Ski/Fly Boowah day

[Spark]

I had a great new 'first' yesterday (4/8/08).

We had about 8 inches of fresh (fluffy) powder at Loveland, so I took the day off work and started my day with a dozen runs from "The Ridge" at 12,700msl.

I headed home at about 1pm, checked Wx, and saw that the flying at Lookout might be good, so I headed for the Lookout (Golden) LZ, with PG.

After briefing a new HG pilot to the area, I launched the bag and boated around, getting to about 600' over and landed just before sunset.

I took helmet cam video of the skiing and flying and will post the YouTube link once it is mixed.

2-sport day.

Boo Wah!!

[Spark]

...
I took helmet cam video of the skiing and flying and will post the YouTube link once it is mixed...

It took awhile to get around to this ... here is a link to the video. The music is some of my stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtiBlMKwAfE

[Marcel Dettling]

Hi Spark!

Congratulations, that sounds & looks very cool, and is familiar to me! There is a special form of Triathlon I like to do, and which (at around this time of the year) can be carried out very well at a site not too far from where I live

First thing in the morning is to take a small gondola with both the PG and the skitouring gear to the height of the PG launch site, where the PG gear is dropped. What follows is leg 1, a climb of around 2500ft vertical with skis and skins to the top of the mountain behind (no gondola is leading up there). Around mid-morning, the snow is usually optimal for the ride.

Back at the top of the gondola, I put the skis into the gondola (for a small tip or even without, the warden at the bottom then takes them out of the gondola and stores them), pick up the PG gear and go to launch for leg 2. Thermals usually start popping by then, and the site offers anything from soaring to thermal flights and big XC (site record is around 130 miles PG, my personal best from there around 90 miles out-and-return).

After landing at the bottom of the gondola, I go pick up the skis and drive a couple of miles to the next rock climbing site for leg 3, i.e. spending the evening doing some routes in the sun, to complete a day full of activities according to my taste!

Cheers and have fun,

Marcel

[Spark]

Marcel,

Great to hear from you!

That sounds very cool. Unfortunately, my old knees can only stand up to so much abuse ... what you described is well beyond my limits. After skiing 14" of fresh powder last Friday, It took me a full day (and ibuprofin) before my knees would let me hike back up to launch for my HG flight on Sunday.

Monday (April 14) was a great day for flying at Lookout. I decided to stop by on my way home from work and the usual suspects were already there. I hiked the PG to launch, and within 20 minutes we got a nice 'evening lapse' ... I was able to climb to nearly 2500' over launch and enjoyed some baby-butt smooth air with a clear view of the continental divide from Pike's peak to well north of Longs peak. It was 75 degrees here yesterday and all the peaks are snow-covered. I flew a few miles and landed at the local bar (next to a gigantic LZ) and enticed the gang to come over and join me for some apres-fly time. Great 'true' stories were told over pitchers of cold beverages.

Sam took these photos --->
http://www.rmhpa.org/messageboard/viewtopic.php?t=1812

Spring is happening!

[eggzkitz]

Nice! Looks like the M from the view. I had a similar day this weekend: snowboard, fly, snowboard at sun valley... first for me!

[Spark]

Nice! Looks like the M from the view. I had a similar day this weekend: snowboard, fly, snowboard at sun valley... first for me!

Cool ...

Yup, the "M" for sure.

I hope to fly sun valley someday ... may be this summer enroute to King mtn..

[eggzkitz]

Sun valley is pretty amazing b/c the mountain is so friendly to paragliders, even in winter/ because of the winds, i actually launched into the back bowl right where people get off the lifts, and the locals said that was a totally legit launch (figured as much because there was also a wind sock there...)

I read somewhere that there was a bad crash in Golden recently (2 weeks ago). Anyone know what caused it?

[Spark]

I read somewhere that there was a bad crash in Golden recently (2 weeks ago). Anyone know what caused it?

Yeah it was the same day I ski'd and flew - Tuesday, 4/8, three hours prior to my flight. I don't want to discuss it in detail, as the final accident report hasn't been compiled. The pilot was seriously injured. A report will be finalized after the pilot provides input.