A Fun Disturbance

Meteorologists indicate a slight "disturbance" will hit the Northern California Mountains as it rotates off a low pressure system over the Pacific Ocean. I don't know exactly what this means, but it sounds good. Out of WSC in "JH" I get off tow at an unusual location, the South end of Goat Ridge. I follow a cloud street on the West side of Goat Ridge and make it North to Snow Mountain. Once there the lift turns on and clouds paint a path towards no mans land, much further to the West than the usual development.
Fortunately base is high and the lift is good so I follow this Westerly route and cut to Black Butte for the final big spin before venturing into the blue.
Clouds over Anthony Peak are a safe glide to Covelo and I point my nose on this continued Western path to the North.
Yollo Peak looks nicely developed but I'll have to head North into the Yolly Bolly Mountain and then cut East to circumvent a giant blue hole.
Soaring in the Yolla Bolly Mountains is just like I remember, FAT. I speed around at 100 KTS under the clouds and maintain at 13K in the bitter cold air.
I tag Yolla Peak and notice a remaining patch of snow.
On the return leg my cloud street shifts even further West to take me directly towards Hull Mountain.
High over Lake Pillsbury.
It's late afternoon and I continue South, gazing at the reflecting sun off Clear Lake.
After tagging the HWY 20/16 intersection I turn East towards the airport and look back at the wonderfully developed mountains.
A greaser landing on "16" for 167 statute miles in 3 1/2 hours. Slow for most, but for me it's good. Reading the forecast discussion in the future, I will always look for the word "disturbance."

Happy Day at Diablo

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.

Labor Day at Diablo

After laboring through the weekend; if two small fires and two medicals in a 72 hour shift could be considered labor, I awake at the fire house well rested and happy with my new station assignment. A weather check via iPhone while still in my rack indicates nothing special in the soaring department, but Labor Day looks warm and most importantly flyable. Off to Mount Diablo to join the many hikers, equestrians and cyclists enjoy the unofficial end of summer as my fellow flyers are in the mountains for their last hurrah. Solo off the Towers Launch and down bald ridge.

Low past Bald I work a little burble and despite much effort find my altitude simply sustaining.
Off to Eagle where the sun soaked rock is putting off its usual high pressure bullets. Despite being the strongest lift of the day it tops quickly at the inversion and is not so pleasant to ride.
Lower at Twin Peaks I find mellow and enjoyable burbles which buy some time.
Before bringing it in at Mitchell Canyon on this last day of summer, apropos.

Beautiful Yosemite

Teri and I decide to head up to Yosemite's beautiful high country for some back country hiking, but the only flight I can find is aboard a S2 and arrives in Yosemite Valley at nine in the morning.

Regulations I'm told, however Glacier Point sure is astonishing from the air.
Yosemite Falls is now dry however, it doesn't keep people off the trail, so I make the requisite flyby at Point Columbia. My shadow just past hikers at the railing on the right.
After Teri picks me up at Leidig Meadows we're off to Tuolumne Meadows for some cross country hiking. We head out near Mono Pass several miles and traverse a small snow field after passing the Eastern park boundary near this desolate lake.
At the Great Sierra Mine looking towards Gaylor Lakes.

The next day we hike up to May Lake.

And get a spectacular view as we continue up towards Mount Hoffmann.
Up higher we see Half Dome and catch a glimpse of yesterdays launch location, Glacier Point peaking at us across the valley from North Dome on the right.
The trail ends, our path steepens and we scramble up boulders.
An interesting rock formation, nearing the summit of Mount Hoffmann.
It's hard to take a bad picture in Yosemite, these and more are found in this Yosemite Slideshow. A wonderful trip, flying through magnificent Yosemite Valley and hiking above in the beautiful high country is a perfect end to summer.