Logan Walters
Friday, 10/11/2019

EJ to VOR then OTB to Ranger Peak and back to Happy Canyon

Reference: [Logan IGC Data File], Google Earth [Logan KMZ File] & [Chirs KMZ File]
Ayvri [Animation of Logan Only] or [Animation of Chris & Logan]  plus Article by [Chris Garcia]

Logan's Recollection:

The morning forecast looked like a good day to go OTB from SB.  What I look for is east wind that will hold off the ocean air, a good lapse, no high clouds.

On EJ it seemed clear that there was a good amount of wind (gusting near 15mph) from the SE.

Heckman and Neal got good climbs at the Double R and I was thinking I would try and top a climb/ get over 6k at La Cumbre before heading to the back country.  I was unable to find anything to get me over 44 and saw Chris higher at Cathedral.  I decided that maybe going west a bit to see if heading towards Gaviota would be a better option. At VOR we were still not getting super high but its a shorter glide to Sage than across the often windy San Marcos pass so I made the call to go OTB.

Had a nice downwind glide towards Sage and checked the wind talkers at that time. KYZA was showing 3 west and Lake Cachuma showed glassy/light west as well.  I knew the on-shore off-shore convergence was there and was hoping I could reach it/ and that it would not be too torn up at altitude from the stiff Santa Annas.

Got to Sage and Chris was about a 1/4 way across the valley.  He got a nice glide too and came to meet me.  I fished around Sage in some nice climbs and as Chris almost got to top of lift I decided to move to the west and try to find something else he could join me on.  We ran into some really smooth climbs marking the edge of the convergence and they drifted into the convergence (NW).  Chris was a bit lower and started moving NW which surprised me because it heads into a valley system but it was where the convergence was so I thought it was a good enough idea.  I zig-zagged on the glide letting my glider move a lot to find the best line.  I saw Chris run into a nice one so full bar coffin style to race to him.  From there he pushed into the west towards pavement behind the lake.  I was thinking at that altitude I might make Happy Canyon so I pushed on.

Found a nice climb in the valley behind Happy and had to make a tough decision. Leave the convergence and try for Figueroa, or head north away from civilization.  I went towards Fig.

Behind Happy is a large valley that was drawing very hard.  I would find a climb but it would always drift me back to the canyon.  Then I would push west and only get another 1/8 of a mile or so.  I played that game for a while.  Then tried to push on low hoping the ground friction would be easier to make headway with.  A riskier move but I don't mind walking and I trust the Ice Peak won't collapse....

It didn't work so well so I ran tail back to the rocks above Happy.  Got a nice climb that I thought might give me the altitude to reach Chris.  I came up maybe a mile away from his LZ

A nice young guy just getting off work stopped to help me pack and gave me a ride to Chris.  People are so awesome when you get away from the city.

Heckman picked us up and we headed back to Parma.  Not a long flight but very pleasant.  Fun to fly in that much wind.  I would call it a solid training flight.

Logan Walters

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