Sat09Mar : HG : Give High Rock a go?

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markc
Posts: 3204
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:50 am

Sat09Mar : HG : Give High Rock a go?

Post by markc »

So the forecast tomorrow is N, going NNW, and light, at High Rock.

Maybe not the most promising 'cast, but on the other hand, where else are ya gonna go? :-)

North days at the rock can often be surprisingly good. I'm not going to claim that's hugely likely
this early in the season.... But I can say it's going to be warm, and that it's going to be sunny,
and that at the very LEAST it should be a good opportunity for a cliff launch if you haven't
done one recently. And who knows, maybe the thermals will be blowing in and it will be soarable!

Plus, it's only an hour+ from the topside of the beltway!

Who's in?????

MarkC
sailin
Posts: 708
Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 4:21 pm

Re: Sat09Mar : HG : Give High Rock a go?

Post by sailin »

I'm in. Arriving 1200ish

Jon
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markc
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Re: Sat09Mar : HG : Give High Rock a go?

Post by markc »

I'll see you up there Jon! My own ETA about 11:00...
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markc
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Re: Sat09Mar : HG : Give High Rock a go?

Post by markc »

Just three of us up at High Rock today: Jon, Dan Tw, and myself. Conditions were as expected, very light, but sunny and certainly a very nice day to be out. Still a fair amount of snow in the parking and setup areas, but nothing down in the valley.

We all sledded. I went first, chasing after a vulture working the rock pile to the left. As soon as I launched, s/he headed to the ridgetop and landed in a tree. DOH! And that was the moment that I realized my vario wasn't turned on. Double-DOH! Funny how one can accomplish delicate tasks mid-air (reaching between the vario and GPS to slide that power switch on), if you *really* want to. *smile*

Found some zero sink at the base of the LZ, and did a few turns. There was a spring feel to the air, a sense that there was lift *that* close to breaking off. But with all the snow they had, and the valley so saturated, it just wasn't going to happen.

Anthony Lloyd, one of John's students, stopped by to check out launch and the LZ. Very good to see a motivated near-Hang-II .

We chatted with Emma-Jane and Randy for a while, then headed back up top, just in case things had improved. There *were* some redtails up and doing well, but the cycles were so light that we decided to call it a day.

Still a fun day, and a great cliff-launch refresher/reminder.

MarkC
sailin
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Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2009 4:21 pm

Re: Sat09Mar : HG : Give High Rock a go?

Post by sailin »

What MarkC said. Beautiful, warm and sunny. Nice day for a sled .

Jon
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