If you wait long enough...

Five eager pilots called me as I was heading out to dinner on Tuesday evening wanting to know if I was going flying on Wednesday. I gave each the same answer, “I’ll know after I check the weather in the morning.” I watched a great stretch of weather slip by as I dug out after my trip to the pre-worlds in Big Spring. I still haven’t caught up, but I needed to deliver a suitcase for Rhett Radford and a glider for Jim Scoles (from Ottawa) to Morningside and that gave me a convenient excuse to go flying. It has been tough to forecast the weather this week since cold air is making a comeback as summer retreats. The cool, but not yet dry, Canadian air induces just a little too much instability leading to over-development and spot showers.

Pete and I were about 40 minutes into our drive when we started seeing ugly system-induced clouds to the north. A short time later Dan and Rodger, who were worried about a thick band of clouds they were seeing on the satellite over upstate Vermont and New Hampshire, called and wanted our opinion. I confessed to not having a clue! I’m not sure why, but they decided to continue on from Dan’s place until they were past Concord where they heard about rain at Ascutney from Jake, more thick clouds from Pete and I, and probably saw discouraging skies overhead. They turned around and moments later Greg called to say he was also “out” for the day. I had deliveries to make, so Pete and I continued to “press on”.

We ran into our old friend Brian Boudreau, a curling fanatic from “up north” at Morningside. We tried to ignore the clouds hiding the mountain as we tossed Brian’s gear on board and drove over. We waited around a short time at the base for PK but decided gave up when it started raining, we couldn’t see the top of the mountain, and we couldn’t see blue anymore. After a quick misery-relief stop at the bakery we headed back to Morningside. A short time later PK joined the rest of us in the hanger helping Steve unpack new Falcons. Finally Pete and I decided it was time to give up. We unloaded Brian’s gear and made one last pass through the hanger to say goodbye before heading home.

Well, much to our surprise, the clouds were dissipating before our very eyes when we walked back outside. After watching the clouds for another 10 minutes we decided to go back to the mountain for a late afternoon ridge soaring flight. The sky was mostly blue by the time we hiked to launch and there was just enough wind to ridge soar at times. Hikers on the mountain started congregating as we rigged. I guess we were not the only ones trying to squeeze in another day before summer sneaks away.

A few cummies starting to form upwind and a little wind started blowing into the becalmed launch so I finished suiting up, did a quick hang check, and climbed to launch. The wind was dying by the time I stepped onto the rock so I waited for the “good stuff” to return. I was ready dive off for a certain sled ride when it started blowing in slightly again. I ran off and connected with a weak climb that lifted me above launch. Pete wasn’t far behind and we scraped along the contours of the mountain slowly climbing in weak but widespread lift. Um, this doesn’t suck! It was a lot better than driving home empty handed.

Brian and PK dove out and joined us for a late afternoon romp around the mountain. I connected with a climb that got me high enough to leave, but I came back to spend some “quality time” at the hill. I flew out to meet the clouds out front, but was only rewarded with broken lift that had more sink than lift. I put my tail between my legs and ran back to the mountain for a recharge. I wasn’t sure I would get back up, but managed to jack myself up in small shots of lift that were too small to turn in. I found a steady climb near the observation tower and then moved upwind to connect with a stronger climb PK found. PK headed back out front when the lift diminished but I stayed with the climb until I got to cloud base. Since I rarely retrieve the vehicle I thought I should head to Morningside (about 10 miles away) since someone might land out front and it would be dark before anyone could walk around to a truck. Aside from a few bumps as I exited that climb, I had a glassy smooth glide all the way to Morningside. After all the hurried racing I did in Texas, it was nice to leisurely glide along with almost no wind noise and watch the world go about it business below me. I arrived with enough altitude to circle the flight park, swoop around the silo, see my reflection close-up in the pond, scatter the geese, and land in a mowed field full of white clover.

Marilyn agreed to haul my butt back to the mountain when Pete called to say they landed about the same time I did and that Brian got a ride with the first car that went by so I didn’t even have to drive back to the mountain. After packing up I talked with Rhett, Marilyn, Steve and a stoked family taking tandems flights in the glassy evening air. I don’t know exactly how, but we managed to squeeze airtime out of promising day the “went bad”.