US'22 (4.10.) - McGee / Flynns

sunrise on Mt.Tom (there is also a launch, but hike-up -1000ft vert)

TUE: my last day here in the Owens Valley with Kari... Today I got up early, so I could watch the sunrise.

Acc to the wx fcst, conditions for McGee should be a bit 'less good' than yesterday. Jonny (our driver for the day and a former HG pilot) met me at my motel for the drive out to Kari's Place on 'Oceanview Rd' (!!). At the LZ for McGee Barry and Eric joined us for the ride to launch.

Eric

Crowley Lake

The flight started pretty much acc fcst, but thermals were harder to center and sharper; TOC also lower. And as forecasted conditions got weaker, so Kari and I landed after about an hour; Barry and Eric fared the same...

Even though the winds on Flynns showed 12-16mph (which would be too strong for me), we decided to drive up - Kari hiked. Just as Jonny and I reached launch, a pilot arrived hiking: Andy from SLC.

Kari launching on Flynns

But it turned out that the winds seemed to be a bit lighter and I coud even reverse launch :-))

Andy went first and hit THE thermal of the afternoon, which allowed him to 'sky-out' - I estimated to around 3000m. Unfortunately neither Kari nor I found a similar thermal.

So this flight concluded 7 days of flying in the Owens: rather unusually we could fly every single day - normally some blown-out days have to be expected. As usual Kari did an excellent job, always finding a site suited to my (launch) abilities. MANY THANKS! It have most enjoyable days, even if I have fallen a couple of times for Kari's jokes ;-)

US'22 (3.10.) - (Mammoth Mtn) / McGee

Mon: Kari had everything organized for a flight from Mammoth Mountain, but -we already have been heading up to Mammoth- she received a SMS, saying that 'private cars' are not allowed to be driven up to launch anymore :-( Originally she had wanted to go there in my SUV, but luckily I had convinced her to take her own car. She had assumed that the road (at Mammoth) still might be good, but accepted my argument, that she really didn't know.

She asked me if I was ok with flying McGee instead. I agreed, but without great enthusiasm, as so far all my previous flights from McGee had just been sledders... While driving towards the LZ, she organized a driver (Eric) which arrived together with Barry. With my car we wouldn't have been able to drive to this launch.

McGee: looking (East) towards Crowley lake - LZ just beyond highway (where it 'disappears' in the pix)

Launch (Barry setting up)

Kari launched first and we could see her climbing on the East side. After a blown launch I got away without problems (thanks to Eric and Barry for helping me set up again!) and was able to find good lift, which took me up to 3000+m: strong, but nice thermals, but sometimes requiring tight turns close to the hill...

Luckily I had agreed to give this site a chance, as conditions have been really great, especially as the aspens also here have started to change colors.

Crowley Lake (at ca 3500m)

I made it back to the 'official' LZ, as Kari had an important appointment and needed to be back in Bishop by 1500. I used the rest of the afternoon to have my clothes washed for the last time during this trip ;-)

It are these flights which sometimes are the nicest, when you are not expecting anything at all before launching and then you are given a really great day :-))

US'22 (2.10.) - Pajute

SUN: once more, the best option for a prolonged flight was driving up to Pajute... Arriving on launch, we met Tim (a pilot from Texas, whom we had seen launching 2 days ago just as we had arrived on launch). He drove his car almost up to launch (to a point where the BAD road turns REALLY BAD), deposited his equipment, drove back down and finally hiked back up to launch (picking up his pack along the way) - cudos!

After a nice reverse (!) launch I tried (as Kari had suggested I might) to fly North. But TOC seemed (even) lower than yesterday (just short 0f 3000m) and thermals much less abundant - probably due to a lower lapse-rate (=Temp.Gradient), so after a short while I turned around... Winds also ahve been less strong, but getting lower, the south push was still prominent, so I landed at the 'official' LZ for Pajute.

Pajute launch (middle of pix)

On the way back into town, we checked-out Chalk Bluffs, but wind speed was just a bit too high for my reverse launch abilities ;-)

new glider ;-)

 (thanks Andy!)

US'22 (1.10.) - Pajute

SAT: originally Kari had thought, that we could possibly fly Mammoth, Manzanar or Walts Point. But unfortunatley for these higher launches the wind fcst has been too strong. So it was again up to Pajute, where the wind came straight in (due West). Between cycles it dropped sufficiently to permit me a good forward launch. Contrary to my other flights here (or at Gunthers) I immediately found a nice thermal, taking me to 600m above launch :-))  TOC - according to Barry has been about 3300m. Barry headed North, I on the other hand wanted to stay in 'known territory' -hoping to reach at least the same LZ as yesterday- and so I flew slowly South. Thermals have been strong, but 'felt' better than the day before.

flying past Gunthers (looking South)

The further South and the lower I came, the influence of the South wind became much greater and finally I had to land about 300m short of the same LZ, where I had landed from yesterday's flight (off Pajute).

Unfortunately no second flight todaydue to increasing South winds :-(

US'22 (30.9.) - Pajute / Flynns

FRI: another cloudless day in the Owens Valley. Options today have been either Gunthers or Pajute, so I choose Pajute. Just as we (Barry, Kari and I) reached the West) launch, we saw a pilot launching from the North-launch: he must have hiked up all the way from the valley floor (at 1300m) to launch (at 2500m) as we didn't see any other vehicle...  As the wind was coming in too much from the left side on the West launch, Kari took us alos to this alternative launch. I was surprised how good the launch area had been cleared of weeds etc.

Barry getting ready on the North launch

North launch (LZ to the right of the green field)

I had to wait a bit for the wind to drop sufficiently to allow me a (fwd) launch, but with some patience and Kari's help I could start my flight without problems. Thermals out front could be easily found, but contrary to the days before I didn't 'like' them too much (sharp edged/ bumpy) so I headed out towards the valley floor. I'm not really sure if it has been the aerology or if I just didn't feel too well this morning: anyway, I landed after about 50 minutes on an irrigated field and could pack my glider in the shadow of a tree :-) 

just as I had finished packing, Kari arrived - perfect timing!

> Unfortunately, due to a problem with the settings of my camera, no usable pictures from this flight :-((

The second flight of this day I could make from Flynns. This is Kari's main site (where she trains her students). Normally it's an 'easy' 20minutes drive to launch, but a heavy rainfall a few weeks ago had damaged the road seriously, so it took us much longer to get there. It will need quite some time and effort to put this access back into a halfway decent 'road'. 

Flynns launch

above launch, looking North

'Triangle' LZ

For once, I managed a really nice reverse launch and could enjoy the smooth conditions for more than 1/2 hour...

Only on Friday (and Saturday) nights, Prime Ribis on the menu of many restaurants; and as this is my last Friday on my trip, I 'had' to take advantage ;-)

But rather unusually, I had to decline dessert...

US'22 (29.9.) -Gunthers / Chalk Bluffs

THUR: Kari brought along Barry and we headed up to Gunthers, as Barry wanted to take down the defective windtalker. Another bad road, a bit longer than the road to Pajute, but not as bad on the tires...

Kari and Barry

Pano on launch looking West

landing near the road in front of the irrigated fields (pix from yesterday's flight)

looking up to launch

Unfortunately my flight today consisted of 40 minutes of 'scratching', as I never got above launch: small thermals not providing enough lift for me. Barry made it up to 3000m and flew towards Bishop, but he reported the same 'problem'...

We then again drove to Chalk Bluffs: today a little more wind and Kari had quite a nice flight.

Kari 

I have not been so lucky, but at least my flight lasted about 3 times as long as the flight yesterday ;-)

Sunset on Chalk Bluffs (upper right corner)

US'22 (28.9.) - Pajute / Chalk Bluffs

WED: first flying day here in the Ownes Valley with my guide Kari Castle. She picked me up at my motel here in Bishop and drove me to 'Pajute' - once more a 'not so nice' dirt road up to a launch: no way you'd do it on a 'normal' SUV ;-)

'road' to launch

It took me a while until I found a good thermal, but then I could climb to almost 4000m; wind at TOC (= Top Of Climb) was pretty strong: South at 29kmh - good for flying XC, but not so good for me ;-)

Pano looking North

landing on the irrigated fields...

Later in the afternoon it looked as some soaring at Chalk Bluffs might be possible. But instead of picking up speed, the wind slowed down and finally turned even to W. As I had already set up and was ready to go, Kari suggested I might as well make a sledder and pack up at the LZ instead of folding up on launch... This has been one of my shortest flights in quite a while (the 'vert' here is only about 220ft/ 70m).

Chalk Bluffs

US'22 (27.9) - visiting Bodie

Originally I had hoped, that Kari Castle, my Guide in the Owens Valley starting Wednesday, would already be available on Tuesday. But unfortunatley she had other plans, so I wanted to use the day for visiting Bodie State Historical Park - something I had put on the 'must - sees' for this trip once I had seen a documentray about this Ghost town at 8400ft/ 2560m North of Mono Lake.

Sunrise at Virginia Creek Settlement

near Bodie

For leaving Bodie I did not use Hwy 270 again, but drove along Bodie Road (via Del Monte Canyon).

'Road' is an euphemism for this -in parts BAD- 4WD track; it's probably the limit what can be driven by an 'ordinary' SUV. After having made it through Del Monte Canyon I think my car would have it probably also made up to the launch at Goodsprings ;-)

Having my InReach along always makes me feel a bit more secure when driving such dirt track (or remote roads), as for most of the time I was driving outside cell phone coverage and this tool would have allowed to get 'help' if worst should have come to worst...

The drive back to Bishop took me again via Mono Lake (Lee Vining)

Mono Lake (Pano looking East)

Tomorrow I shall meet Kari - wx is looking fine (ev still a bit windy on Wednesday)...

US'22 (26.9. - transfer

Originally I had hoped to make eventually a flight from Goodsprings (NV), but with this rental car -altough a 4x4- I didn't want to drive the track to launch. Even though Andy offered to drive/ retrieve, I remember the road as too bad for an 'ordinary' SUV :-(

leaving 'crazy' LAS

So I left LAS, driving N/ NW towards Beatty (passing near Area 51), around the White Mountains to Benton and via Mono Lake (Lee Vining) to Bridgeport: approx 635kms in 9.5hrs. The reason for this trip: on Tuesday I wanted to visit Bodie State Historical Park and my Hotel for the night was just 5 mins drive from Hwy 270, leading to Bodie. 

Apart from a few larger towns (like Beatty), once outside 'greater' LAS,  there have just been minor villages and hamlets along the whole way...

endless stretches of (almost) straight roads/ highways

...Area 51...

...I hope the 'Angels' are in better shape than the sign and the aircraft ;-)

Beatty (which a long time ago could be reached by train)

Mono Lake (Lee Vining)

...waiting for dinner at 'Virginia Creek settlement'

After the 'culinary catastrophy' of Richfield and a slice of pizza at the Luxor in LAS, the restaurant here has been really nice!