"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."
Leonardo da Vinci

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Streets Galore

With Cumulous forming over the foothills, I took a tow to Bear Valley aboard "Juliet Hotel" on this nice post-frontal day.
Cloud base appeared to rise towards high ground, so I worked uphill into the mountains which were covered in fresh snow from yesterdays storm.
Showers began to move in and once snow hit my canopy I turned around. With an abundance of cloud streets I raced South, dolphin style. Without a circle, and maintaing near base I approached the Rumsey Gap with Lake Berryessa in the distance.
The waters of Cache Creek were flowing high through the canyon and the campground was filled on this fine spring day.
I took another street, fast to the North and turned the 20 Gap. These conditions are my forte; big, fat, abundant, cloud marked lift.
Back South under yet another street towards the Capay Valley with a view of the Rumsey Gap from the other side.
With as many streets available as New York City, I made a big mistake. I tried to cross a "small" blue hole. I sank fast to 3500' before finding lift and finally fighting my way back up to cloud base. Once there I made sure to stay under the clouds for a few more runs until the day was over.

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