Sunday, 2/29/04
Skyport to The Factory
To the VOR spine
To Boyd's
To Summit School
Distance from the VOR to Landing ~ 37 miles
LFSD Challenge Score ~ 29
4¼ hours
Bantoo / Tandem with Sharon Sweeney
Met up with Chris Paul at McDonalds and caught a ride with the eParaglide.com crew from the SF who were staying at Sharon's. First off about 10:35ish. A little over in the house thermal and up to 41 at the Factory. It looked like lowering cloudbase off to the east, so we opted for a westbound leg first.
Easy going and tagged the VOR spine. A little leery about potential NW through the pass so we didn't push up to the cone or over to Painted Cave. 38 at Westbowl on the way back. It was darker at Cathedral and the Tunnel Tit so we dolphined all the way to the Antenna Farm, coming in a little below. Still weak, but had to get up so we worked the light stuff. Bench back to the Factory and on course eastbound with 39.
Shadow Peak was in the shade and didn't work, but we found it out front a bit. The east spine of Montecito worked to cloudbase, but we flushed from below the Road Cut at Ramero down to the front point. Climbed back up from 21 in a weak thermal and benched back up to the Road Cut. It wasn't working in the back, so we took what we could and went for Castle Point One. Pulled a good glide and got back up over the first point. Transitioned to the back ridge and continued on.
Had a couple of HGs for course markers. Came in a little low at the west end of Power Line Ridge, but the HG pilots had left us a nice one. Took the first thermal at Noon to 5K. Stuck at Divide for awhile, and finally left with 49. Arrived at White Ledge even with the lower SW knob, but it was in marbled shade. Kept reaching east, picking up a hundred here and there, working toward the cow pasture to minimize a potential hike.
29 in the saddle between White Ledge and the cow pasture hills. Considered running for Taft's Valley, but opted to over fly the front hills and avoid the hazard of getting trapped. Got back into the mid 2s on the SE corner of the front hills. Angled back behind Taft's Valley, and reached for the low peaks. Picked up a few hundred here and there and finally let Taft's go in favor of the river. Down to 1800 off the eastern corner of the lowest front ridge at the river, and lucked into a weak thermal that tracked out over the river and back up to 26.
The line seemed to be good. We were over the west edge of the foothills that lead to Spine One with enough to give it a try, but only enough for one play. Opted for the tried and true and angled back for the Nut House. It was weak, but after burning a couple hundred searching around, we finally settled for a weak thermal and climbed up to 3K. 39 at Spine One. Skipped Nordhoff because we didn't like the air, and got into the low 4s at Stooges. Went on glide and Gave Chris Paul a cell call because his radio battery was gone.
Got to Twin Peaks above the top, but proceeded to fizzle. Hadn't ever flushed from Twin Peaks on an eastbound leg, but thought it may be a first. Something finally came through and we left with 45. Nothing at West Repeater, so came in low at East Repeater. Worked up in the ridge and played across for Boyd's. Gained a few hundred in a thermal before getting there. Needed to choose either the high ground or out front looking for a convergence.
Opted for the high ground, but the high clouds were going through a thick phase. Cleared the top on glide, but encounter east wind over the power lines. Hit a big lee side bounce falling back into the bowl, but a little too much for us so we let it go and opted to search out front for a convergence. After burning a few hundred on glide I waffled and turned back for the east spine, which didn't work, and were reaching out again, but 500 lower.
There was a nice cloud over Upper Ojai. Our drift kept switching back and forth from east and west. Tried to follow the seam, but we were too low to connect. Reached across for Summit School and got there with a couple hundred to spare. Landed at 2:50
Marcia Quayle was there with her daughter Cally and Marcia's sister Amy. They just happened to be at the playground. They offered us a ride, but Chris & his dad Tom came along so we opted to get back to Carpinteria with them.
Met back up with the eParaglide.com team at Sharon's. Had a beer and traded stories. They all flew and did well their first day off the Skyport