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Saturday, 2/23/2002
Skyport to La Cumbre Peak, to El Carro Park (home / Carp)
Bonanza

Sort of a want a be post frontal, without the lapse rate or lower level wind.  Weak early SE eddy down lower and light NW above the cover.  They were calling for 20 knots at 6K in the afternoon.   Thought it best to start early to beat potential NW wind, but without a good lapse rate (50F at 6K and 70ish on the surface), we needed to wait for it to heat up a bit.  The weak lift resulted in limited sink for better than average glides.  Slow going with some marginal connections.  I heard the wind came through latter on launch, but it was light on course through touchdown.

Caught a ride with Brendan, and Frank volunteered for crew.  Airborne about 10:40.  Slow steady climb over launch to 36.  West bound from the R&R for La Cumbre Peak with 38+, committed on the deep route.  Came in lower than the Saddle with 32 (800 below The Peak), but scratched up a couple hundred on a spine just east of the saddle.  Jumped over to the SE spine coming off Saddle Point, and rode the draw up to the point.  Centered up for a few hundred and ran back for the face.  Figure eight uphill in the boundary layer convection and found a thermal near the top for a climb to 42+ over The Peak.

Backtrack eastbound, chasing Kristi.  Arrived mid gaggle at The R&R, spotted the strongest climber, centered up, and went to the top.  Worked weak stuff under Kristi at The Factory, tracking up to the high ground.  Brendan found a better core out front and outpaced us to better altitude, but my position was ok for a connection to Shadow Peak, so I went with 37ish.  Picked up a couple hundred and moved over to Montecito.  Tracked up the spine and across the back.  Wanting 32 for the run to Ramero, but could only muster 28 on the second pulse.

The west side of Ramero required patience, and took a good 10 minutes to climb from mid spine up to the west point.  Got a couple hundred over and took the usual route along the ridge to Mid Tit and across for an intercept below The Road Cut.  Tracked up the spine to 32 and headed across on the deep route.  Skipped the first point and came in low, well below Skinny Spine.  It was working as usual and I scratched up and moved over to Castle Peak.  Left 100 below, took a hundred off The Bounce, and worked over to Mid Peak.  Figure 8 up to the top, and climb a couple hundred over.  The altitudes were getting better and I topped just under 4K at the last point along Castle Ridge.

Tried the glide to The West Point of Power Line Ridge (behind Snowball), and came in at the lowest trigger on the spine.  No luck and nothing in the bank to hang on with, so down the spine on the flush.  Cleared Snowball with a hundred and got to El Carro Park just under a K.  Sweet landing a little before 1.  Gear stowed at home by 1:15.

Brendan got antsy and tried the glide from Montecito to Ramero without enough.  Kristi did well also, with a number of marginal connections and impressive scratching.  She left from Castle Ridge to check out Shotgun Field.

SD