Crawford Flying

The Crawford Mountains rise steeply 1,500 vertical feet from the valley floor East of Randolph, Utah. The Northwest facing range runs about 18 miles from Highway 30 at the Wyoming border, South toward Evanston, WY. Most of the range is within Utah, but most XC routes will take you into Wyoming. The dark, steep cliffs along the face gather and release heat nicely, but can also be a source of some mechanical turbulence if not respected. A decent 2wd gravel road takes you from one of many wide open LZ's to the top in about 15-20 minutes.

The view from launch out over the valley and the meandering Bear River is spectacular. Set up areas on top are limited, but there is plenty of room right behind the ridge.

There are 3 or 4 wide open launch options, depending on your preference and angle of the wind. The ridge drops off quickly making for an easy launch, but you do have to be aware of how the gullies, spines and ridges affect the local airflow. Wonder wind glass-offs are not uncommon here, sometimes lasting beyond sunset. We were hoping today might be such a day!


A 10-15 mph NW wind is perfect here, but a cross-wind launch is feasible if it is more Westerly or Northerly. Launching in winds over 20 mph is not recommended here, due to the potential for some spooky/scary turbulence that the sharp cliffs can generate in higher winds. Yesterday, Cody, Landon and I drove together, met Bruce and Greg in the LZ and then carpooled up to launch.

Upon arrival at about 3 pm, the wind was coming straight in at 10-12 mph, so we all started right in with our setup routines.

This is the first set up area I have been to where you have to watch out for the sharp cacti!
By the time we were ready, the wind had died and was even crossing out of the NE!

So we hang-waited the next hour and a half in the hot sun, finding occasional shade from some nice cumies building just South of launch. We watched about 10-15 turkey vultures playing in the thermals in front of launch, sometimes high, sometimes low. We weren't sure if they were trying to utilize the lift, or if they were purposely staying near or below launch altitude. Finally at about 5:30 some cycles straightened out enough for Landon and me to safely launch. It was still a cross, light-wind launch, but we pulled it off nicely! The view straight down on the sharp rock spires is stunning, but we didn't have time to enjoy it much. Unfortunately we found nothing but sink, as the northerly component just slid across the face producing no lift. We made 3-4 passes, and were soon setting up our landing approach. We came in for a gentle wheel-in landing on a recently cut alfalfa field.

About 15 minutes later, conditions dramatically improved on launch, and Cody was the first to show everyone how to soar above the ridgetop!

Bruce and Greg soon joined him,

along with 2 paragliders. It was painful watching everyone air-playin' directly above us as we broke down the big Falcon, but some days require a sacrificial flight before the wind Gods oblige.

I was glad that it turned good for them, but couldn't stand waiting around, so Landon and I decided to hike up the face to retrieve the truck from the top. The cliff face appears impenetrable by foot, but we found a gully which safely took us to the top in just under an hour. About halfway up conditions got light again, as one by one everyone flew out to land.

Here is a video clip of Greg's stellar landing (it's a little shaky because I took it zoomed in from half-way up the mountain face.)

While we were loading up, Landon had to make sure he could fit into Cody's new dog kennel! (No, he didn't ride home in it!)

It didn't turn out to be a magical day over the Crawfords, but almost everyone got over an hour of some nice, smooth airtime.

Independence Day

Our 4th of July Celebration started Saturday morning with the Lewiston parade!

Overcast skies kept the morning temperatures from climbing too quickly.

Tanner, Josh, Landon, Keri and the entire Skyview Marching band did great!

Saturday afternoon the 3-day Cache Valley Cruise In culminated with the parade of classic cars on main street.

There were all kind of Oldies but Goodies - like this pink Cadillac,

this not so old Delorean,

this 3-wheelin' Monte Carlo,

I'm not sure what this one is called,

a flame-throwin' '53,

some VERY low-riders (yes, there were sparks flying!),

and a few pimped out bikes too.

We found some time for a little 4-wheelin',

including Klobberhed!

We finished the day lighting off a few mostly-legal fireworks. Then we relaxed and watched some of the less-than legal fireworks go off in the neighborhoods around us.

Short Divide in July

On Friday Landon and I met up with Cody on launch at Short Divide. Conditions looked great at 85 degrees, SW winds 16-18, and some nice puffy cumulus overhead.

Landon and I launched first into some moderately strong thermals mixed in with some definite areas of sink. This translated into some July rodeo-airtime! About 10 minutes later Cody launched and we took turns showing each other the thermals, until Cody hooked one that stayed together well enough for him to follow it back and bench up over Clarkston Peak. Landon and I worked the same thermal, but fell out of it and had to scoot back out front. Cody found the usually reliable lift on the upper mountains a bit sketchy. By now Landon was getting a little woozy from the "textured" air and tight turns, so we descended to a nice wheel-landing below, while Cody did some air-playin' above, and eventually joined the "early-landers" in the LZ below. With this flight, Landon just passed 10 hours of airtime! It was a very nice "day before the 4th of July" flight.

Airtime: 50 minutes x 2!

Wind Caves

Ryan and I took advantage of the improving weather to have our 1st annual 11 year-old Scout backyard overnighter and Wind Caves day hike.

Participants included Andrew, Daniel, Jake, Jordan, Spencer and Aaron.

We worked on a number of Scouting skills and requirements, including knife and axe safety, firebuilding, tent pitching, cooking, camping, ropework and knot tying. A brief thundershower didn't dampen our spirits, as we enjoyed our foil dinners

and dutch oven cobbler desserts with ice cream!

After a competetive snakeball/monkey bars golf tournament, Daniel conducted our campfire program, complete with a song, some jokes (ha ha), a skit, and a Scoutmaster's minute.

The boys stayed up late telling jokes, while Ryan and I drifted off to sleep in our treehouse lookout. After a big breakfast, we packed up "camp" and drove up the canyon

to the Wind Caves trailhead.

Clover helped keep everyone in line as we climbed the steep, two-mile switchbacking trail.

At one point the trail crosses a rushing stream, which literally springs forth right out of the ground!

After a number of repeated "how much further" inquisitions, we finally arrived at our destination just before noon.

The view in all directions was spectacular, including the China Wall rock formation on the opposite side of the canyon below the Crimson Trail and the backside of Logan Peak.

We paused to explore the open-air caves and take a few pictures.

Standing just above the upper openings, we felt the up-canyon wind rushing through, better understanding how they were so appropriately named.

We made the descent in about half the time.

Clover and the boys were dog-tired by the time we made it back to the vehicles, but everyone had a great time!

Summer Arrives at Short Divide

Landon and I went out to Short Divide Wednesday for some airtime. The Spring rains finally stopped for a couple of days allowing for the warmest day of the year at about 90 degrees. On launch the wind was straight in, but cycling from about 8 mph up to 15. A bit light for a tandem launch, so we waited to see if it would build and fill in. At about 4 pm conditions were the same, but after watching a red-tailed hawk catch a ride and speck out, we decided to attempt to follow suit. We picked a good cycle, but still had to earn our launch with a few extra steps as we made our seamless transition into the sky. We safely skimmed over the juniper covered launch ridge, as Landon was happy to be "back in the harness" again. As we watched two deer running through the trees below us, we quickly found a number of moderately strong thermals which took us about 100' over launch. We were unable to replicate our feathered friend's gravity-defying feat as we gradually descended to the lower ridge, set up our final, and came in for a safe wheel-in landing.

Airtime: 15 minutes - YeeeHaaaaw!

Camp Bartlett 2009

This past week Landon and his troop were at Camp Bartlett.

I spent all day Thursday with Landon and the troops!

This year it rained off and on for about 3 out of the five and a half days

but the sun came out Tuesday, part of Thursday, Friday and Saturday!

Our troop had 5 Scouts at camp this year: Spencer, Ryan, Jordan, Landon & Daniel.

Camp activities included working on the Rifle Shooting Merit Badge.

One of the requirements includes hitting a target with 5 out of 5 rounds, all within a group the size of a quarter from 50 feet - and then repeat this feat five times! Both Ryan and Landon accomplished this!

Basketry Merit Badge was popular, as usual.

Landon, Ryan and others worked on their Art Merit Badge.

Others completed the Forestry Merit Badge.

Ryan spent any spare time working on his "Silent Boondoggling" Merit Badge.

The entire troop, leaders and dads also completed a 10'x10' axe-yard lashing service project together.

And, of course, there was plenty of food to go around as everyone worked on their Cooking (and eating) Merit badge!

Scoutmaster Scott even made some of his great dutch oven chocolate-cherry cobbler! Being a surgeon by profession, his skills did not get rusty as he was called to the first aid office at least once a day to suture both scouts' and leaders' pocketknife or boxcutter-induced lacerations - many of which were casualties of the Woodcarving Merit Badge!

By the end of the week, Landon had earned 5 Merit Badges: Art, Fish and Wildlife, Forestry, Rifle Shooting, and Woodcarving. Despite the off and on rain, mosquitoes and muddy trails, everyone had a great time this year at Camp Bartlett!