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Flight Articles from the Weekend of Sat 7/15 & Sun 7/16 (in order of posting time stamp)
Sat [OJ] [Hammer] [Andy Palmer] [Tom P] [BobA]

Bob Anderson (aka yna / Cougie / BobA)
Saturday, 7/15/06
Pine to Mojave

I had a great time flying last Saturday from Pine.  Went OTB at 9,800, and found light lift at 7,500 just past the Ranch, in the Badlands, over the sand wash that snakes up to the 50/50.  Turned toward the Pink hills out in front of Pinos, flew thru lift below a developing cloud on my way to the base, arc’d back to just North of the Boys Camp… and from 8500 beamed out to cloudbase at 15k !…

Flew on to Frazier as Hammer left from under a perfectly developed cloud, and proceeded to fumble around until back to cloudbase… marveled at the Red and Yellow paraglider (Robb?) checking the tree tops, from NW to towers, back out around to the East… eventually, DD, LJ, and Jaw were all there looking for that sweet spot before heading East.

I milked the far side of Frazier for lift before turning to the Cement Factory.  Came in over Jaw to find nothing.  Started angling South toward East side of NeeNatch… A long long glide away from Frazier, I found some meth lab/junk yard lift.  Milked it forever between 5 and 5,400… joined up with LJ and a hawk... LJ came in from the SW Libre's route… the hawk just coming up from the fumes, circling down wind, right on thru… we stayed and drifted.

The drift arc’d us back to the NE over Willow Springs Race track in burbles here and there… then connected buttes like dots to Silver Queen Mine where SW wind was converging with NW wind to create a strong ridge lift like thermal, took it to above 9k before getting spit out in acro fashion… headed for Mojave only to be rewarded with severe sink of 2,300 fpm down and washing machine winds… flailing along I dived on Hwy 14, holding up to let a plane take off from the airport, passed on lift near the runway, then zeroed in on a big LZ a couple miles outside of town with winds out of the NW at 12-15.

After landing, a helicopter came by low to check me out then followed LJ East down the road… joined the gang in the van for a cold one less than an hour later just after getting bit by ants sitting in the shade of bush alongside the road.  Thanks to Carol for driving, DD for scoring a driver, LJs van abuse, Hammer’s call, Pokie’s Sacrificial Lamb flight to Dry Canyon, Jaw’s Fantasy Island tales, and Eddie for taking my rig to Ventura !