Pulpit today

[Dan T]

I'm following Marc to the Pulpit, hope to see some other pilots there.

Dan T.

[Flying Lobster]

I launched into a lull in the very strong north cross and proceeded to have a bronco fest soaring flight, trying to catch something away from the ridge (disclaimer: flying the Pulpit in strong north is not recommended). After awhile I'd had enough and decided to go out and land, but ran into a raspy one over the lz and worked it up to the gap where 16 goes through, eventually topping at at 2K over, but no ways near cloudbase. What the heck, might as well go for the ride. After clearing the back ridge my vario decides to crap out and I'm left with a difficult decision--head NE to heavily streeted clouds or go with the drift south.

Of course--I make the wrong decision and head to the clouds, which by the time I get to them have overdeveloped and overcasted everything, shutting down the thermals. Although I have Greencastle on glide, I decide to make a run to the south where I can still see some sun past the clouds, and turn SW and cross 16. The overcast is just following too fast and I can't reconnect before having to land at Welsh Run for only 12 miles. As I break down I get rained on and a monster cell strafes the main ridge to the west with some impressive light shows.

Since I hardly get to fly at all these days--this was great fun for me. I've had a very strange trip so far--every day I've flown has been forecasted to be light and variable--but every day has been crankin' cross.

marc