Montana de Oro is a beach bluff soaring site in Los Osos, not far from San Luis Obispo CA. (I arrived at Burbank airport at 10 PM Friday and drove up I-5, the east on 166. Made it in three hours and got a decent night's sleep.) I met San Luis Obispo Soaring Association (SLOSA) president, Jack Grisanti, signed waivers, bought a daily membership, and got a site orientation. There was good group of 6-8 pilots there. The launch is perhaps 100-120 feet above the narrow beach and there's about a mile of soarable bluff with a couple of gaps. Top landing on the sandy launch is possible. We are discouraged from trampling the vegetation (this is a state park). There is a single powerline about a 1/4 mile behind launch.
The first pilots to launch around 1230 sank out when the wind hesitated as conditions set up for the day. I launched shortly after 1 PM in smooth straight 12-15 mph and immediately climbed to 1-200 over, where I remained for the next 90 minutes. The lift band was quite broad, so you could fly out over the surf. It was perhaps 18 at altitude, but I could always penetrate (big caution about not noticing building wind and getting blown back).
These coastal sites have a condition called "thermal block" wherein a bubble of heated air on the beach will block the wind. We speculated that we were actually soaring the blocking bubble out front...
I shared the lift with a red tailed hawk for a bit. Steered my shadow in front of a couple on horseback on the beach - didn't spook the horses, but the riders were looking around. Finally landed near a trail down the beach (too strong to top land) because I was cold, but it started raining gliders at that time.
Rain today (Sunday). Going wine tasting. God I love it out here!
Hugh
Montana de Oro - Saturday, 24 Feb
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