Pulpit Saturday July 2nd

[XCanytime]

Looks real good. Lots of interested pilots. I'll be there early. Bacil

[markc]

Current casts are calling for NW 5-10 at Pulpit and HRock,
NW 5 at Woodstock. That seems like a Pulpit day to me, at least for the moment! Will be watching tomorrow's forecasts, for sure

[mcgowantk]

I'm in too. I agree that the Pulpit or High Rock look best with the current forecast.

Tom McGowan

[Dave Gills]

Cutting/flying Zirk's tomorrow w/ Mountaineers.
Randy's Raiders are doing the Gap.
Heard a rumor the Hyner club was forming up also.

Looks like gliders will be filling the sky tomorrow.
Hope to catch up with you folks next time.

[bowen.tim]

Basil, how early will you be there? I will be there. I can get your altimeter to you.

[Dunegoon]

I am in. ETA 9:30-10 for the Pulpit.

[Blaine]

I'll be there if all goes well at work tonight.

[mcgowantk]

Any interest in dropping a car at the high Rock LZ?

[XCanytime]

Basil, how early will you be there? I will be there. I can get your altimeter to you.

I'll be there around 9:30A. Under a strict timeline. Have to be on the ground by 1:30P and wheels rolling towards Pasadena by 2:30P. Bacil

[Ward Odenwald]

ETA at the primary LZ (to set up streamers) ~9:30. Will help launch, observe and retrieve. Tom, and anyone else that wants to "embark" on an XC adventure, please confirm that I have your cell # before launch. Bacil, I'll retrieve. As of now, forecasts indicate that the AM clouds should give way to clear skys by early afternoon.

Hoping for the best!

Ward

[POLISH EAGLE]

I have to work tomorrow in AM but will be at High Rock or Pulpit at around 1:00 PM whatever the consensus will be among the pilots on where to go. Will check here before leaving for the mountains.
Krzysztof. cell #301 370-1442

[markc]

Grrr! 10:40pm NWS sfc update for Pulpit:

SATURDAY
SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 70S. NORTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH
WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH.

Guess we'll just have to see what they're saying tomorrow

[markc]

Gust factor magically gone with this morning's 'cast

[mcgowantk]

Well, it was a mixed bag of flying today. I had a great time, and have Ward to thank for it. He came out and helped launch everyone and retrieved me. Bacil launched first so he could get home on schedule but it appeared to be too early in the day - and the winds and cloud drift were quite north cross. I launched a little after 1:00 when cycles were much straighter in at launch and found a climb to 5200 msl to take over the back. I had a very enjoyable flight as the winds aloft were light from the north and the thermals were strong. I saw one thermal swirl in a corn field that must have been a hundred yards across - with a nice cloud above it! Alas, the thermals and clouds faded east of 81 and I landed a few miles short of High Rock - my goal for the day. Nevertheless, a fun day. Mark and Tim also flew and soared but I understand it clouded up later and shut everything down.

Tom McGowan

[markc]

Pretty good turnout at the Pulpit, with the good forecast.... Just wish the forecast had materialized!

Arrived 10:40 to find Bacil and Charlie set/setting up, Tom, Tim B, and Ward. Tom McG and Krys arrived later, then Josh M (new H2). Conditions were way N at the start, enough that I was debating even setting up, and Tom M was suggesting we bail to HRock. Some wave-looking clouds, a fair amount of cirrus, and some Q's.

Bacil was first off (time constraint), and he battled valiantly in the infamous Pulpit N-cross rotor, getting briefly above a time or two. But he succumbed after a brief flight, and had a good landing in the main. The rest of us decided to enter wait-and-see mode....

Ward had picked up Bacil and returned by the time any of us were thinking of giving it a try... Tom M was next off, from the new ramp. He flew really well and ultimately hooked a thermal to 3k above the ridge, and then headed OTB. The rest of us were thinking "oh, right, what are the chances of duplicating that?", as the winds started cranking hard N again.

Tom ended up a bit south of Waynesboro and a few miles shy of High Rock (apparently there wasn't a huge N component in the valley). We waited and watched the cycles, until there was some bonafide improvement. I was next off from the old ramp..... But probably should have launched sooner, as there was a LOT of high cirrus moving in. And that's when the forecast for the day pretty much tanked : Mostly sunny? Hah!

I took a light cycle since I haven't flown there in a while, and was pretty much looking at a sledder as I cruised down the ridge in sink. But I lucked into a thermal at about 400 over the LZ, just as I was about to start an approach, and stuck to it like glue. Finally got back to and above the ridge, and then saw Tim launching. We flew for a while as the clouds got thicker and grayer. I chased a bunch of thermals downwind, but could only manage maybe 1200 over a time or two in weak lift.

Saw Tim struggling to the south and he eventually landed. Then it was my turn, when winds went hard N again, not a peep on the vario all the way to the LZ. But still, it was a rewarding flight, and I pulled off a good landing with a monster flare in the upper field.

Back up top courtesy of a ride from Tom, and then Ward arrived soon after, after retrieving Tom M. Ward, thanks very much for hanging out, helping with launches, and being willing to chase. Very kind of you!!

Glad I went, good to be hanging out and talking flying and catching up with everyone.

MarkC

[Dan T]

The PG contingent went to Woodstock figuring that the Pulpit would be blown out for us and it sounds like it probably was.

Conditions on launch were mostly very light with a north cross component in it. This put most of us on the ground pretty quickly including the big guns. I however was an exception. I managed scratch around to the left of launch until I got high enough that I could see the top of the tower then squeeked over to the right until I started hitting some lift where the Tower road approaches the top of the hill. Minutes later I was bumping into an uncomfortable sheer layer at about 1,000 over launch.

Just past two spines to the north there were at least 50 cars lined up along the river's edge. On the drive in I'd seen a sign along route 11 advertising a river outfitting company I'd never seen before. I assumed the cars were parked at a take out spot for the rafters & innertubers we saw floating down the river.

Turns out it was a family reunion. The Octogenarian matriarch offered me a ride back to my jeep before I could begin to fold my wing back up. I got a ride to the top and a history lesson on generations of her family who lived and still live in the Shenandoah Valley. What a treat!

Dan T