Winchester WNW at 15 to 25 MPH.? Harrisonburg W at 10 to 20 MPH.? Decreasing forecast starting in the mid PM.? Woodstock Gradient Effect.? It doesn't get much better than this.
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Bacil
Saturday Forecasts
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
Saturday Flying Woodstock
Yep. Woodstock. ETA Noonish. Bringing both wings.
Matthew
Matthew
-
Kelvin Pierce
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:18 am
- Location: Vienna, VA
- Contact:
Sat. forecast
Hmm, the updated NWS forecast for Front Royal is W at 15-25 with gusts to 40. Does that give anyone else cause to wonder about today at Woodstock or are you guys seeing something I don't see. The Intellicast forecast for surface winds is W at about 20 which also seems a bit strong and cross to me.
Kelvin
Kelvin
Kelvin
Slight Change of Plans-- Smithsburg First, then Woodstock
We're heading up to Smithsburg first and then heading to WS if it's not blown out. Karen wants to get in a few more launches on her new glider at the training hill.
Matthew
Matthew
Saturday Forecasts
Looks like the forecast has picked up to the point that it may not be flyable today.? I am still going to head to Woodstock but am not too optimistic about? the winds backing down.? The upper level ADDS forecast is now calling for an increase in winds as the day progresses.? Might not take much to get blown over the back.
?
Joe
?
-----Original Message-----
From: Kelvin Pierce [mailto:kelvin@commonwealthhome.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 8:32 AM
To: hg_forum@chgpa.org
Subject: Saturday Forecasts
?
Hmm, the updated NWS forecast for Front Royal is W at 15-25 with gusts to 40. Does that give anyone else cause to wonder about today at Woodstock or are you guys seeing something I don't see. The Intellicast forecast for surface winds is W at about 20 which also seems a bit strong and cross to me.
Kelvin
Kelvin
?
Joe
?
-----Original Message-----
From: Kelvin Pierce [mailto:kelvin@commonwealthhome.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 8:32 AM
To: hg_forum@chgpa.org
Subject: Saturday Forecasts
?
Hmm, the updated NWS forecast for Front Royal is W at 15-25 with gusts to 40. Does that give anyone else cause to wonder about today at Woodstock or are you guys seeing something I don't see. The Intellicast forecast for surface winds is W at about 20 which also seems a bit strong and cross to me.
Kelvin
Kelvin
Saturday Forecasts
Ok, I'm adding PG stuff to the load and heading to Smithsburg, with WS
and HR options in the afternoon. - Hugh
On 12 Feb 2005, at 08:39, Matthew wrote:
> We're heading up to Smithsburg first and then heading to WS if it's
> not blown out. Karen wants to get in a few more launches on her new
> glider at the training hill.
>
> Matthew
>
>
>
>
>
and HR options in the afternoon. - Hugh
On 12 Feb 2005, at 08:39, Matthew wrote:
> We're heading up to Smithsburg first and then heading to WS if it's
> not blown out. Karen wants to get in a few more launches on her new
> glider at the training hill.
>
> Matthew
>
>
>
>
>
Saturday Forecasts
Ok, I'm adding PG stuff to the load and heading to Smithsburg, with WS
and HR options in the afternoon. - Hugh
On 12 Feb 2005, at 08:39, Matthew wrote:
> We're heading up to Smithsburg first and then heading to WS if it's
> not blown out. Karen wants to get in a few more launches on her new
> glider at the training hill.
>
> Matthew
>
>
>
>
>
and HR options in the afternoon. - Hugh
On 12 Feb 2005, at 08:39, Matthew wrote:
> We're heading up to Smithsburg first and then heading to WS if it's
> not blown out. Karen wants to get in a few more launches on her new
> glider at the training hill.
>
> Matthew
>
>
>
>
>
Ah, what a classic Woodstock day was Saturday!!!!
Ya shoulda been there! We hang-waited like it had never been
hung before!
I met up with Wesley, Joe S and Gary in the LZ around 11:30.
On the drive out, I saw a triple-layer stacked lenticular. You see that
kinda thing out west... but over the ridge upwind of Wstock? Uh-oh....
Then there were the dust devils spinning all around me down Route 11.
Double uh-oh! But undeterred, I continued to the LZ where we put
up a few wind indicators, then headed up top in two vehicles.
Did I mention it was windy?
On the mtn the wind was just roaring, not even remotely flyable. After
hauling gliders in, Hank and Pete joined the four of us on an ignominious
retreat down to Wstock, where we hit a coffee shop for hot chocolate,
lattes, and snacks. Many TIWTIWGD stories began to flow. An hour or
so later Joe has this ridiculous idea that we could be productive, by doing
some work in the slot. HUH? Oh.... well....okay. (Guilt does that
We return, with cheebugga and fries for Bacil, who had very kindly
offered to stay, keeping an eye on all the gear. We attack
the lower left corner of the slot, clearing out the trail at the bottom.
I gotta say that the launch is in the best shape I've *ever* seen,
it's been cut back to the large-growth trees that mark the original slot
boundaries. Really nice! We should think about dumping lots of grass
seed, or planting mountain laurel.
(Randy, Nelson, and Brian VH arrived at some point during all
this, so there was a pretty good crowd-o-crazies.)
We call it quits at maybe 3:30. I headed up to the tower, where I saw
10-15/15-20/20-25. But it was encouraging because the 25's were brief,
and we hadn't seen 10-15 previously. So I look at the sun... look at the
time.... decide that I better set up if I think I'm going to take advantage
of any lessening at the end of the day. Randy joins me. Everyone else
looks at us like we're nuts.
And conditions *were* definitely strong. But there was some gradual
lightening, and I started seeing some 10-15mph cycles that were
lasting for a couple of minutes... so what the hell?! I launched about
30 minutes before sunset, with a 3-person crew. Zoomed out of the
slot into left-cross strong conditions, some bumps and a pretty good
elevator outside the slot, but not awful or anything.
It was _just_ on the edge of my fun-meter : any stronger would have been
too much work and worry. But I could punch out away from the mtn and
spin in the setting sun, so I was happy!
I headed out along the south finger towards the old mill and waterfall.
On strong left-cross days I often find lift out there, with somewhat
lighter winds. But not this time! I start hitting sink. Then
more sink! Then yikes! 1200 down. Must have been in some nasty rotor
or downwash from wave... I turn around and I'm a bit below launch,
thinking "no way can I backtrack through that sink!!". So I try to zip
across to the north finger, where the west cross should give me some
good lift, right? Nope! It's sink-city between the two fingers and I'm toast
even before I get there. Drat!!
I tried working things a bit, but it really wasn't the type of day to be
doing anything if you were below. So I give in, head for the LZ, run
a somewhat abbreviated pattern, and put down in a very W/SW cross
cycle. Not a bad landing given the conditions; didn't beak it!
(Have I mentioned that I love my U2?)
Randy didn't make the mistakes that I did so he was up another
15 minutes or so, enjoying sunset in the best way possible. Ah well,
live and learn....
All in all, I'm glad I went! Thanks Joe, Gary, and Wesley for the launch
assistance!
--mark c.
Ya shoulda been there! We hang-waited like it had never been
hung before!
I met up with Wesley, Joe S and Gary in the LZ around 11:30.
On the drive out, I saw a triple-layer stacked lenticular. You see that
kinda thing out west... but over the ridge upwind of Wstock? Uh-oh....
Then there were the dust devils spinning all around me down Route 11.
Double uh-oh! But undeterred, I continued to the LZ where we put
up a few wind indicators, then headed up top in two vehicles.
Did I mention it was windy?
On the mtn the wind was just roaring, not even remotely flyable. After
hauling gliders in, Hank and Pete joined the four of us on an ignominious
retreat down to Wstock, where we hit a coffee shop for hot chocolate,
lattes, and snacks. Many TIWTIWGD stories began to flow. An hour or
so later Joe has this ridiculous idea that we could be productive, by doing
some work in the slot. HUH? Oh.... well....okay. (Guilt does that
We return, with cheebugga and fries for Bacil, who had very kindly
offered to stay, keeping an eye on all the gear. We attack
the lower left corner of the slot, clearing out the trail at the bottom.
I gotta say that the launch is in the best shape I've *ever* seen,
it's been cut back to the large-growth trees that mark the original slot
boundaries. Really nice! We should think about dumping lots of grass
seed, or planting mountain laurel.
(Randy, Nelson, and Brian VH arrived at some point during all
this, so there was a pretty good crowd-o-crazies.)
We call it quits at maybe 3:30. I headed up to the tower, where I saw
10-15/15-20/20-25. But it was encouraging because the 25's were brief,
and we hadn't seen 10-15 previously. So I look at the sun... look at the
time.... decide that I better set up if I think I'm going to take advantage
of any lessening at the end of the day. Randy joins me. Everyone else
looks at us like we're nuts.
And conditions *were* definitely strong. But there was some gradual
lightening, and I started seeing some 10-15mph cycles that were
lasting for a couple of minutes... so what the hell?! I launched about
30 minutes before sunset, with a 3-person crew. Zoomed out of the
slot into left-cross strong conditions, some bumps and a pretty good
elevator outside the slot, but not awful or anything.
It was _just_ on the edge of my fun-meter : any stronger would have been
too much work and worry. But I could punch out away from the mtn and
spin in the setting sun, so I was happy!
I headed out along the south finger towards the old mill and waterfall.
On strong left-cross days I often find lift out there, with somewhat
lighter winds. But not this time! I start hitting sink. Then
more sink! Then yikes! 1200 down. Must have been in some nasty rotor
or downwash from wave... I turn around and I'm a bit below launch,
thinking "no way can I backtrack through that sink!!". So I try to zip
across to the north finger, where the west cross should give me some
good lift, right? Nope! It's sink-city between the two fingers and I'm toast
even before I get there. Drat!!
I tried working things a bit, but it really wasn't the type of day to be
doing anything if you were below. So I give in, head for the LZ, run
a somewhat abbreviated pattern, and put down in a very W/SW cross
cycle. Not a bad landing given the conditions; didn't beak it!
(Have I mentioned that I love my U2?)
Randy didn't make the mistakes that I did so he was up another
15 minutes or so, enjoying sunset in the best way possible. Ah well,
live and learn....
All in all, I'm glad I went! Thanks Joe, Gary, and Wesley for the launch
assistance!
--mark c.
Saturday Forecasts
???? I'll just add some weather observations to Mark's post about Woodstock yesterday.? I hit the road at 7AM w/ the forecast still somewhat OK.? On the way out heard on the NOAA weather radio station out of Manassas the bulletin about the higher winds predicted, the bulletin also stating that those who partake in "wind-sensitive" activities should take note.? Yes, I took note but was already halfway to Woodstock (Manassas on I-66).? I gambled that the winds would back down a couple of hours before sunset.? On the way out wave clouds galore to the NW.? Upon arrival at 9:30A the conditions were dead.? A light thermal would cycle through the trees here and there, but no wind up the slot.? Wave clouds stacked over the WV border to the NW.? Small cumies popping in the valley and drifting over the mountain.? Around 10:30A the wind started coming up the slot lightly, about 5 to 8 MPH.? Spent time in the slot picking up streamers and retying them to their original hosts.? Around 11A Hank arrived and the lid blew off.? A huge cycle roared through, making the sound in the trees the loudest I had ever heard at Woodstock.? The conditions continued in that fashion until after 3:30P, as Mark stated in his observations at the fire tower.? Another "good" sign at that time was that the ever-present wave clouds over the WV border disappeared and were replaced by cumies.? Mark and Randy had good launches in nice cycles.? It's just a shame that sunset was fast approaching.? Timing is everything.
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Bacil
?
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Bacil
?