Ahhh...

First, I didn't do very well in the competition today. I landed just a few kilometers into the start circle. (No one completed the entire task.) Second, I had one the most enjoyable flights since I arrived in Australia!
We flew off Mount Emu today. It was like flying a king-size West Rutland, VT. Davis hired a 4wd taxi that took us up the road to the top. The road is much better than the road up Jake's but it still had some rough spots. The Swiss team blew out a tire and the Red Bull car broke something underneath and lost all its oil on the road. Sound familar? The launch was a slot in the trees. The temperature was cool. The wind was light and cross, sometimes even blowing over the back. The sky was quickly filling with cirrus and the few existing cummies were drying up. Tom was like a kid in a candy store. I just couldn't wait to launch.
I spent most of the flight below the ridge working little bits of lift, sometimes in the lee sides of spines along the ridge. (Just like behind the ski area at Mount Ascutney back home). I was having too much fun to notice that a gaggle formed and climbed to 7000 feet. Oh well, I was having a good time down low. It was fun looking at the trees and birds as I flew over or beside them. I flew below the ridge line barely popping over spines as I moved along upwind. Its really clear to me now that I truly am a mountain pilot at heart. I am already looking forward to flying again tomorrow.