This 'blog is entitled "Matt's BASIC life..." - so some entries may be much less exciting or entertaining than my "Occasional Adventure". This entry is probably one of them! But, as promised, I have added a few pic's to make it seem less boring!
Have you ever called in some favors, taken time off of work, begged and even groveled for your spouse or significant other's "blessing", made numerous promises, deals, or trades and maybe even felt like you sold your soul - all for the opportunity to go hang gliding on a day forecast to be great flyin' weather...only to end up with a big ZERO air time?...Well, that was sort of what happened to me a few days ago on Wednesday...
It has been a long time since I have been wrong about the weather and flyability at the Short Divide, mostly because it is only a 25 minute drive away. I can usually look at 3 or 4 different forecasts and indices on the internet, compare those with the hourly updated current conditions, and then go outside and look to the west/northwest and stick a moistened index finger in the air and know if it is going to be any good. If I watch the weather patterns I may even be able to predict a few days in advance!
Wednesday was
supposed to have steady pre-frontal sw winds of 15-20 mph - straight into launch! Although I knew the thermals would not be very spectacular, I still wanted to get one more extended flight before the weekend storm - which would bring rain and snow to the valley floor.
So I headed out at about 3:30, even with overcast high clouds, and not a puff of wind in town. Upon arrival at launch there was NO wind, with the mountain and entire valley below blanketed with a widespread shadow cast by sun-obscuring high clouds. I could see breaks in the clouds to the sw, so I decided I might as well hang-wait and see.
I passed the time taking some pictures around launch, including some macro shots of the colorful leaves. My Mom can spend hours in "macro-mode" taking super-close-up pictures of everything from flowers & fungi to beetles & bottlecaps. She obviously passed some of her love of photography on to me - thanks Mom!
The breaks in the clouds finally arrived at 4:30, and a 6-8 mph uphill breeze began teasing me. So I bit, and went with the theory of "...If I build it (my hang glider) they will come (the thermals!)" As I finished my pre-flight, the excitement and anticipation began to build, as I saw the junipers near launch moving, and heard some of the wind whooshing through the trees.
I walked out to launch before hooking in to check the conditions, only to have the minor cycle die down to almost nothing again. So I sat on the hillside and looked for indicators in the valley below. Before long I noticed a plume of smoke from a burning stubble field across the valley to the sw indicating a strong
south wind. Then I saw the dust from a farmer plowing a field across the valley to the se, indicating an obvious
east wind. Finally I also saw a trail of dust to the west near Nucor, describing a stiff
north breeze coming down the freeway corridor!
As a pilot, I have generally leaned on the more cautious and conservative side in my 25 years of off and on hang gliding experience. If I
can't make sense of the wind and weather indicators I observe from launch, I will either wait until I
can, or pack it in so there
will be a
next time! A wise instructor once taught me, that hang gliding is not only about knowing when to fly, but also deciding when
not to fly.
By now the wind on launch was back to zipp-0, and the daylight was waning, so I got more practice breaking down my glider, loaded it up, and headed for home. I later realized, after watching the weather channel and evening news, that the slowly moving storm front was probably actually stationary and stalled right over Short Divide, causing the wind to blow everywhich-way throughout the valley below!
In many cases when I "sell my soul" for the opportunity to do something that, at the moment, seems all-important, I end up with nothing to show for all of my bargaining. On this outing, although I did not get any airtime, I did learn more about the weather, and enjoyed some of the beauty of nature - and, I made it home early enough to spend an enjoyable evening with my wife and boys! Perhaps I needed a gentle reminder that some things are just as - or even more important than more and more airtime. As I learn this lesson, I come to appreciate each future flight even more!
Airtime: 0 ...(but that's OK!)
Yeeeeeeeee-Haaaaaaaaaaaww!
My favorite!
