Monday, 9/20/04
Skyport to top land at Oat Mountain
Relaunch and fly out to town (Fillmore)
~ 45 miles ~ 4 hours airtime
LFSD Challenge Score ~ 30
Bonanza
First post frontal day in the mountains this season.
I little hesitant to pull the trigger. Debbie started backing down by 9:30, but I was busy trying to catch up on stuff, and I burned a trip to Parma the day before only to see her go back up. Finally realized the block was real, and scrambled to get out the door. Was going to hook up with Carl, but already behind schedule and Carl needed to finish some business. Doc offered to crew, but I didn't want to wait 45 minutes, so up to SB solo. Got Frank on the phone and he was good to go.
Not much wind on the way uphill, and Debbie was calm by the time we got to the Skyport. It was cycling in ok, but it seemed to back off as soon as I got hooked in. Airborne a little before 11:30. Probably could have launched an hour earlier, but it was a little north on glide, so earlier might have been edgy. It was pretty bumpy all around, with drift away from the ridge at ridge line.
42 at the Factory. Low 4s on the east end of Castle ridge. The lift was working better a little out front away from the back ridge, so I angled out the SE spine at the Power Lines. Got back to 4+ on the point, but not much tail wind on the glide to Noon Peak, so I came in low a little out front. Left with 47. Got up from 38 to 43 at West Divide, but was having trouble benching up. Got impatient and looked out the SE spine. Committed to the point, figuring it would work, but it didn't. Too low to get back to the saddle against the light west wind, so I went downwind with 4K for the front rocky points of East Divide (300 lower than my previous low go from West Divide, but hey, the rookies are going lower). Picked up a hundred in the saddle behind Chismahoo and went downwind for White Ledge with 35. Pulled a good glide with some skips on the way and got there low below 3K. Wiggled up to the low SW knob and took a thermal up to 45. Stepped up to the top and climbed to 6+.
Not much wind on the glide. Bumpy and sinky in spots. Boosted up from 36 to 45 at Bump One, and bypassed the Nut House. Pulled a glide to Spine One. Ojai was strong. Needed to hang on. Hit some cores that were over 1,500 / min, pegging the vario. Got to 65ish at Puckers just off the SE corner of the Bluffs.
It was going off behind Santa Paula Peak, with cloudbase maybe 8K or better. Got to 65. I felt like I could work back to the clouds, but opted to play for San Cayetano. Nothing doing, so I missed my chance and came limping into Oat low. Worked up to top land next to Ron Gruell's trailer. No one home, but left a note. 2:45
Off again a little past 3. Mostly ridge lift with thermals mixed in, but they were tracking over the back. Only getting a few hundred over at launch A little more success uphill at the peak, topping about 37. Saw a couple of condors, but they were 3 or 400 feet lower. Had to give back the altitude moving back upwind. Got back to 3K at the south end of the ridge. Less wind toward town, so I was able to dolphin over the front hills. A few thermals, but the trajectory was poor. Continued to dolphin into town. Might have tracked back toward Piru, but it seemed a little flat in the river. Reached the shopping center and landed on the grass next to the gas station. 3:45
Packed up and walked to the bus stop for the 4:15 connection toward Ventura. Will retrieve my car from Franks later.