(Whale Hill), Villa Grove

Shortly after 0800, 14 persons gathered at the LZ of Whale Hill. They all cramped into 2 cars: 2 drivers, 12 pilots and their gear in  order to ride up the the ugly road to launch.

looking towards Whale Hill

Unfortunately, the wind was blowing over the the back and we spent some time enjoying the great views.
 

looking East

Mt.Princeton, where we had flown the day before

Some took out their wings and started a kiting session. Guess who has been the first...

Stacy (right)

As the situation didn't improve, it was decided to change to Villa Grove. On the way down one of the cars blew a tire which had to be changed in steep terrain.

While most elected to go directly to Villa Grove, Stacy, Hart and I returned to our AirB&B place for a short nap. At 1630 we also drove out to Villa, where the last of these pilots were just landing.

LZ Villa Grove

Stacy drove me to launch, where I quickly prepared and could launch for an absolutely magnificent evening flight! That's exactly what we had been hoping for these 3 days here in the San Luis Valley.

13'000ft/ 4'000m looking south

Stacy also launched, but even after several attempts he didn't manage to get out of the lift band for a safe toplanding, so he had to side land on a hill further down and hike back up. Meanwhile I was enjoying the stunning views from around 4'000m...

...and landing into an already catabatic wind after the sun had already set behind Whale Hill.

folding up in an (almost) full moon

'Bonus': Mt.Princeton

Stacy had gotten in contact with a local pilot: Jeff, who lives near Nathrop, about an hour north of Villa Grove. He offered to take us up his 'home mountain': Mount Princeton (14,204 ft/ 4'329 m) - many thanks Jeff!!
Apparently this mountain has been a flying site for over 20 years, first for HGs, now more for PGs. I am calling this a 'bonus' as this site was totally unknown to either Stacy or me.

Mt.Princeton

The (ugly) road took us to about 100m below launch, which is at approx 12'000ft/ 3660m. A short hike brought us to a huge, almost alpine meadow, permitting TOs to the NE and SE.

SE launch

Jeff, Hart, Stacy, Abbey (a pilot from Colorado Springs)

Perfect conditions for launching made us too quickly leave this place with magnificent views, but this is a morning site which can get very rough if one flies too late here!

Hart

Due to the very high pressure (30.42inhg/ 1030mb), the thermals have been very sharp and disorganized. Centered climbs have been almost impossible. All of us had some wingtip collapses. As Hart reported on the radio, that it was bumpy and lifty at the designated LZ, I choose to continue for a bit and selected a LZ I hoped would be a little more mellow ;-)

'my' LZ (just above my left boot)

After a short nap at our AirB&B Hart visited a hot spring nearby while Stacy and I headed for Villa Grove, hoping again for an evening flight. At the LZ we picked up Jim (who had been with us already yesterday). He offered to retrieve our van, so both ou us could fly - many thanks Jim!!

Unfortunately -contrary to any forcast we had seen for today (0% chance of rain)- it started to cloud over.This effectively 'killed' all the lift. So it was just a sledder to the LZ :-(

Stacy landing at Villa Grove

Later it even overdeveloped.

Villa Grove

For once not having to leave early, we headed out of Salida for our next destination: Villa Grove. Ever since I had read an article in the USHPA Magazine a few years ago I had wanted to come and fly here. And it is well worth it: a bit similar to King Mountain in Idaho. A long ridge with endless landing options...

Yesterdays clouds were clearing away by the minute and it looked to become a promising day.
On the way we picked up Jim in the small town of VillaGrove, who had been with Andy, Stacy and me already in 2014.

We headed up to launch: the steepest, ugliest track we used so far on this trip. It is clearly recommended to heed the advise on the sign halfway up to launch:

Jim preparimg his wing. Pano on launch looking south

looking down on launch (Jim above)

Tricky conditions for launching: one had to wait a while for the wind not to come in too cross, but after a few attempts I also managed to get airborne. Unfortnately the conditions have not been very 'forthcoming' ;-) and we all landed safely after a short flight.

Later in the afternoon we rode up again, hoping for some evening soaring, but the wind came in totally cross, so no flight,

but the scenery made more than up for this...

Our hopes are high that in the remaining 2 days here in the San Luis Valley we'll get some more flying in ;-)

Glenwood Springs -Red Mtn

Due to this days weather forecast (which had changed from 20% chance of rain to 40%), we could make only an early morning sledder off Red Mountain.

Red Mtn launch

LZ in Glenwood Springs

Hart

 

 

After (a second) breakfast we then started our drive on. We passed the city of Aspen, which I consider to be one of the most attractive/ nice resorts/ towns I've ever been to. (Sorry no pix due to wx).

Later we crossed Independence Pass (12095ft / 3687m) on a winding, very interesting road: much more Alpine style (on the north side a bit like the Albula Pass; on the south side more like Flüela Pass in Switzerland). Here it actually was raining at times, but even so the fall colors have been amazing!

(not nearly looking as nice without sunshine...)

For the night we stopped in Salida, a short hour north of Vila Grove in the San Luis Valley, where we hope to make some flights in the three days to come ;-)

(Dinosaur) / Glenwood Springs -Lookout Mtn

Unfortunately, once more too much wind at Dinosaur...

indication in mph

...so we continued towards our next destination: Glenwood springs (CO),

Lookout Mtn - looking West

where we arrived right on time for a great flight into the setting sun.

Stacy

Stacy

Hart had offered to retrieve the car, thus allowing Stacy his first flight of Lookout Mtn.

Tomorrow: ??? - after 1000 the fcst gives a 20% chance of rain for the rest of the day ;-((

Sightseeing: Yampa River Bench Road

We entered again the road towards Echo Park (as yesterday), but this time we continued east on the Yampa River Bench Road. And what a drive it was! Just one great view followed by another - enjoy!

Castle Rock

Yampa River Ranch

Hart looking into 'Harding Hole'

Harding Hole (Yampa River)

Wagonwheel lookout

190km from Dinosaur (launch) back to our motel in Vernal; all together we had driven 380km - thereby crossing the UT-CO state line at least a dozen times...
Not only the drinks and steaks are bigger here, but also the distances ;-)

Dinosaur

Dinosaur -launch

Finally! After all these days with too much wind, things seem to return to 'normal'. Stacy predicted a window from 1030-1130 for flying at Dinosaur, so we left the motel at Vernal at 0830 as it is a 102km drive to launch... And it was very good looking upon arrival: light winds coming in straight, so I left no time getting ready and launched by 1023...

I quickly found some lift and could look back at launch...

Corral LZ

But it turned out that I had launched rather too early/ quickly as the lift was not yet sustained; so after a short flight I had to land at Corall LZ. I radioed Hart to delay his TO for a while and wait for more sustained lift.

Hart

We returned to launch again (42km from LZ  to launch), but the wind speed had increased beyond my capability, further more it had become gusty too. So more sightseeing...

Echo Park (Dinosaur National Monument)

Less wind, but still too much to fly...
We showed Hart the LZs, then more sightseeing: 2 years ago, when I had visited Dinosaur together with Andy and Stacy we didn't have enough time to descend into Echo Park. This time we had ample time so we made this trip all the way down to the Green River.

Already from above it looks impressive, but you can see only one 'level' down, there are more levels before we reached Green River.

John Chews Cabins (ca 1900)...

...and house (ca 1940)

Petroglyph(s) (ca 1300)

Green River

We returned to Vernal for the night, preparing for an early departure the next day and hoping for a flyable 'window' at Dinosaur.