ... aoKC"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/s/thumb3/0/ ... oKC_th.jpg" alt="DSCF0021"></a>
A view from the normal launch showing the bear river meanders
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1080 ... Duzi"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/s/thumb1/6/ ... uzi_th.jpg" alt="dscf0004"></a>
My first PG flight at Crawfords (photo by Dan, I think) and first PG 'big air'.
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1080 ... Rrvx"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/s/thumb4/7/ ... rvx_th.jpg" alt="dscf0030"></a>
Aerial shots (August 31 2004)
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1182 ... GtuE"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/s/thumb2/3/ ... tuE_th.jpg" alt="DSCF0025"></a>
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1182 ... pRsD"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/s/thumb1/3/ ... RsD_th.jpg" alt="DSCF0031"></a>
A view of launch from the air
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1182 ... AIGc"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/s/thumb1/3/ ... IGc_th.jpg" alt="DSCF0040"></a>
A view of the LZ - they flood-irrigate the fields which allows mosquitoes to flourish. This was in August, after it dries out. Don't go in June
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1182 ... GDxS"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/s/thumb2/3/ ... DxS_th.jpg" alt="DSCF0041"></a>
Joe nails his landing
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1182 ... KxlU"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/s/thumb2/3/ ... xlU_th.jpg" alt="DSCF0042"></a>
Sunset PG launch (photo by Gary)
<a href="http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/1182 ... ZTCJ"><img src="http://thumb10.webshots.net/s/thumb1/3/ ... TCJ_th.jpg" alt="DSCF0055"></a>
'Spark
Friday flying at the Crawfords, Utah
Thanks for posting the pix, Spark - I forgot to pack my camera altogether, then we left Bruce's in the Highlander at Williams (got shots later when we went back up to retrieve the truck) and I'm not ready to try aerial photography yet. Took a few at Crawford Mt. but you're way better at it than I.
We spent Thursday night sleeping in the trailer at the Crawford LZ, waking to 30 degrees and a gorgeous dawn. Joe and I took noon sleds ( I got a thermal low over the feedlot at the north end near the road up to launch for an extendo). The dramatic ramp-up from the day before failed to materialize for Bruce's and my launches in the 2 o'clock hour (wind was in the low-mid teens) - but then Joe got stuck by himself on launch with 30 mph wind for 15 minutes. He announced his launch on the radio, then his PTT got stuck and we could listen to his heavy breathing and the vario in the background. With generally lower winds (albeit straighter in) than Thursday, ridge lift was weaker and less reliable - seems like you need high teens to make it brain-dead soarable there - but Bruce and I did share one thermal ride to within spitting distance of 10,000. He never got high enough to depart for XC though. We landed in the LZ after 90 minutes or so and saw local PG pilots arriving after we retrieved the truck from up top. When we were up top, I had carefully evaluated the wind for a possible PG launch, but it was just that much too strong for me as a P2. Besides, I was tired from the active HG flying. If the local PGers had been there to advise me, I might have gone for it. By the time we drove back down, loaded the Highlander into the trailer, hooked up the trailer, and drove away - we still saw no PGs launching, so I don't think I was too cautious.
We drove to Salt Lake City in gathering darkness - breathtaking approach to the city on I-80 - where I got a hotel room near the airport before my Saturday departure and we all three took showers - amazing how much real estate you end up wearing at these dusty sites! Bruce and Joe continued toward Lakeview, Oregon (another 8 hours or so). Their journey will last another two weeks. I arrived late Saturday to the loving embrace of my wife, who announced we would be doing a 60-mile bike ride around Easton, Maryland today (Sunday). It was a good ride. Need to go back to work to rest up... - Hugh
We spent Thursday night sleeping in the trailer at the Crawford LZ, waking to 30 degrees and a gorgeous dawn. Joe and I took noon sleds ( I got a thermal low over the feedlot at the north end near the road up to launch for an extendo). The dramatic ramp-up from the day before failed to materialize for Bruce's and my launches in the 2 o'clock hour (wind was in the low-mid teens) - but then Joe got stuck by himself on launch with 30 mph wind for 15 minutes. He announced his launch on the radio, then his PTT got stuck and we could listen to his heavy breathing and the vario in the background. With generally lower winds (albeit straighter in) than Thursday, ridge lift was weaker and less reliable - seems like you need high teens to make it brain-dead soarable there - but Bruce and I did share one thermal ride to within spitting distance of 10,000. He never got high enough to depart for XC though. We landed in the LZ after 90 minutes or so and saw local PG pilots arriving after we retrieved the truck from up top. When we were up top, I had carefully evaluated the wind for a possible PG launch, but it was just that much too strong for me as a P2. Besides, I was tired from the active HG flying. If the local PGers had been there to advise me, I might have gone for it. By the time we drove back down, loaded the Highlander into the trailer, hooked up the trailer, and drove away - we still saw no PGs launching, so I don't think I was too cautious.
We drove to Salt Lake City in gathering darkness - breathtaking approach to the city on I-80 - where I got a hotel room near the airport before my Saturday departure and we all three took showers - amazing how much real estate you end up wearing at these dusty sites! Bruce and Joe continued toward Lakeview, Oregon (another 8 hours or so). Their journey will last another two weeks. I arrived late Saturday to the loving embrace of my wife, who announced we would be doing a 60-mile bike ride around Easton, Maryland today (Sunday). It was a good ride. Need to go back to work to rest up... - Hugh
Hugh, when I flew there back in the 80's and early 90's we launched in the saddle to the south of the radio towers and then would top land in the same area by setting up no further back than the dirt road on top. This would keep us out of the mosquito haven in the LZ. Hey have fun and keep the reports coming.
Bun
Bun
Bun