Yesterday afternoon there was about a 6 hour window of fly-able weather between storms. I decided to make the best of it and headed out to Short Divide, even though winds in the valley were honkin' at 25-30+ mph. Upon arrival it was not blown out, but a launchable 20-25 mph. It was overcast, with some breaks in the high, wind-blown clouds, and a mild 65 degrees. I could see the very slow-moving frontal boundary about 20 miles to the north/northwest where a line of virga had set up, but it was not threatening.
I set up and launched at 16:39 into 23-26 mph winds,
and immediately began climbing with the bar pulled in to my waist. Within minutes I was high enough to drift over to the face of Clarkston Peak, but the westerly wind did not produce enough lift, so I headed back out in front of launch, losing all of my altitude in the stiff headwind. I patiently climbed higher this time, and then crabbed sideways over to the face, far enough west to catch lift off of a main spine/gully, without being "sucked" through the gap by the venturi. I noticed Cody arrive and setting up at launch.
By now my bi & triceps were burning from the bar pressure, but I found that if I locked my elbows straight - putting the bar somewhere between my waist and my knees, it relieved the "burn", and allowed me to ever so slowly climb and beat upwind, along the face. What I wouldn't give for a VG and a speed-bar! (maybe next year!)
About 25 minutes after launching I finally made it around the corner, and was able to ease the bar out to trim and relax as the wind direction straightened and turned vertical. I was careful to stay well in front of the mountain in the humongous, powerful lift band, but as I soon crested the summit ridge and climbed through 8,500', the wind turned very horizontal again.
About 25 minutes after launching I finally made it around the corner, and was able to ease the bar out to trim and relax as the wind direction straightened and turned vertical. I was careful to stay well in front of the mountain in the humongous, powerful lift band, but as I soon crested the summit ridge and climbed through 8,500', the wind turned very horizontal again.
I locked my elbows again and slowly headed west, away from the mountain, at about 1 mph groundspeed with the bar in the 40 mph position! My Sport tracked reasonably well, but occasionally the PIO's (pilot induced oscillations) would begin, reminding me to focus on the horizon and reduce my corrective control inputs. If that didn't work, I knew if I slowed and eased the bar out I could restore "wings level" orientation, but then I lost the ground I had just gained!
After nearly an hour of high-airspeed flying, I noticed the wind increase to the point that I could no longer make headway, even with the bar to my knees! It reminded me of a time that I was light-winded in my early flying years in central Washington, flying my trusty Pliable Moose!...
...It was my first soaring flight ever,
and after about 20 minutes of flying back and forth about 200' over the ridge, helmetless and belted into my swing-seat "harness", I found myself drifting back behind launch.
I didn't know much back then, but I figured that this was "not good". My survival instincts kicked in, and I knew enough to not turn downwind.
As I "flew" (read: was blown) backwards along the plateau behind launch, the lift decreased enough to allow me to slowly elevator straight down until I gently lit on terra-firma,
and my "ground crew" quickly grabbed my nose and side wires!... *Thanks for the pic's, Mom!
Today, as the winds aloft apparently increased, I found myself flying backwards again. I was far enough above and in front of the mountain that I was not too concerned, but I decided it would be prudent to call it a day. So I turned-tail and shot through the gap at about 70 mph as I watched Cody launch below.
As I gradually descended on the lee side, I watched Cody quickly climb out along the front side, no doubt utilizing his VG and speed bar! Just as he climbed through my altitude, my field of view from a half mile away framed an incredible image of his glider's silhouette against a blanket of clouds with a background of sun-rays extending to the valley floor through a break in the clouds. I wished I had my camera for that shot, but I'm sure it would not have done it justice!
There was quite an unexpected wind gradient on my final upwind leg, but a gentle upslope helped me pull off a nice no-step landing in almost no wind. I broke down as Cody made the most of his airtime, and eventually followed suit, landing next to me. As we loaded up and headed for home, the window closed as cloudbase lowered, and it started to sprinkle a little.
I felt very fortunate to have squeezed in some much needed
bar-stuffin' airtime!
Airtime: 1 hour 3 min!
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