Off to Daniels today to PG with Laszlo, et al. Rondevousing just before 12:00.
Charlie
Daniels Today
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
Got to the mountain around 12 noon to find PGer Gordon from Charlottesville on launch by himself and looking for some wind. Conditions were real light. Finally a light cycle blew thru and he sledded to the west field. Marc Fink and Ellis Kim show up, along with Charlie, Lazlo (returning from an early sled), and Noah. Randy Weber showed up around 1:30P to round out the contingent. Lazlo extendoed, Charlie did the same as conditions picked up a bit when Charlie launched. Ellis launched and the flow in the valley had a strong west component to it. She had a good long extendo to the west field. Noah launched and soared a bit to the west, getting 400' over and suffering a collapse that had him flying out in front of launch seeking mellower lift. Gravity won and Noah put down in the west field. Some strong cycles blew thru, indicating it was time to go! I took off after 2PM in a good cycle and got up to the west in the pocket between the launch slot and the spine of the upwind mountain. Spent a half hour staying in the pocket, getting 400' over, till it petered out and I landed in the west field. Got around 45 minutes. Saw Randy soaring briefly with two paragliders. Climbed the mountain, saw Ellis take off again and have a short soaring flight in smoother air. As I'm slowly descending down the mountain (the road is in terrible shape!) I pass Lazlo humping his gear up the road. Pass a few more hikers (Marc, Randy, and Noah) on the road down. Back in the LZ Hugh, Ellis, and a few other PGers are breaking down while Lazlo grabs the magic air flight at the end of the day, landing at sunset. The temps at launch allowed flying in a t-shirt and shorts.
Bacil
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mcelrah
skygod/dess
Joined: 06 Jan 2005
Posts: 778
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:56 am Post subject:
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This should rightfully go on the PG forum, but nobody posts there and the thread is already started: went to church 'cause Ray Suarez of the Lehrer Newshour on Public Television was preaching. He's an Episcopalian - who knew? Ya gotta understand that for those of us who are prisoners of public broadcasting, people like Ray and Sylvia Poggioli of NPR are major rock stars - I couldn't pick Brittany Spears out of a line-up...
Anyway, all that by way of saying I was LATE getting out to Daniel's and undid any spiritual benefit I may have gained by attending church as I swore devoutly the whole way worrying that I would miss the lift. Arrived at 2:30 and humped my PG most of the way up the hill - passed the cardiac stress test for my 56-year-old physical. Caught a ride the last couple hundred yards with a good-young-boy in a battered pick-up whose family owns 180 acres behind launch - said there was a smallish black bear around that was stealing chickens...
Ellis observed me off at 3:20. Lift had mellowed from conditions reported earlier. Another P2, Paul, and I made several passes on the ridge, never really getting much above launch before slowly succumbing to gravity and going out to land at 3:40. Laszlo was rewarded for his determination with a longish last flight of the day above the ridge.
Ellis and I bullied Marc into driving to Charlottesville to eat at a South African restaurant (what can that be? wildebeest on a stick?), but it had closed. A local foodie directed us to very nice Himalayan place instead.
What a nice weekend! - Hugh
Bacil
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mcelrah
skygod/dess
Joined: 06 Jan 2005
Posts: 778
Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:56 am Post subject:
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This should rightfully go on the PG forum, but nobody posts there and the thread is already started: went to church 'cause Ray Suarez of the Lehrer Newshour on Public Television was preaching. He's an Episcopalian - who knew? Ya gotta understand that for those of us who are prisoners of public broadcasting, people like Ray and Sylvia Poggioli of NPR are major rock stars - I couldn't pick Brittany Spears out of a line-up...
Anyway, all that by way of saying I was LATE getting out to Daniel's and undid any spiritual benefit I may have gained by attending church as I swore devoutly the whole way worrying that I would miss the lift. Arrived at 2:30 and humped my PG most of the way up the hill - passed the cardiac stress test for my 56-year-old physical. Caught a ride the last couple hundred yards with a good-young-boy in a battered pick-up whose family owns 180 acres behind launch - said there was a smallish black bear around that was stealing chickens...
Ellis observed me off at 3:20. Lift had mellowed from conditions reported earlier. Another P2, Paul, and I made several passes on the ridge, never really getting much above launch before slowly succumbing to gravity and going out to land at 3:40. Laszlo was rewarded for his determination with a longish last flight of the day above the ridge.
Ellis and I bullied Marc into driving to Charlottesville to eat at a South African restaurant (what can that be? wildebeest on a stick?), but it had closed. A local foodie directed us to very nice Himalayan place instead.
What a nice weekend! - Hugh