I was out of town and wasn't watching the trend, but Saturday seemed to be a bit post frontal with building high pressure.  Sunday was dry, but there was a haze layer that was lower toward Santa Barbara.  The wind aloft forecast was calling for mid level SE.  The midday mid level flow was pretty much as advertised, but I had looked at the overnight report by mistake, so I was expecting less SE wind.

The SE was prominent in places.  Coupled with a good lapse rate in the marine haze, there was some punch.  I needed to stay on my toes most of the day, and took a lot of tip folds.  I was leery of getting behind the ridges, but the best thermals seemed to be out of the wind shadows.  There was lower draw from the west into the gap across 33, and the archive shows mostly west wind on the surface after the day lit off.

Buzzards were soaring low by the HS at the meet time of 9:45, but it took a while to heat up.  The altitudes in Ojai were good midday, with pilots reporting 65 at launch a bit after noon.

Getting established across 33 was a bit marginal, but going through The Pass was pretty easy, with comfortable altitude (above 6K) and an 10 to 12 mph tailwind from the east.  The downwind faded toward SB.  With light base wind there were seams and draws.  I seemed to be able to fish in and out to find a seam with a downwind component at least part of the way across on glides.  The altitude in SB was below the back ridge, but it was working consistently.  The later day air mellowed nicely.

Picked up some west further west, and it was mostly downwind on the east bound leg.  Encountered the midlevel east wind back at Castle Ridge, up behind Castle Peak 4.  The seam extended out front a ways, but down below 25 I got back into the west flow.  The velocity backed off below 500 agl, and I landed into a 5 to 7 onshore flow.

SD