Ellenville

As the National Weather Service promised, we had our first dry day in weeks on Saturday.  However, it was seriously blown-out so no flying.  Sunday's forecast was almost identical to Saturday's.  It was time for drastic action.

The wind would be mellower to our southwest, so the choices were Brace or Ellenville.  Brace implied a 6+ hour roundtrip drive, a 1 hour hike into launch, and maybe a bit too much wind.  Ellenville meant 8+ hours in the truck and maybe the wind being too cross.  I wasn't the only desperate pilot seeking their fix and, unlike most times, the group didn't arrive at a single decision.  Greg H and Dennis C decided to stay home and watch flying videos or something similar.  Jeff C and JJ decided to take their lightweight gliders to Brace.  Nick C, Rodger F, and I chose Ellenville.

Dave Hopkins was circling below launch as we pulled into the LZ.  We chatted with Toni Covelli, paid dues, signed waivers and threw Keith on before heading up.  Only a faint breeze blew across launch when we arrived and the enticing cummie fields we drove under most of the morning were replaced with thin cirrus.  Although conditions weren't epic, I wasted little time and started rigging; I was starving for airtime and even a sledder would taste good.

Several paraglider pilots launched and one managed to climb above launch while I was stuffing battens.  While Tom Galvin was standing at launch he announce Dave was topping out around 5000 feet (1500m) in slow climbs and was on the other side of the river valley.  I had just finished rigging when JJ called from the launch at Brace.  We agreed to use the same radio frequency so we could chat in the air.

Nick

Paul

The wind was very light when I walked onto launch.  Paul Voight, who stepped into line behind me, jokingly said he was pushing and, by the way, everyone is sinking out!  I watched the early birds settle down to launch level and then into the LZ.  Kari Castle took advantage of shade under my glider as I waited for something inviting on launch.  I joked about roots growing out of my feet, but it wasn't too long before the streamers started blowing in and I ran off.

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I struggled at launch height for awhile and thought I was headed for the LZ when I ventured to the north and found nothing.  I ran back below launch, found a squirmy thermal in a gully to the south, and eventually started climbing.  Nick stepped in front of Paul and was next off.  Paul quickly followed and the three of us climbed up and back to the rocks on the ridge behind launch.  We bounced into a small inversion or wind-shear around 1100m (3600 feet) and headed back for something better.

A slow stream of pilots started running off launch as I played around about 300m (1000 feet) higher.  I shared a couple more climbs with Paul and really enjoyed a climb Paul found over houses back up the hillside.   I spent the rest of the afternoon sightseeing, chasing birds, taking pictures, checking out the XC routes over the back, and generally sucking up airtime.  I flew over the town of Ellenville, New York, the airfield, and the prisons to the north.  I flew to the cloud fields further north and had to fight the urge to abandon the valley when I was 2000m (6500 feet) over the back plateau looking at all the big fields between me and the Hudson River and beyond.

Meanwhile Nick managed a low save after getting down to 150m (500 feet) about the LZ.  Rodger wasn't as lucky and was on the ground much sooner than he wanted to be.  He wasn't alone.  Getting up was harder than staying up.  Whenever I'd return to the launch area I would see pilots low on the ridge or going into the LZ.

The day continued to get better and the lift more predictable.  I shared a nice climb with a couple paraglider pilots over launch, including Kari and her tandem passenger.  It was fun waving to everyone and flying hands-off at times.  We topped out and I took another long glide to the north without stopping for a single climb.  I squandered my good fortune and got low north of the prison where the ridge flattens out.  I tip-toed back to the airport and then found a smoothie over the town that took me up to a wispy cloud.

Rodger announced on the radio he was in the LZ with the car which meant it was time for me to land so we could start our long drive home.  I chatted briefly with JJ at Brace, cruised around the far side of the valley, buzzed back across to launch, blew off altitude flying fast and close along the ridge, and then came into land.

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I quickly packed up and we headed home.  It was a long drive back; longer for some than others.  ;-)  The winds at Brace were cross most of the day and Jeff, JJ, and most other pilots there had short extended sledders.  I don't know how the flying videos worked out.

(Check out the other launches and landings that spacevampire posted on YouTube.)

Flights: 1, Duration: 2:36