High Pressure and High Lift

After the famine of spring, early summer provides a feast, with yet another high pressure day to keep the marine layer at bay. Off the Tower Launch atop Diablo, the typical mid-day, high pressure bullet thermals with occasional wire twang provide necessary lift for some local, summer soaring. After playing on the North side I eventually venture over the Summit.
As the afternoon wares on, the lift gets better and I approach that famous XC decision point.
With Teri on a timeline and my altidute borderline, I decide to keep the best driver/wife in the history of hang gliding happy and not let my retrieve vehicle turn into a pumpkin. The next best thing, and only a few miles less, is the retrieve friendly hop towards the NW LZ's. I meander in that direction and enjoy a relaxing glide over Juniper Launch.
Because I'm not racing, I stop at everything, top out with good altitude, yank on the VG and continue on.
I arrive at Blakes LZ with plenty of altitude and decide it's safe to continue over the area of no mans land, towards Lime Ridge.
Over the lowlands I stop for a couple of thermals but the sea breeze has started to fill in and I can't make it work. Oh well, I've still got enough altitude to clear Ygnacio Valley Road and make Lime.
The arborist and avian groups apparently don't think landing a hang glider in barren foothills is challenging enough so they have been put in an obstacle course at Lime Ridge. With "Bruno's Slot" now more of a "Serpentine" I decide to go for the clear area on "Robert's Hill." After a nice landing I sure hope they keep this piece of the LZ clear.

Convergence Line

Wet air spilling off the Pacific Ocean was slamming into the Sacramento Valley air mass forming a classic convergence line above the Mendocino Mountains. The only problem was, the air was too wet and bases were well below the high peaks as I towed toward the South end of the convergence line aboard "Delta Romeo."

With nothing but sink under the clouds I ventured West to the windward side where I found the lift along Goat Ridge.
Pockets of strong lift would rocket up, but, with the wet air, clouds would form instantly and vigilance was necessary to keep clear.
Although the lift went well above base on the windward side of this huge line of clouds, it laid between me and the valley. I would eventually have to go around or under it, to get back. A couple of brave pilots ventured XC to the North. I however chickened out after 2 1/2 hours and headed back. Another nice convergence line had formed on the South End of Bear Valley but unfortunately I didn't have the altitude to cross the blue hole.
With a classic convergence came the standard 15 knot crosswind landing on 16 at Williams for the last challenge of the day.

Dodging Sink to Black Butte

My flight instructor Charlie told me "sink is the great equalizer of all gliders." Essentially it doesn't matter if you are on a single surface hang glider or in an open class sailplane, if you are in sink, you are going down.

On tow to Tree Farm in "Juliet Hotel" I notice "Charlie One" is down low, collecting firewood in the East canyons of Goat Mountain, OH NO this guy is good too. Off tow I immediately spin it up and wonder what could have happened to "C1." Approaching 8K over Tree Farm and planning to head North.

I top out at 9K, head North, and soon find out what happened to "C1." Where there is lift there is ... Damn. Back to Tree Farm much lower this time and struggling. Eventually, back up I head towards St. John, but again, sink. I'm not going to make it across the canyon to St. John so I peel off with a prayer towards the burn at Snow where I find a mediocre thermal and a sigh of relief.
I push to St. John and arrive LOW over the peak where I find the BIG one. The vario pegs as I scream skyward in the strongest thermal of my life. I fall out of it a couple times, which is interesting and the reason why there is no picture of St. John. I did however, get good at catching my weightless camera. Topping out at 10K I continue North past Sheet Iron. Approaching Alder Springs I hit more widespread sink. Well beyond glide of getting back to Williams I feel the pucker factor as I forge ahead, desperately needing a thermal.
Again after big sink, more big lift. Up to 11K at Alder Springs. It seems luck is working well today so why not continue North. Wow, I don't hit sink and it looks like I'll have Black Butte on glide.
At Black Butte, I'm 55 miles out of Williams with the Sink Monster lurking about and decide I've gone far enough. Hum, this sailplane stuff is an out and return, GULP, I get to do it AGAIN! Southbound over Sheet Iron back towards St. John and Snow.
I decide to continue South past Goat for some different terrain and hopefully a contrasting lift/sink pattern. Approaching Rumsey Canyon and the Capay Valley.
Nope, sink is everywhere today so I turn the canyon over Cache Creek and make it home after nearly four hours on a very successful flight of spinning up in big lift and running from vicious sink.

Big Blue Day to Mountain House

With high pressure in place, hot temperatures, light winds and a marine layer out to sea, where it belongs, I decided to break my U2 out of it's garage and give Mount Diablo a go, with slight hope that today is as good as the forecast indicates. In gusty conditions with much needed wire help Robert, Ian and I successfully launch the Tower. After a little work low over Bald Ridge I find a thermal and eventually climb to 6,700'. With the Summit Parking Lot far below me, foothills paint a path down range for cross country to the East.

After not finding lift over North Peak I hit sustained sink as I head East. Seven miles into cross country and I'm down to 3500' where I find my first thermal after leaving the mountain.
I continue down the highest line of foothills where climbs become plentiful, the air is smooth and the sight of Diablo grows smaller in the distance.

Robert is several miles ahead and reporting good lift over Lake Vasqueros so I drive over. Well, my vario tells the story better than I can.

With gust lines on Lake Vasqueros indicating wind in an opposite direction of windmills spinning over the Altamont Pass we quickly realize we are in a bit of convergence. With blue sky the question is which way does it go. Well, lets continue East. Over a very busy Byron Airport with skydive jump planes, sailplanes and G.A. operation I'm glad to be high above the traffic pattern.
The town of Mountain House stands out amongst the two lane roads of the area. The recession has left some nice large landing zones so I pick one of the vacant fields smack in the middle of town with a green park, adjacent. Mount Diablo appears small on the horizon as I release the VG and sight the LZ.

A nice landing and short carry to the park with palm trees to shade me from the near 100 degree sun as I wait for Teri to arrive from her long retrieve. A wonderful flight from Mount Diablo to Mountain House on this big blue day.