Saturday 8/9

[eggzkitz]

So the Olympics are starting and I think the only really good way to honor the athletes would be to go flying tomorrow.

Woodstock looks like it will be gooood. Who's with me?

[eggzkitz]

Now both pulpit and woodstock look good.
Who wants to help make a call with me?
Let's motivate!

[eggzkitz]

Good day today at Woodstock.

Lazzlo, Tom and I were initially headed to Pulpit to meet up with Juan, but we aborted in Hagerstown and headed south to Woodstock. Good call. Winds were light on launch, but once up, the thermals were good. Tom and I headed OTB and meandered to Dickies bouncing from cloud to cloud. Cloud base was about 6k but we stayed a bit below as there was much United Regional Jet traffic in the area, especially as we approached Dickies. Tom and I were destined to land at the Dickies LZ but started to catch a (very) low save.... Tom stayed in it and went back up. I miffed it and landed. 3 hours self-retrieve back to the car after three hitchhike rides and mucho hiking. Tom landed in town of Washington on other side of ridge. Lazzlo apparently went cruising up and down the ridge. Great day.

I would post the pictures and kmz, but I don't know how!

Aloha,
Jeff

[XCanytime]

Pulpit was working early Saturday. Got a late start and didn't get to the mountain with my driver until 11:45A. Larry Bunner was set up and ready to go, Krystof was setting up, and Juanito was there with students Aaron and Jim. Krystof and I helped Larry launch just after 12 noon into 8 to 12 MPH winds on the old ramp. The sky was looking spectacular. We watched Larry slowly climb out in a north cross on the ridge. Juanito had a helluva time untangling his lines on one side, but after at least a half an hour he got them untangled and had a nice launch and got up. I leisurely set up in no hurry, expecting it to ramp up during prime time. Steve Krichten, his friend Don, and Joe Brauch showed up, so there was ample wire crew. Krystof got up on the ramp to launch and it backed way down. He got off of the ramp, and it ramped up to 12 to 18 MPH. By this time Larry had headed north of launch and taken one over the back. Krystof got back up and launched and showed that it was still north cross on the ridge, but he was above launch. I got ready and launched in a light cycle and didn't find much at all. Headed out to the secondary and found some bubbles to loiter in since I had the field made. A turkey vulture was nearby, and I was hoping for a thermal marker, but he headed back towards launch after a few circles. Put down in the secondary with a late flare in high grass. Couldn't keep the feet under me and I had what I thought was a light belly flop. It was enough to put a slight bend in the right downtube. No more flying today for me. Jim and Aaron had their first mountain flights courtesy of Juanito, and they both landed in the secondary with huge grins. Congratulations Jim and Aaron. My driver picked me up, and we went over to the Mountain House bar and had some food and beer out on the deck, enjoying a nice breeze and a great view of the surroundings . After that we walked the trail back to launch and found out Joe and Don had short flights and Steve was breaking down after waiting for a while on the ramp for halfway decent cycles. It was an early day at the Pulpit this day.

Bacil

P.S. Larry Bunner flew 73 miles to his hometown of East Prospect, PA, just east of York, PA.