US'16 0628 -exploring Willow Creek Peak

Stacy (and Griff) both had proposed going up to Willow Creek Peak and explore a new site there. This (and other possible sites) lie on a mountain range to the west of Aurora and should offer East facing early morning thermal flights. Actually the best launch option lies near Pioneer Peak (see pix), is facing straight East and would allow also just a sledder out to the valley floor.

Going there was already quite an adventure. Even though there is a 'road' going up there it's not really a road you'd want to drive in your car (neither new or old): it's very steep, long, rocky, dusty, tire-eating...

We (Stacy, Andy and I) met Griff, Dillon, Jonathan, Fio and Matthew at 0830 on the outskirts of Richfield and drove with three cars to the entrance of Willow Creek. Here we left Fio's 2wd car, with was completely unsuitable for the 'roads' now in front of us. So it was Jonathans SUV and Stacy's Pathfinder which took us up the mountain.

Luckily we didn't take up Stacy's idea just to go all together in Jonathan's SUV: with 6 pilots and gear in the back it would have made a hell of a (dusty) trip...



The views on top: beathtaking and lots of flowers in bloom.

We found different launch options, though the one on Willow Creek Peak turned out to be unsuitable, as there is a ridge between the peak and any possible LZ on the valley floor, which prevents a glide out (and no good bail-out options at all).

TO near Pioneer Peak

The best option turned out to be a small 'knob' near Pioneer Peak; not too far of a hike from the road and also not even requiring a trap for launching (which most of the other options would do).

actual track of todays trip

...you might have guessed by now that there was no flying today: the weathermen got it completely wrong! Instead of East as predicted, we got a West wind blowing :-((  Furthermore it rather more quickly overdevelloped than anticipated and while we were driving down it already started to rain.

To finish the day off, Andy and I had dinner at Steve's Steakhouse and we 'indulged' in some local brew to wash down the steak (Andy) and fish (me).
Funny names for beer: 'Polygamy Porter' and 'Cutthroat Pale Ale', but both not too bad (certainly better than the usual 'light stuff'...)
By the way: "Do you know the difference between American beer and making love in a canoe?"
Answer: in tomorrow's post  ;-)

local beers