Pine to Ojai

Dean Stratton

Saturday, 8/1305
Pine Mountain x2
NS to Hyw 33
SS to Ojai

That damn North launch is a bit tricky. It can make even the best ground handlers do the Curly Shuffle. As usual I thought I'd break tradition and head upstream....... OOOOOOOPS! The next 10-15 minutes were painful, hanging on to any ridge and high ground I could find. There were a few skid mark moments along the way so I was more than happy to put down next to the 33. Of course, that wasn't the end of my pain.

Seconds after I landed I started seeing things hit the ground all around me, what in the hell was all this? I reached down and picked up the closest one and heard, "Should of gone East Deano". I grabbed another one and it said, "Wouldn't want to be on the ground in this heat, glad I'm up here at 12k". Another said, "Should've gone right, it never works to the left". I picked them up as fast as I could but they were coming down in waves and I couldn't keep up. I was ducking, running for cover and occasionally hurling a few back but that just fueled the fires above and I was getting pounded. My only hope was to submit and wait for it to burn itself out......ouch! The worst part was seeing everyone having fun bouncing between 11-12k while I sat roadside. They were all making sure I was aware of how much fun they were having.... bastards!

It brought me back to when I was 7 or 8 years old and I'd been grounded for a week for lighting fires in the back alley. Christ, I was always getting in trouble. There I was, sitting on the lower step of the front porch, elbows on my knees, both hands supporting a very pouty, droopy chin and staring at the ground. I looked up to see six of my buddies marching right in front of my house and down the street on their way to the playground. As they passed by, with all their baseball gear and bikes, they all looked over laughing, pointing and rubbing it in. Of course, I got most of them in trouble the week before so I probably deserved it. Still, it was killing me! I couldn't help but remember that moment watching all my buddies fly over me.

I was able to get a do-over with the others at the South launch and we ended up having a great flight. Good flights, lots of laughs, drinks at Bodees and dinner at a fish market. And of course... ice cream for dessert.

Another great day at Pine!