I did it!

[Lauren Tjaden]

Hey, it's midnight and I am zonked but YEEHAW I flew 109 miles to goal today at Big Spring. Tom M made it, too. We crossed the finish almost at the same time. Paul was super fast but then landed a mile short. He was so sweet and just happy for me instead of being sad that he was a little short. The lift was so strong down this street that I just coasted to the side of the clouds for over 30 miles without turning, between 10500 and 11500 feet. Good landing in 20 mph winds. Some of the lift was very rough. The course was a dogleg with the last leg X wind, but even the straight line distance is over 100 miles.
I am very very happy and tired and my arms hurt. Good night.
Lauren

[tdilisio]

Congratulations, Lauren!!! Sounds like a blast. I so much wanna do that when I grow up.

[mcelrah]

Woohoo! You go girl! Saw Paul's mugshot prominent in the USHPA mag. - Hugh

[theflyingdude]

Nice job, Lauren! Maybe when you have more time you can provide all the gory details for those of us who are living (flying?) vicariously thru you.

JR

[RedBaron]

Congrats Lauren.

[pink_albatross]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
what a flight. what an accomplishment!!!
you go girl!
-- ellis

[kcarra]

That's amazing Lauren - something I could only dream of. So - are you going to do it again and go even further??

Karen

[Dan T]

Nice job, Lauren! Maybe when you have more time you can provide all the gory details for those of us who are living (flying?) vicariously thru you.

JR

Congratulations Lauren, you must be tickled!

I'm with JR, send us the juicy details. I know that kind of write up is right up your alley!


Dan T

[Lauren Tjaden]

Hi!
Thanks for the sweet notes. I was very happy to be part of the longest dogleg task in hang gliding history. Conditions were truly epic. Gawd, I wish you could all have done it with me.
Yesterday they set a task for a 75 mile triangle. Lift was great and stinking high again -- about 12 grand -- but the f'ing wind was blowing from 15-20 mph. Making the first turnpoint wasn't bad (about 25 miles) but slogging into the stiff wind for the next 25 was extremely hard. You had to have a climb of at least 500 fpm to make any progress, or you'd get blown back faster than you'd climb. It blued out and got very hard. So many times I left climbs that were weak and flew until I was low (hoping to find a boomer) and then I would have to take a weak one, only to end up further back than I started. I flew until 7 at night and made it about a mile from the 2nd turnpoint, about 50 miles total.
If I could have only made it there and could have changed direction I might have gotten home. I flew with Tom again for lots of the day. He beat me the 109 mile day (was a tic faster) but I made it about a mile further than he did yesterday. Paul totally rocked and was 4th for the day. Mark Fruitiger (our NY friend who is riding with us) made it in too. Apparently a couple people made it through the blue by working in teams, but most who were successful making goal flew radically off course line to avoid it -- which I probably should have done. I was more tired than I have ever been; took a few Advil and Vicodin to be comfy enough to sleep. The lift is very strong here but it will about jolt your teeth out of your mouth if you're not careful.
Today was totally overcast from the hurricane and low ceilings so the task was only for a measly 100 miles downwind. I was exhausted and wimped out -- groveled around for half an hour and landed back at the airport. Some guys apparently made it. Paul and Tom and Mark made it from maybe 30-50 miles away from the airport. I will be back in action tomorrow. Great group of people.
Lauren

[mcelrah]

You've seen the movie "Dances with Wolves": "Hang-glides with Hurricanes" - coming to a theater near you! - Hugh