Wednesday, 4/30/03
Skyport > Cathedral > past Fillmore
about 50 miles from Cathedral to Touchdown
4 hours
Bonanza
Sharon offered to drop me at Parma about 9 on her way to work, but I opted to wait for Diablo because it needed awhile to block. On launch with Edward for crew about 9:45. It was coming up from the SE at The Rock and The Bypass, but the Skyport was still OTB about 5 to10 mph, and Debbie was still gusting to 20. It was starting to block by 10, and steady up by 10:20. I wasn't feeling up to speed, so I opted not to battle the north, and waited till 10:35 to punch off.
Got to 45 at the R&R. Wanted to go to the Peak for a turn point, but there was too much north wind toward the NW. Went for Cathedral instead, and had good drift from the north down to 35 hundred. Did the turnpoint, and back the Tunnel Tit. Diablo was climbing at The Factory. The Tit was week, and the lower level drift was from the SE. There was a nice cloud over the Holy Hills about 4K, but I had gotten to 45 over the R&R earlier, so I opted to try uphill, expecting to get above the east component. Was able to step up to the R&R, but didn't get above 33. I didn't want to spend 15 minutes trying to save 5, so I headed on and dealt with the SE headwind.
Topped about 200 feet below Diablo on his ATOS over The Factory, and left eastbound about 30 seconds behind him. Needless to say, he smoked me on the glide. Diablo was taking his time to get the extra cushion altitude because he wanted to keep ATOS LZs within reach. I was willing to go lower and could be more selective on what I stopped for. It was fun matching the advantages of each craft. I could work the smaller cores, and was stopping more frequently for fewer turns in the stronger lift. Diablo was climbing higher in each thermal and taking longer glides. He would have had a strong advantage against the light headwind if we were getting 500 higher. Caught him at the Ramero Road Cut. Got out in the lead across the saddle, but he could reach my thermals a few hundred above me on glide. At the start of Power Line ridge he was coming in even, and at Noon he came in a hundred below where I left him for good and opened up the lead.
Went to 49 right away over the Trapezoid. Stuck at West Divide for 10 minutes before finally getting to 5+. 56 above east divide, and the same over White Ledge. High 4s over Bump 3. Another boost over Bump 2, and came in over the Nut House with 800 above. Back into the mid 4s over Spine One. There was a controlled burn below The Pyramid. The drift was from the south earlier, but by the time I got there the smoke was drifting from the west. It was hard to breath passing behind the fire, and I was taking on a fair amount of ash. Dolphined all the way over to The Stooges to get out of the smoke.
Didn't like the turb at The Stooges (my bump tolerance is off because my right arm is still weak and sore), so I left with 37. Lucked into a thermal half way to Twin Peaks, and topped a couple hundred above cloudbase at 62. My best altitude for the day. Pulled a glide to the low front points of Puckers. Down to 32 against a SE. Found a strong core over on the east side that got me back up to 39. Ran up hill for another connection. Back up to 55 and over to Santa Paula Ridge.
Came in about mid ridge with 35 and worked up to the top in ridge lift. Once up on the higher ridge I was able to thermal up. Got to 6 over the high point west of Santa Paula Peak. Down to 55 over the Peak, and didn't find a boost. It was north up higher, and SW in the river. Headed SE with the north wind, and picked up the river air for a downwind run to the Fillmore Foothills. Came in ok with 25ish. Found a thermal at 1900, but it wasn't anchoring well, and I wasn't willing to drift too far back. Left it with 26 and crossed the canyon for the "F". Needed speed bar to get there against the SW. Took another core back up to 23, but lost it. Thought I was out the front, so I looked down wind and the day was over.
Had to turn for the river, and get on the bar to get out of the foothills against the south component of the SW. Land at 2:35. Edward was right there and we were mobile back to Upper Ojai for Diablo. Packed up at Summit School while Tony loaded. Tom P. was topping out a Puckers and eventually got to Fillmore. Home about 4:15.
Really enjoyed racing the ATOS, but was disappointed when he fell off the lead. Liked making good time against some light headwind in places, but was disappointed with the fizzle at Fillmore. Perhaps I should have double pulsed over the Fillmore Foothills instead of running when I lost my cores.
We're scheduled to have our baby on Saturday.