Definitely launchable at times... Maybe I'm too conservative... But yikes, it just didn't seem like it would be all that fun in the air.
So what did we do? Well, we cleared brush, and brought down trees that the forest service had flagged for removal. Wow, multiple hours of that, while simultaneously watching conditions and hoping for a change that didn't materialize. Those giving it a go included Patrick, John M, Anthony, Randy, Matt I, Knut, Bacil, Jon B, myself, Joe S, and at least two other pilots whose names I can't remember (takes me three times, sigh). The slot is MUCH wider now.
After wrapping it up on Sunday we invaded Joe and Zeldas place, literally across the street from the Strasburg Inn. They offered snacks and beer and wine, as we looked up to see the sunset light playing on Signal Knob. Joe literally lands up the street, at the high school, on good days. Not bad for turnaround time eh?
J&Z kindly offered a room for the night: Figured I should at least put in one day of effort toward the Woodstock Launch project, and they saved me the drive back to DC and then back to WS. Many many thanks!!!
But before diving into the WS project on Monday... Joe and I checked out what will soon become a new *State* Park, just across from Woodstock, in one of the fingers that extends down from the ridge. If you know the "chicken coop" thermal south of launch? This property is just north of that. Huge. Many landable fields. It's NOT a substitute for a close-in field by any means (sled-ride day; new pilot; etc). But wow... If we can get on the radar with Friends of the North Fork and the State Park agencies? If could really be sweet.
From there we headed up top and provided manual labor to clear the road that runs along the very bottom of the launch slot (insurance requirement I think?). But the highlight was certainly the equipment that had been brought in for the first phase of the launch site improvement. Photos to follow....
MarkC
- Staging area for fill, rock, and soil.