Hyner Bound?

[rasmussenv]

I'm watching the weather and thinking about going to Hyner over the 4th. If not this weekend, then I really want to go one of their fly-ins. Jon and Amy and Cragin sold me on it - I hadn't realized that it was such a beautiful site, evidently rivaling Woodstock.

Unfortunately Jon and Amy's work schedule won't allow them to take real advantage of the weekend and don't expect to go. I think Cragin and John Middleton are planning to go. Some of the Ellenville NY folk that were at our fly in last week indicated they would be there if the winds favored it.

So I'm just checking to see who else might be heading there. Evidently cell phones don't work at the LZ/camp site, so it would be nice to know who to be on the lookout for and to perhaps camp near. John and his wife will be in a local hotel, but if I go I'll be camping.

Valerie

[Danny Brotto]

"rivaling Woodstock"?

For the east coast, It's in a class of it's own.

Danny Brotto

[RichH]

Actually Woodstock is one of my top favorites on the east as well..I also love flying cape cod as far as visual..Mt St Pierre is pretty incredible as well...lots of choices!! but Hyner and the gatherings each summer holiday is tough to beat...

[Danny Brotto]

Rich

Flown all of those places and loved them... when it's on, the Cape is tops! Really enjoyed flying many of them with you! But if you consider "total immersion"... then it's Hyner hands down!

(Although Tater Mountain is pretty sweet too!)

Danny Brotto

[brianvh]

not that you can count forecasts a week out, but I'm seeing west around 6 saturday and sunday, which is a sweet forecast for Hyner. Valerie - if you arrive early there are some camping locations the usuals will occupy, so it's best to ask before pitching a tent. Other than that, the further down the LZ you are from the entrance road, the more in the party you'll be. The parties can go late, so you have to decide between being part of the action or having an early night's sleep.

[deveil]

dan tuck has several videos of hyner:

http://www.vimeo.com/12231939

[RichH]

You are right Danny about Hyner and we have had some great trips...Maybe we can hit Wallaby sometime ...Luv that place too...

[brianvh]

I'd say the view from launch is about a tie between Hyner and Woodstock. But if you climb up high (a big and skill filled if), Hyner is more visually interesting. The drive up to launch at Hyner is more beautiful.

[silverwings]

Marney and I are heading up there on Thursday. The forecast is looking promising.

[CraginS]

Yup. Heading north on Friday.

\(*.*)/

[silverwings]

Hyner was pretty good today starting around 4:30 and most pilots got some soaring. I got 1:20 and over 1000 above.

[CraginS]

Yup. Heading north on Friday.

\(*.*)/

Change in plans. Sick dog - not going today; may not make it tomorrow. Darn.

/(~.-)\

[brianvh]

The forecast for saturday is all over the map, which often means you at least can launch at Hyner. Possibility of Jack's.

the rest of the weekend looks good. Cragin: nothing cures a sick hound dog like lots of nose out the window and big open spaces. Unless they've got the running squats, then I'd ditch the road trip.

[CraginS]

All true, Brian, and in general good advice about the dog. However, this time she has bad hip pain, and trouble walking and climbing. We had to tranq her out last night. And at 115#, daughter cannot deal with her if she has to be lifted.
SO.. hanging close to home today.

[rasmussenv]

OMG! (and that is the first time I've used that abbreviation in text) I had a stupendous time at Hyner. Short version / highlights that made it stellar:

Bones:
Day 1 (Thursday) - Soared over an hour.
Day 2(Friday) - Dennis Pagan(!) launched me.
Day 3 (Saturday) - got to cloud dive! And bagged my first mountain self-launch, to boot.

Flesh:
Day 1: I saw the good forecast and made it there by 2pm. At about 7:15pm I launched for the second flight, after a first time sled, and SOARED for one hour and 4 minutes!!!! Heard some people go to Hyner time after time and don't, so was psyched by that - never got more than 300 feet over launch.
Day2: For the day I only had one sled and one extendo (10 minutes - could have stayed up significantly longer but all my cycles were right in front of the launch - and with a person on the launch and a person on the ramp waiting - I felt guilty about stopping them from launching so I headed out after about 3 broad circles passing by launch in light but continuous lift. The great part: Dennis Pagan was my right wing man throwing me off the mountain! I didn't even realize that until that night at dinner when he was pointed out to me. So! Launched by Dennis Pagan at Hyner - that made that day! (Oh - and others did get soaring launches, but John Middleton in a paraglider and Bob ? Betz in a hang glider were the only two to become specks in the sky. Everyone else hovered around launch like bees, as I did. I had to wait a while to launch myself, which is why I was sensitized to get out of there after several passes.
Day 3: Brian Vant Hall woke me and a few others at 0630 - cloud diving conditions perfect - crystal clear field, but clouds blocking view of the launch. Wasting no time we got to launch and set up - four of us. Watched the clouds below us waiting ... were ready by about 7:30 - zero winds - and launched about 8 or 8:30 as soon as a hole containing a view of the far side of the bridge was solid. I was #2 to launch - but this time I could see a few buildings adjacent to the field and got to fly above clouds, circle down through the hole and have plenty of room to circle, set up and land into a calm, clear field.

Other: GREAT, welcoming people. On arriving Thursday Tom gave me the grand tour of the LZ, camp ground for showers, and set up area. We buddied up for shuttle. After the first sled, he talked me into going back up even though it was already 6pm to try to soar. Sure glad he did! Friday J.B. helped me correct my jury-rigged hang straps to the right length (replaced them) and we shuttled and shared dinner at Sportsmans surrounded by several other Hyner folk, and John Middleton. Dan and Brian from Ellenville arrived and flew Friday as well. In anticipation of cloud diving, I went to bed at a decent time (after several beers, seeing some fireworks and visiting almost all the fires). I didn't stay up late enough to witness the FOUR (by reports the next day) naked fire jumpers. But jumped clouds with a couple of them the next morning! OK - and Hyner as a site. Yes, all together it trumps Woodstock - but ONLY because it has SUCH a great launch and landing setup, including camping and convenient showering. On beauty ALONE, Woodstock has my vote. But I agree Hyner is damn beautiful.

I left Saturday around noon - winds were light and mostly Southerly - people were hiking and enjoying the river. All fun, but thunderstoms were projected as well as clouds on Sunday and I figured I'd leave on a high - it couldn't get better. I'd arrived early, had already had five flights, great flights, and three days of flying. So I am now at my sister's in Winchester revelling in the memories. I took a couple shots with my phone of the clouds under launch before diving. Maybe when I get back to DC I'll upload them to my computer and figure out how to post them to this.

Ok - that's enough - although I could go on - GREAT time, great people, I definitely want to get back ... so glad Jon, Amy, Cragin and John Middleton have talked it up and convinced me to give it a try. WOW!

[sailin]

Congrats Valerie!!! Sounds like an awesome trip! I love that place. I can't wait to do a cloud dive. I really wish we could have joined you......next fly in

[brianvh]

The only rain we got was about half an hour mebbe 3 am sunday morning. Figgur it was 3 because I went to bed around 2, and was still awake to hear it. Tried jumping industrial strength Roman Candles naked saturday night; need at least a few strategically placed band-aids before I try that again. got a couple 20-30 minute soaring flights on sunday. It was actually a fairly quiet weekend by Hyner standards. for me the highlight was hearing Dave Green quote a few lines from the Scrolls of the Church of What's Happening Now. Though he wasn't in the mood to do the Stature of Liberty.

Valerie was well known by the time she left saturday morning. Good to find more people who Get It.

[Danny Brotto]

Okay...

1) soarable... check,
2) rained... check
3) people got naked... check
4) so who landed in a tree?

Danny Brotto

[brianvh]

We haven't had a tree landing in a few years (does running into a tree trunk 6 feet above the ground count?). Not sure whether that's something to be proud of or lamented.

[rasmussenv]

First attempt to upload photos. Here are three from the morning of the cloud dive. First is the full effect of the valley in clouds. We set up and waited for a hole to emerge. #2 is just after Brian V-H took off (kite is Dan Books'); #3 is valley just before I launched, my wire runs through photo.

[rasmussenv]

Hmmm. That didn't seem to work. I need some tutoring on posting photos. Nice when they are embedded. But if you want to see, try this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60108430@N ... otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60108430@N ... otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60108430@N ... otostream/

[deveil]

well…here's hoping she never gets it to the degree yOu got it.