At the Tower Launch on Mount Diablo Robert, Gerry and I hope to enjoy some nice fall soaring. But ... then ... a good pilot shows up. After many months away,
the big guy Chris returns atop his favorite mountain. Chris is all smiles and it quickly becomes contagious.
Chris gives some last minute coaching to Gerry before launch. It sure works, as Gerry quickly skies out.
Off second, I scratch myself down the mountain, as I am the one in need of coaching. Past Bald Ridge, too low to make Eagle Peak, I fight like mad in and out of small punchy cores.
I luck out and find happy air to work my way up, eventually getting over the Summit.
Robert is off last and appears as a speck down the ridge from The Tower; mid frame, slightly right.
It doesn't take Robert long to go from a speck below to a speck above, as he climbs past the horizon. Robert ends up beating my nemesis, the inversion and eventually heads East to Airfield Kevin in Oakley.
After an hour of banging my head into the 4600' inversion I concede. I decide to go exploring instead, so off to the West.
I feel the North wind is light enough to head over the back and work some lee side fun.
I find light lift over Shell Ridge.
With North wind and weak thermals my drift is faster than my climb. I find myself spinning over Alamo which doesn't seem like much of a problem. However, a demon still exists in the North Wind as I will soon find out.
I fight the Demon to keep it level through rotor and bring it onto the lee hillside at Macedo Ranch with only a dent to the nose cone. Next, how do I explain the magnitude of this rotor to Gerry without scarring him. "Keep your speed up Gerry," as he battles the Demon. Safe on the ground a giant dust devil rips through the LZ and I contend, despite a poor choice of landing zones, today is a happy day at Mount Diablo.
Chris gives some last minute coaching to Gerry before launch. It sure works, as Gerry quickly skies out.
Off second, I scratch myself down the mountain, as I am the one in need of coaching. Past Bald Ridge, too low to make Eagle Peak, I fight like mad in and out of small punchy cores.
I luck out and find happy air to work my way up, eventually getting over the Summit.
Robert is off last and appears as a speck down the ridge from The Tower; mid frame, slightly right.
It doesn't take Robert long to go from a speck below to a speck above, as he climbs past the horizon. Robert ends up beating my nemesis, the inversion and eventually heads East to Airfield Kevin in Oakley.
After an hour of banging my head into the 4600' inversion I concede. I decide to go exploring instead, so off to the West.
I feel the North wind is light enough to head over the back and work some lee side fun.
I find light lift over Shell Ridge.
With North wind and weak thermals my drift is faster than my climb. I find myself spinning over Alamo which doesn't seem like much of a problem. However, a demon still exists in the North Wind as I will soon find out.
I fight the Demon to keep it level through rotor and bring it onto the lee hillside at Macedo Ranch with only a dent to the nose cone. Next, how do I explain the magnitude of this rotor to Gerry without scarring him. "Keep your speed up Gerry," as he battles the Demon. Safe on the ground a giant dust devil rips through the LZ and I contend, despite a poor choice of landing zones, today is a happy day at Mount Diablo.
1 comment:
Signing Chris in at the Junction for the first time since his crash was the highlight of my day. I've literally had dreams of this day! Seeing his happiness at being back with the Diablo Team at the Home Site was indeed contagious.
Welcome back, Chris!
RM
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