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8/12/2001

Pine NS, 2 Flights
Flt 6 To Yellow Jacket Trail
Flt 7 to Ojai (Boucallis)

The lapse rate looked good on paper, but the clouds were off to the distant east. Tony and Carolyn were game and we got to the South Launch about 10:30.  It was steady otb.  Hoping for a thermal block, we waited till 11:30.  The north cycles were getting stronger so we dropped back down to the Upper North Launch.  I was airborne about Noon, and Tony went down to the old 5,500.

The conditions were weak.  Not much wind and slow climbs.  Got to 66 twice and pushed uphill.  Couldn't hold the spine below the camp ground.  Got stuck on the front knob about 55 hundred for 20 minutes.  A thermal finally came through and I followed it back to the ridge.  Topped about 73 on the second pulse.  Thought about pushing further uphill, but took it OTB.  Angled toward the spine below the South Launch Knob, and found some week lift on the east end of Half Moon Meadow.  Climbed back from 54 to 56 and ran down wind to the hill in front of Rayes.  Got up to 58 and searched SE in the saddle behind the hills at the west end of The Gorge.  Found the convergence and stayed with the week stuff.

The lift got better above 6K and I finally got to 85.  The drift was from the SW and I followed the seam back to Haddock.  Hit a strong smooth core on the west end coming out of the big bowl.  Took it to 11,700, drifting OTB toward Deep Chute Peak.  Kept the line on the glide and did ok across The Chute, but lost it on the way across the back rim toward Guillermo.  Got' a find a better way.  The back rim route always looks good, but almost never works.

Not much wind above, but some west down lower as I came over the meadow.  Hit a couple of small cores short of the peak, but rather than taking them OTB I got on the speed bar and pressed for the peak, and fell out the front.  I didn't want to hike, so I did a 270 and bailed OTB from about 300 over ridge line without a ticket.  Got an ok glide downwind and hit some small surgy stuff that wouldn't work all the way around.  Thought it was drawing toward the SE so I tried fishing back to the south, but the big thermal was letting off to the east.  Redirected too late and got boxed in low in the back of Yellow Jacket Trail.  Land about 1:45

Tony went down on 33 and was hot on chase.  He pulled up with Carolyn just as I was zipping the bag closed after a quick pack up.  The day was young, so we voted to head back the way we came and give it another look.  There were HG pilots, maybe 10, launching NS.  We pulled up and I was airborne again before 3.

Nice time of day, on a nice clear day.  Good air.  Easy glide over to the spine, gaining all the way.  Up to the low 7s and pressed up hill a couple more spines.  Couldn't hold the high spine, and fell all the way back to launch.  Pilots were getting as high as 85, but Tony & Carolyn were enroute to Bocullies, so I needed to hurry up.  Went OTB from the 1st spine with 73.  About a half a dozen Hangies reported the bounce off Ortega Ridge, and I got the same.  Topped about 86 on the drift, south of Tulle Creek.

Got to Bucollies with 35 and hung out.  Tony and Carolyn had ordered lunch, so I wanted to land close, but the owner had asked me not to land in the parking lot any more.  Too many power lines on the street, so I opted for the dirt road running through the orange grove across the street on the south side of 150.  Good landing at 4:20 clear of the trees (don't think I'd do it again, too tight).  Pick up and 90 seconds to the table.  Lunch was being served as I sat down.