Saturday, 27 October 2018
Friday, 26 October 2018
Hoher Kasten
A short flight on (probably) the last nice and warm day this year.
The last time I took off from here was in 1999, until then, 'Kastensattel' has been a pretty often used. But since then I had always launched from Ebenalp when I flew over here.
Unfortunately the wind (again!) had a southerly component, which made the aerology a bit 'tricky': I didn't feel too comfortable and so I headed for the LZ...
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| Pano looking S-SW: Rheintal, Säntis |
The last time I took off from here was in 1999, until then, 'Kastensattel' has been a pretty often used. But since then I had always launched from Ebenalp when I flew over here.
Unfortunately the wind (again!) had a southerly component, which made the aerology a bit 'tricky': I didn't feel too comfortable and so I headed for the LZ...
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| Kastensattel: looking W |
Tuesday, 16 October 2018
USA 2018: acknowledgments & conclusion(s)
First and foremost I'd like to thank my wife Ruth, that she let me go on this 5.5 weeks long trip; I know that it is not always easy when I'm away for such a long time.
Then I'd like to mention my (our) three guides: Stacy, Mike and Kari. They did (as it has always been the case) an outstanding job of getting me/ us to the best possible site for the day at the right time. They also provided fun and knowledgeable company on the sometimes long stretches of driving. Then there was Hart, one of my oldest PG friend (we have met way back in the early 90's in Verbier), who always has been able to fix anything that I would break.Thanks also to his wife Gaby for letting him come along with me.
Unfortunately Andy, my flying buddy from Switzerland (due to his unlucky accident earlier this year), hasn't been able to join me on this adventure - you would have loved it!
Of course not to forget all the local pilots at their home sites: Chuck (Sun Valley), Geoffry (King Mtn), Pine (Glenwood Springs), Jeff (Mt.Princeton, Whale Hill), Ron (Tollhouse), Alex (Big Sur, Marina Beach) who would always give us their advise and even offer to drive us to launch. Then there are the many (other) drivers who took us up to launch (and sometimes also down), first of all Shelly in Richfield: I don't think it's possible to drive much faster up Cove or Monroe ;-)
Last, but not least: all the old and new pg pilots we met: Brina, Bill, Ron, Brian and Cookie, Julie, Thai and and...
All in all we have driven about 5500miles (approx 8800km - ie 1000miles per week): 3000 in 'Halen', 2500 in my rental car plus several rides to launches in other vehicles.
We have visited 27 different sites and could fly 18 of them. I have added 5 new sites to the my 'collection'.
If you have followed the blog just a little, you will have seen that we have been 'plagued' by 'bad' weather. 'Bad' is actually not correct, as the weather just for travelling/ sightseeing has been mostly outstanding: only 2 rainy days (and I had to put on my rain jacket only once!). Wind has been the big and ever present problem, but -as I've been told- not only during my trip, Already during the whole summer this has been an issue here- therefore also only very few long flights in the US have been uploaded to XContest...
To summarize: we could fly at all planned locations at least once (sometimes only a sledder), but there have also been a few 'bonus' sites. Sites I didn't know about and therefore hadn't planned to fly :-))
And due to the very nice wx we could always visit some nearby Nat.Park, Nat.Monument, Nat.Forest or just some magnificient landscape.
Many thanks to all who have either followed me via this blog, my inReach tracks or the Flickr (photo) pages!
Then I'd like to mention my (our) three guides: Stacy, Mike and Kari. They did (as it has always been the case) an outstanding job of getting me/ us to the best possible site for the day at the right time. They also provided fun and knowledgeable company on the sometimes long stretches of driving. Then there was Hart, one of my oldest PG friend (we have met way back in the early 90's in Verbier), who always has been able to fix anything that I would break.Thanks also to his wife Gaby for letting him come along with me.
Unfortunately Andy, my flying buddy from Switzerland (due to his unlucky accident earlier this year), hasn't been able to join me on this adventure - you would have loved it!
Of course not to forget all the local pilots at their home sites: Chuck (Sun Valley), Geoffry (King Mtn), Pine (Glenwood Springs), Jeff (Mt.Princeton, Whale Hill), Ron (Tollhouse), Alex (Big Sur, Marina Beach) who would always give us their advise and even offer to drive us to launch. Then there are the many (other) drivers who took us up to launch (and sometimes also down), first of all Shelly in Richfield: I don't think it's possible to drive much faster up Cove or Monroe ;-)
Last, but not least: all the old and new pg pilots we met: Brina, Bill, Ron, Brian and Cookie, Julie, Thai and and...
All in all we have driven about 5500miles (approx 8800km - ie 1000miles per week): 3000 in 'Halen', 2500 in my rental car plus several rides to launches in other vehicles.
We have visited 27 different sites and could fly 18 of them. I have added 5 new sites to the my 'collection'.
If you have followed the blog just a little, you will have seen that we have been 'plagued' by 'bad' weather. 'Bad' is actually not correct, as the weather just for travelling/ sightseeing has been mostly outstanding: only 2 rainy days (and I had to put on my rain jacket only once!). Wind has been the big and ever present problem, but -as I've been told- not only during my trip, Already during the whole summer this has been an issue here- therefore also only very few long flights in the US have been uploaded to XContest...
To summarize: we could fly at all planned locations at least once (sometimes only a sledder), but there have also been a few 'bonus' sites. Sites I didn't know about and therefore hadn't planned to fly :-))
And due to the very nice wx we could always visit some nearby Nat.Park, Nat.Monument, Nat.Forest or just some magnificient landscape.
Many thanks to all who have either followed me via this blog, my inReach tracks or the Flickr (photo) pages!
Saturday, 13 October 2018
Returning: SFO-CDG-ZRH
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| Air France (AF) Airbus A380 |
...but unfortunaltely, right here there has been an almost complete cloud cover...
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| North of Richfield |
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| my 'last' sunset in the US ;-) |
Thursday, 11 October 2018
(Big Sur), North Lake Dune
Final (flying) day here on this trip. Kari had proposed that we go to Big Sur, a beautiful site right on the Pcific Ocean, but she also told me, that the chances of NOT being able to fly at this site would be rather high at this time of the year. Unfortunately it turned out exactly that way...
6 pilots (Kari, Julie, Michelle, Josh, Alex & I), a driver (Luke) and 3 dogs rode to launch in Alex's truck.
...on the way down from launch, 'Josh' lauched of a bend in the road and had a short flight with lots of 'adrenaline', as when turning in a thermal, he spun his glider...
...and draped his wing over a parked RV.
So we then headed North, stopping at North Lake Beach (where Kari had flown yesterday). Today the wind speed was just a little lower so all 3 of us (Julie, Kari and I) could make a nice flight, soaring the dunes in the setting sun :-))
Afterwards, a quick dinner and then a 2 hours drive to San Francisco, where we checked-in at our hotel at 2300.
6 pilots (Kari, Julie, Michelle, Josh, Alex & I), a driver (Luke) and 3 dogs rode to launch in Alex's truck.
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| Big Sur (Pix by Kari) |
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| "Max" -the 'Rasta dog' |
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| Josh (Pix by Kari) |
...and draped his wing over a parked RV.
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| near Big Sur |
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| near Big Sur |
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| launch, looking north |
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| launch (Kari), looking south |
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| packing my glider for the last time on this trip |
Wednesday, 10 October 2018
Dunlap, (Marina beach)
After staying overnight in Clovis, it took us about an hour to reach the LZ at Dunlap, where we met Julie for the ride up to launch.
The LZ is huge, almost as big as the one at Tollhouse; infrastructure is even a little better: toilet, tables for picknicking.
The flight itself -according to Julie- was typical 'Dunlap': small, hard to center thermals, strong inversion...
Aferwards we drove towards Marina Beach, where we hoped to soar the sand dunes. Only Kari launched, for Julie and me the wind was just beyond our comfortzone, furthermore it would have been a bit of a hike up the dunes for me (and my pack). But so Kari, who had been driving at Dunlap, could make a flight.
...one more (flying?) day left...
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| Dunlap LZ |
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| Julie getting ready to launch |
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| (huge) LZ |
The flight itself -according to Julie- was typical 'Dunlap': small, hard to center thermals, strong inversion...
Aferwards we drove towards Marina Beach, where we hoped to soar the sand dunes. Only Kari launched, for Julie and me the wind was just beyond our comfortzone, furthermore it would have been a bit of a hike up the dunes for me (and my pack). But so Kari, who had been driving at Dunlap, could make a flight.
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| Julie |
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| Kari |
...one more (flying?) day left...
Tuesday, 9 October 2018
Tollhouse
After yesterday's long drive through Yosemite NP, today it was only a short 'hop' to Tollhouse, where at the LZ we were already expected by Ron. Ron is what I would call the 'caretaker' of this site on the western side of the Sierra Nevada. It's incredible the amount of time (and money?!) he invests to maintain this site: the LZ is huge, well cleared of all bushes (especially 'poisoneos oak'); same goes for the launch. He gave Kari and me an excellent site briefing and later drove Kari, her friend Julie and me to launch (twice). Here again he pointed out everything we might need and helped us launch in a good cycles. THANKS Ron!!
We could all make 2 nice flights: first thermalling up to >2100m and 'cruising' around the area and later a smooth evening flight.
My trip is slowly coming to an end: only 2 more flying days left (-hopefully)...
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| launch |
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| Site intro: Ron, Kari, Julie |
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| LZ |
We could all make 2 nice flights: first thermalling up to >2100m and 'cruising' around the area and later a smooth evening flight.
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| Kari |
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| Launch |
My trip is slowly coming to an end: only 2 more flying days left (-hopefully)...
Monday, 8 October 2018
Yosemite NP
From Bishop to Lee Vining, then across Tioga Pass into Yosemite NP; driving the loop in Yosemite Valley and finally up to Glacier Point, where Kari went looking for the HG TO, from where she launched 30 years ago. Then we left the NP and stayed overnight in Oakhurst.
These few pix here don't do at all the magnificient landscape justice!
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Owens Valley - Bishop - Sierra Nevada |
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| Breidal Fall |
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| el Capitan |
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| Yosemite Fall |
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| Half Dome (from Glacier Point) |
Sunday, 7 October 2018
Wind!! > Silver Canyon, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Alabama Hills
Very windy - so it was clear from the beginning that flying would not be possible today :-(
Therefore I used the opportunity to go sightseeing on this otherwise clear and sunny day (at least until noon)...
First I drove my car up Silver Canyon: this is the ultimate test for a 'normal' rental car: lousy road, narrow, (very) steep.
This is one way to reach the 'Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest', where some of the oldes trees on earth are found -some are over 4000 years old. The views at this altitude (> 3200m) are just breathtaking!
So for returning I wouldn't drive down Silver Canyon, but take the 'normal' road. This woul just have been simply unreasonable, as probably less than halfway down I would have the brakes fading...
Next stop: 'Alabama Hills' near Lone Pine. In Europe this would most probably be a National Park or something similar, here it's just a 'pile of rocks'...
When I wanted to say thanks and goodbye to Cookie and Brian, I got (again) invited for dinner at 'Whiskey Creek', where we celebrated Kari's 5x' birthday. It has been a very relaxed and entertaining evening - MANY THANKS Cookie and Brian for your generosity!!
Tomorrow will be a travelling day, which wil bring Kari and me to the west side of the Sierra for my last few days of (possible) flying... But the route across Tioga Pass and via Yosemite NP promises spectcular views.
Therefore I used the opportunity to go sightseeing on this otherwise clear and sunny day (at least until noon)...
First I drove my car up Silver Canyon: this is the ultimate test for a 'normal' rental car: lousy road, narrow, (very) steep.
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| Silver Canyom |
This is one way to reach the 'Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest', where some of the oldes trees on earth are found -some are over 4000 years old. The views at this altitude (> 3200m) are just breathtaking!
So for returning I wouldn't drive down Silver Canyon, but take the 'normal' road. This woul just have been simply unreasonable, as probably less than halfway down I would have the brakes fading...
Next stop: 'Alabama Hills' near Lone Pine. In Europe this would most probably be a National Park or something similar, here it's just a 'pile of rocks'...
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| Sierra Nevada (driving on the 'regular' road) |
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| Alabama Hills |
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| ...rain on the way back to Bishop... |
Tomorrow will be a travelling day, which wil bring Kari and me to the west side of the Sierra for my last few days of (possible) flying... But the route across Tioga Pass and via Yosemite NP promises spectcular views.
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