Short Field Landing Practice

Two holidays in one weekend, if you count Hallmark Day, brought many pilots to Williams Soaring on a beautiful and possibly soarable day in February. With low Cu over the valley I towed towards higher ground at Walker Ridge in the ASW-24B "Delta Romeo" where I found marginal lift and low bases.
It was either my hang gliding mentality or Rex's warning that "a land out is not an option today" but at 4500' and 20 miles out I decided to bail for the valley. I overflew the foothill's low clouds until I was close enough to the airport to sneak underneath the Cu and start working lift.

After milking low valley lift, it was time to land, with an extra challenge. A sailplane was stuck in the mud mid-field after veering off the narrow runway. I tried to hang on as long as I could but at some point a powerless aircraft has to land. With a truck unable to free the glider I came in with a steep approach touching down hard and fast with full airbrakes applied well past mid-field. I was relieved as I stopped this pretty plane before the end threshold without the belly and pavement meeting.