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Sundowner's Flight Report, see also [Weather Archive]

Monday, 10/12/2020
Leg 1 ~ 3.9 miles / EJ to the VOR Spine
Leg 2 ~ 4.3 miles / VOR Spine to San Roque landing in the field below the Cater Water Plant
total distance around 1 turn point ~ 8.2 miles
43 minutes airtime, launch at 12:20 and land at 1:03 PDT
UP Meru

Reference: [IGC Text Data File] and [Google Earth KMZ File] or [Ayvri Web Animation] and [JPG Overview]

The day was a little slow to light off with some early flow OTB at EJ but cycles started coming up the front from the SE shortly after our arrival.  Opted to act as a launch assistant and go last.  I don't like suiting up then going into overheat while waiting in line.  Having someone assist spreading canopies and picking sticks out of lines would speed up the queue.  By the time Brian (2nd from last) took his turn the west was pushing through and his canopy repeatedly pointed the wrong direction on pull-up.  I got a lucky cycle and only needed one pull, but once the west flow established we would have been better off launching from West La Cumbre.  Multiple pilots were high at La Cumbre Peak, but it was upwind and a little lee side rocky getting there.  Once I cleared the saddle my anxiety faded during an easy climb up to 6K+, which seemed more than adequate.  The flow was from the west but I opted for an initial westbound leg because I wasn't confident I'd get past Castle Ridge on an eastbound leg.

Nothing worth stopping for at the Alternator and No Name.  Spotted Chris Clontz down lower eastbound from No Name.  I figured it would be a struggle down low, but I thought I'd be able to wiggle back up above the ridge on my return leg so I continued upwind on bar.  Started getting concerned after not fining anything over the VOR Spine, and knew I was really in jeopardy of flushing when I couldn't make anything work at West Bowl.  Reached over for the lower foothills behind Robins hoping that it might work better further east.  Managed a couple of small altitude gains, but between cycles I'd would lose more than I gained

Needed to find someplace to land...  Flown here before, but the options evolve over the years.  Robins was obviously doable, but the down canyon access gate is locked and I didn't want a long hike in the heat.  The hill sides on the road leading into Robins looked doable so I continued on figuring I could use them as plan B if I couldn't find a better plan A.  I've never flown from the Eagle's Nest, but other pilots have so I gave it a look, but it didn't look optimal.  I used to land my HG at the Cater Water Plant, but my HG LZ disappeared with plant expansions years ago.  I've continued to land my PG in the downhill sloping field south of the plant, but they keep building more houses so the field keeps getting smaller.  I've also landed on the road, but the addition of landscaping has removed that option.  There was some west wind higher up, but it was pretty calm down low so I opted to focus and squeeze into the small downhill field (empty housing lot?) alongside San Roque Road.

Utilized the back side of the polar mush mode technique, which can present a stall hazard in textured air but it was smooth on approach.  Eased into a good groove and cleared the uphill house perimeter landscaping on target, but the Meru is a higher performance wing and still wanted to float going downhill, so I had to get deeper in the brakes which didn't leave rotation energy for a flare, so I had to dribble along on touchdown.

It was hot.  Got out of my jacket and took the loose gear to some shade from the house landscaping on the south end of the small field.  Collected the canopy and also brought it under the shade to pack up.  Checked in on Telegram.  Changed into shorts, packed up, and walked downhill around the corner to a mailbox in the shade (so I'd have an address for Uber).  No response on Telegram so I ordered an Uber, which initially said 7 minutes.  Checked telegram a few minutes later and found a PM from Schuyler offering a boost back to Parma.  My Uber ride was now showing 10 minutes out saying they were "completing another trip" so I canceled the Uber.

Met up with Ian, Austin, and Brett at Parma.  We loaded gliders onto Brett's roof and started up but got word that Neil was on is way so we turned around to meet him at  Parma.  Ian and I checked out the West La Cumbre launch.  Conditions looked good but launch was a bit overgrown and scruffy.  We opted to pass but I was inspired enough to return the following day for some cleanup work...

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