The grandeur of Yosemite attracts over 3.7 million people a year. Most, visit the valley floor. Some, hike the trails and are rewarded with a breathtaking view. A few, climb the massive granite walls for adventure and a different perspective. On July 9th, only one visitor, enjoyed the awe inspiring sights from a hang glider.
Being able to hang glide Yosemite is a true privilege. As a child, an annual backpacking trip to The High Country and wintertime visits to The Valley hold strong memories. In my early twenties I climbed many of the rock walls on both sides of the valley and would occasionally gaze up, at the hang gliders.
On Friday, flying alone, amongst those familiar sights, was like a dream.
When the weekend came, so did the responsibility. One whole hang glider pilot to monitor. So, I showed Gerry the launch path.
And helped him with the precarious carry, man this guys a lot of work.
Once Gerry was airborne, I grabbed my glider and powered off again.
We drove straight for Yosemite Falls. At 2,425' Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America and one of the most popular attractions in Yosemite. There are several different ways to see Yosemite Falls. The Lower Falls are easily accessed from Yosemite Lodge. The Upper Falls can be reached by a steep 3.5 mile trail out of Sunnyside Campground.
I've got my own access, to both.
More images which don't do "it" justice are on the slideshow. The weekend was great and after flying in the mornings, Teri and I enjoyed a different hike each day. I caught my first Yosemite thermal, shown at 1:30 in the video below. By soaring standards this was a poor a thermal, but at 9 am in Yosemite, it bought me 4 additional minutes on the predominate sled ride. The video is taken from the three separate flights aboard my WW S2 and U2 .
2 comments:
Thermaling at Yosemite. You dog. Nice!
Matt - the way it's laid out at Yosemite - thrill of a life to be in the midst of it all & airborne! Thanks for giving me a breath of the valley. Joel
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