US'22 (2. / 3.9) - Villa Grove / Whale Hill

Salida

1.9. Back to Villa Grove, where we have been joined by Jeff. Very similar conditions to the day before. On the first flight all 3 ouf us (Jeff, Andy and me) sank out. The high pressure makes thermals sharp edged and 'spicy', as well as hard to center... Stacy picked us up for a relaunch.

Second flight: again I sank out :-((  Andy had launched just a few minutes later and found a 'monster' thermal which had taken him with  > 7.5m/s to above 4000m. He has been able to fly over the plains towards Villa Grove and the Country festival held there. Incredible the number of RV's parked nearby.... He landed near the village. Jeff flew for about 20minutes.

RV parking for the festival at Villa Grove

In retrospect it probably has been 'a good thing' that I sank out, as Andy said that it has been a pretty rough ride; furthermore just about 20' later a gust front went through with windspeeds > 60kmh.

...starting to OD

Prime Rib for dinner with Jeff, Stacy and Andy

2.9. Already at 0800 we met Jeff and many other PG-, as well as some HG-pilots at the LZ for Whale Hill. I had been here with Stacy and Hart in 2018, but at that time the wind remained over the back the whole morning, so we had to drive down again... But in the late afternoon I then could make a really great flight (> see here).

Originally all these 'roads' on these mountains here had been built in the late 19th century for mining silver, gold and other stuff. It's hard to immagine how hard it must have been to construct these roads and carry up all the material necessary for mining. And don't forget, the 'hill' is 3600m high and how cold it can be up here - especially during the night (even in summer)...

remains of a mine on top of Whale Hill

The drive from 2750m to 3660 took about 45' on a pretty rough 4WD track, requiring high clearance.

At first, the wind had been blowing from the South, but after a while it weakend and turned more to the East, thus permitting easy launches.

looking SE

...on can launch anywhere on this hill... (Jeff)

Whale Hill

heading out to the LZ...

I could climb a bit over launch and took some pictures, the started heading out to the LZ, as the SE-wind could be clearly felt. Andy and Stacy have been able to get higher and also landed at the LZ. 

Car park and LZ (at 0200 from cars)

At first we thought that maybe a second flight would be possible, this time form Villa Grove; but the wind in the valley floor increased even more and it also quickly started to overdevellop over Wahle hill, so we had to call it a day.

OD over Whale Hill

Remark: OD = overdevelopment / overdeveloping

US'22 (01.09) - Villa Grove

 Yesterday evening had ended with some 'interesting' skies.

Jeff had called in the evening and discouraged us from going up to Mt.Princeton again today (due to the Northerly flow I had mentioned in yesterday's post), but he suggested Villa Grove, as there might be a flyable window in the morning, before the N-wind would also become too strong here...

So we left shortly after 0830, for the drive to the LZ at Villa Grove and up to launch. The road, as well as the launch, has been improved quite a bit during the last years and they are even building a launch facing NW - a direction which can come in handy here.

Pano on launch: looking S-SW - the whole ridge on the left would be soarable in the right conditions...

I and then Andy launched, but conditions have been just a tad too weak to stay up. 

But by the time we got back to the take-off for a second launch it looked much better. This time, Andy launched first and quickly climbed away. I on the other hand struggled for quite a while before I finally found a thermal which took me to > 4000m :-))

Villa Grove: launch area

Conditions on this flight have been rather 'sporty' - it's rather rare that I could take just a few pictures during the flight (actually the one above is one of them....): big climbs, huge sink, gnd speed > 70kmh as well as below 10kmh: everything has been there and kept me busy. In the end I decided to call it a day and landed near a dirt raod, wher I have been picked up just as I had packed my gear.

Meanwhile the forcasted N.wind had also set in and I have been not too unhappy to be back on 'terra firma' ;-)

Thanks again to Jeff for correctly forcasting the flyable window!

(Actually the window stayed open even longer than hed has anticipated.)

I had launched on the far left on the pix

About an hour after landing...

Just got a call from Jeff: towrrow (again) Villa Grove: 1000 at the LZ and he'll be joining us as well.

US'22 (31.8.) - Mt.Princeton

As mentioned in my last post, we had an 'appointment' at 0930 with Jeff near MtPrinceton/ Salida. This of course meant, that we had to leave Lakewood at 0615 as we wanted  to have some breakfast along the way and still arrive on time.

driving up to Kenoosha Pass

Our route took as over Kenoosha Pass, another flying site - but of course it was way too early for a flight and even if conditions would have been good, there simply has been no time when we wanted to meet Jeff as scheduled...

Kenoosha Pass (West side)

Mt.Princeton

Unfortunately due to a detour and an error in navigation we reached Jeff's place about 30' too late, so we immediately loaded our gear in his car and headed up towards launch: a steep road with some (very) narrow turns, requiring 4WD and high clearance; then a 20' hike-up to launch.

Pano on launch looking NE to SE

Jeff and Stacy

In 2018 we had launched towards SE, today we took off towards the NE in a fairly strong wind. 

Thermals have been abundant and strong (> 5m/s). Unfortunately, I didn't feel to well after a lousy night, so I landed after about 30' near Jeff's place.

Afterwards we continued to Salida, where we stayed for the next 4 nights, hoping for the wind flow to change to S/ SW/ W, so we can fly Villa Grove.

Many thanks to Jeff for taking care of us and especially driving us up to launch!!!

US'22 (30.8.) - Golden / Boulder

Due to the jetlag (8 hours time difference to ZRH), we had no problems getting up. After a sumptous breakfast 'American style' we headed for our first flying site: Lookout at Golden.

'Breakfast in America' (Stacy / Andy)

Golden/ LookoutMtn

Lookout: launch

I could make 2 flights a Lookout: the first lasting about 20', as we have been a bit too early. The launch is hike-up from the road in the picture (a good 20' for me). Andy drove the car back down, so Stacy could also make a flight.

My 2nd flight lasted 1h20' - but could have been extended at will; nice thermals, though landing has been quite tricky due to thermal activity. Andy had a problem with his harness, so he tried to topland. We didn't know this so we assumed he was attempting this just for fun and the camera ;-)

Andy trying to topland (due to a problem with his harness)...

After these 2 flights we did some shopping and I finally got my AT&T SIM-card. When I wanted to buy the SIM yesterday, I had been told that my iPhone 5s wouldn't work anymore in the AT&T network :-(  To get a replacement -which wasn't locked- proved to be a bit of a problem, as most shops (except the Apple store) are selling iPhone only together with 'a plan' (and thus locked)...

Granger, a contact Stacy has in Boulder, had suggested we'd come up for a possible evening 'glass off' flight. Conditions would have been good, but we arrived a bit too late on launch (again a hike-to site), so all three of us had just a sledder (not even 'extended') - Granger took the car back down - thanks!

Actually Granger had started paragliding 34 years ago in Vaduz/ Triesenberg...

I have been the last to launch, just as the wind was about to turn catabatic: I don't think that with another wind than my Leeloo I would have attempted to make the launch in these conditions. At the LZ, the wind direction was cleary catabatic...

Boulder

Boulder LZ

The LZ in Boulder (the right part of the nice green field in the picture) is on of the nicest LZs I know: very large, obstacle free and a lawn like a fairway on a golf course.

After more shopping (ingredients for my breakfast) we had dinner and then drove back to our Motel at Lakewood. Here Stacy could contact Jeff, who suggested to come down next morning for a possible flight off Mt.Princton...

US'22 (29.8.) - Travel

Monday: finally the 'great day' - departing together with Andy for DEN (CO) :-))

Due to a traffic jam on the highway to the airport, Andy got there rather late; I had been more lucky, as we didn't take the highway, but drove via Effretikon-Nürensdorf-Kloten... The EDW Airbus A340 departed with a small delay (due to heavy traffic over Europe), but after a pretty smooth and uneventful flight we arrived at DEN just aboit 10 minutes behind schedule, where Stacy has been waiting for us.

ready for departure: LSZH Rwy16 - A320 landing on RWY14

Climb-out over LSZH/ ZRH: below Dock E, where we had boarded.

somewhere over Canada...

KDEN/ DEN

actual route flown...

about to touch down after 10h20'

US'22 - 'the plan'

Presently I'm in the final stages of planning 'my' trip to the US :-)) 

I'll be leaving home on 29.8. together with my good friend Andy; flying Edelweiss (EDW) from ZRH non-stop to DEN. In Denver our friend and guide Stacy (at least for the first 12 days) should be waiting to pick us up... Other guides we'll be Aaron and Mike. The plan has been set up in such a way, that we'll avoid being in Richfield (UT) during the 'Red Rocks Wide Open' as well as the annual Red Rocks Fall Fly-in. That is also the reason, why Stacy is unable to guide us for the whole trip from DEN to LAS, as he is heavily involved in these events, especially in the Red Rocks Fall Fly-in.

But we'll also try to attend a fly-in, but with much less pilots than the Red Rocks Fall Fly-in: 'High Lonesome Fly-in' near Glennwood (CO), which is held for the first time this year.

Details in pix below

'the plan'

Andy will be staying 4 weeks with me before flying home on 27.9. LAS - ZRH, again with EDW.

From LAS I'm intending to continue to California; first Owens valley, where I'll be guided by Kari Castle, then to Southern California (no detailed plans yet...), before flying home on 7./ 8.10: LAX - ZRH with Swiss (LX).

We are lucky that connections from/ to Switzerland can all be made by non-stop flights, thus avoiding the hassle of transfers and possible delays/ loss of luggage.

DK - Ground handling with Mike Küng - Day 5 / 6; returning home

More of the same ;-) 

Thursday: light to moderate winds: Mike showed us 'his' technique for reverse launching with brakes in hand. Until now we had trained (reverse) launching with 'no brakes' and then taking the brakes while turning around, controlling the wing until that point with the c-raisers only.

Pix by Dirk Kuensch

Although on the last day (Friday, 12.2.) the wind was predicted to be very weak, but Mike had found a beach -near Skagen/ Grenen (the northern most 'corner' of DK)- where until noon there was some wind (but almost parallel to the coast). But there was also an abandoned house Mike used to play with...

Baldur

Stefan

going up....

and down...

All in all it has been a very interesting, but also intense week - much 'better' than I had expected! I really can recommend this trainings by Mike; even if you don't intend to climb roofs, chimneys or soar quai walls etc. It would help you improve controlling the wing in 'difficult' conditions.

There would also be a second step, called 'experts training', for those who have attended this 'basic' course. I also think, that the prices he's asking for his courses are really fair -  2022: 1 course 590EUR/ both courses 540EUR/ each.

Sat/ Sun/ Mon driving back home - stopping at Essen (DE) for a day. The next 2 weeks I'll be busy preparing my trip to the US (29.8. - 8.10.) together with my friend Andy :-))