Site Maintenance at Daniel's : Sat/Sun Feb02/03?

[markc]

Admittedly it's a bit early to count on weekend forecasts... But given the light SW predicted for Sat, and the light SSW for Sunday, I'm thinking it might be a good opportunity to do some more work at Daniel's!

Winter. 50 Sat. 60 Sun. Sunny both days. Damn hard to beat, maybe we can make some major progress for the flying season ahead?

If we can pull it off, post-work-party beers are on me!

[markc]

Hmmm.... Now looking light SE on Sat, so the PG pilots might be eyeing Edith's. Sunday sfc 'cast is now way-light South. Possibly Sunday would be the better day to do some work at Daniel's?

[markc]

Back to SW@5-6 for the sfc forecast at Daniels tomorrow.... I think I'll head that way and take out some aggression on the vegetation.

ETA noon-ish.

[rlweber]

Eta somewhere around 10:30 with wing and vegetation trimming tools.Randy

[rlweber]

Well, Justin and I showed up early and did some site work. Justin with the weedeater and I with a chain saw. Took out the large dead tree on the right side of launch and worked on the intermediate trees in the middle of launch. Next time I come with a new sharp chain. Mark Cavanaugh spent much of the afternoon lopping off and sawing brush. Thanks Mark. Daniels is looking better and better! Personally I think it is in very good shape. The drive up however is not for the timid and is getting worse.

It was a beautiful day, it turned out lighter than predicted. There were thermals present, but nothing that would sustain. The four of us, Justin, Felix, Matthew B and myself had three extendo flights. I was able to barely get above launch but could not stick. Felix and Matthew B. may have gotten a fourth flight.

A great way to spend a Groundhog's Day!!

These were my first flights on my Mentor4 since I sent it to Superfly to be gone over and to have the lines measured and adjusted. Wow, what a difference, I have my new Mentor4 back. I knew something was different when, as I launched the glider, it bit into the air. The turns were sharper and tighter. The glider was way more responsive. I was wondering if I needed a new glider but what I needed was a tuneup! The glider is fun to fly again!

Randy

[markc]

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder....

Contrast this pic of Matthew's launch on Saturday, and the condition of the left side of the launch slot after last year's work:

versus the current condition of the right side of the slot:

Yeah, sure, it's "safe". But on a thermally cross-SW day? And with all the vegetation & foliage back in force? Hmmmm.... Maybe people just don't remember what the site has been like in the past. All that cr@p that you see on the right? It has to go.

Site Maintenance 101 : A) You have to be able to access what you want to clear. B) You have to remove what you've cleared, so that people aren't stumbling through a maze of downed saplings and trees during maintenance efforts in years ahead.

So my goal on Saturday was to carve a passage along the right side of the slot as close to the original boundary as I could get, and then curve back into the launch slot about halfway down. Here's a pic of the top half of that work (clicking on the image should yield a properly rotated image):

Took four hours. Kinda amusing: At one point I had 7 decent-sized saplings/trees all cut, but they would NOT go down because they were all tangled-up (wild grape vine + briars). That's why the right side is in need of serious work.

Goal #2 is a similar cut, along the right and then curving into the very bottom of the slot.

THEN it will become possible to work from both sides, and lay down some serious herbiage. Note: There were lots of bright-spring-green briars already taking off, early Feb. The time to make an impact is NOW, before the thorny-nasties get even worse.

[rlweber]

Thanks Mark for taking the time to lay out where we can go next on caring for the launch at Daniels. Indeed attacking it before the greenery erupts is critical.

Randy