Gliding Over The Marine Layer

Observations this morning revealed a well established, deep marine layer, holding firm over the entire Bay Area. Only an extended sled ride could be counted on at Mount Diablo. What are my choices? Something else, or hang glide. I decided a summer day in the beautiful outdoors doing what I love, if only for a short time, beats most anything else. So I set up at Juniper Launch on Diablo as fog spilled around the base of Mount Tamalpais in the distance.

Off Juniper I decided to forgo a futile attempt scratching washed out thermals which would eventually lead to a breezy and bumpy Thousand Footer LZ. Instead I concentrated on my glide and figured if I could capture distance above the sea breeze, I should make Macedo Ranch in Alamo, even on a Sport 2. I questioned this move once above the no mans land of a marined out Pine Canyon but, I still made the crossing for the LZ thats easy in a sea breeze. The nice break down area at Macedo Ranch.
A minute and a half film, which is only slightly shorter than the actual flight. Ah yes, I got to hang glide.

Lift and Sink in Local Mountains

My best opportunity for soaring this week looked to be over the Mendocino Mountains in high performance glass, so I decided to take "Juliet Hotel" out to Tree Farm for some soaring. I found challenging conditions but eventually climbed out for a nice view of Goat Ridge with Clear Lake in the distance.

The day was a mix of convergence and thermal lift which provided big lift and big sink. The standard spectacular views were present as I watched a couple kayakers tour Lett's Lake as I thermaled above.
I would continually top out at 8.5K with the occasionally 9K. Several attempts to the North towards Snow and St. John each resulted in being slammed down by big sink.
For some reason my heart wasn't into a nail biting glide through sink to the next mountain which would end up out of glide of WSC so I decided to stay local. Eventually the lift began dying and I moved out. The convergence line had shifted East to East Park Reservoir so I continued my local soaring over the foothills.
After three hours of stick time I headed back and arrived nice and high above WSC.
A sweet landing was the perfect end after flying the lift and sink of summertime thermals and convergence above the local mountains.

Summer at Diablo and a Low Save

Soaring Mount Diablo during the summer months is an elusive quest. The marine layer and its companion the sea breeze are a constant threat which can shut down soaring. Or worse, if you find yourself on the wrong side of the mountain scare you from the air, bounce you off your sail in rotor and put you down at the crossroads, far from any LZ or road access but damn glad to be safe on the ground ... not that I would know anything about that. With finicky summer conditions most locals head for the mountains and with good reason, as some of the best and most scenic mountain flying can be had, half a days drive away. I however, find my schedule conflicts with friends, my wife, the weather and well, I can see Mount Diablo from my living room. So with a careful study and a little luck, I have grown to enjoy finding the right day, right time, right glider and right spot to make Diablo work.

Today the high pressure which was holding the marine layer and sea breeze at bay, till late in the afternoon, was also creating gusty NE winds at the Tower Launch. Challenging conditions provided an exercise in patience and I found an OK launch cycle after only half an hour. I immediately headed towards Eagle Peak which was baking in the midday sun for some thermalling.

Typical high pressure conditions were found. The climbs went barely above the summit and with respect for ground clearance in bumpy lift, I soon found myself below Eagle and trying to thermal out of Mitchell Canyon.
Since that never seems to work and I was losing more than gaining, I soon scraped through the canyon en route to the LZ's.
Unzipped over the flats and trying to study the surface winds I grabbed a bubble.
It was light but definitely there, and I was climbing.
With near 100 degree heat I couldn't decide whether I wanted to zip up again, but eventually comfort beat temperature and I was in the game over Twin Peaks benching back towards Eagle.
Teri had left the Tower earlier as I was sinking into Mitchell Canyon. Driving down with concern the sea breeze had attacked me she was surprised to hear I was still in the air. I was safe and happy but still only able to climb slightly above Eagle. I eventually landed at the 100 degree Mitchell Canyon LZ on a summer day that worked, just barely.

Almost Yollo

Nice clouds popping over the mountains fill the air with optimism at WSC. A fellow pilot challenges me to fly to the middle of the Yolla Bolly Wilderness and turn Yollo Peak, a little over 70 miles to the NNW. This is about 15 miles further North than I have ventured before, but with a good looking day and a nice ship, who knows? Off tow at Tree Farm I find a decent climb, bump to Goat and top at 9500.' With a nice start off the bat I get a good view of Lett's Lake towards St. John.

I fly over Snow Mountain and continue North in a sky filled with promise.
The clouds are running only over the high ground and far West from any bailout airport in the valley. Cloud base lowers to a borderline altitude, but provides consistent thermal markers which make for good progress North. I make it well into the Mendocino Mountains to the beautiful Black Butte.
A huge blue hole lies between Black Butte and the Yolla Bollys which happen to be wonderfully developed. This is an area of possible entrapment if low and I'm not exactly high to start with. But then, I see a small cloud form midway across the hole and my ego says GO FOR IT.
BAD MOVE, the cloud dries up before I get there, I find nothing but sink and my bailout airport is in Covelo. Not wanting to land a long way from home I turn around for the reliable lift back through the blue at Black Butte. I get way low and a ridge line now blocks off Covelo. I push towards Black and hook a desperately needed thermal. After I'm well established, climb above the ridge and start breathing again I snap a picture of the tree tops.
The motto for the rest of the flight is stay high and under the clouds. I hop over to Hull Mountian and get a good view Gravely Valley and Lake Pillsbury from behind Rattlesnake Canyon. My hang gliding instructor Wally, told me never to venture over here, he probably meant on my Pacific Airwave Pulse.
I continue to cloud hop South and eventually get a little thermalling over Lower Clear Lake.
I turn Rumsey and thankfully make it home. Even though my turn points clear 300 Km, I end up 12 miles short of my goal at Yollo. Moral is, I should never have been that close, low in the blue. After reviewing my flight with more experienced pilots we conclude my last chance option of exiting through drainages towards the East which leads to a dirt strip was a viable out and I was safer than my anxiety level led me to believe. I still don't like this option, so for the future ... good judgment negates good skill and good luck.