Jake, Peter J, Rodger, and I started the weekend early with flights from
Mount Ascutney on Friday afternoon. Conflicting weather forecasts and the possibility of sled rides or not launching at all probably kept everyone else away. The forecasts ranged from very little lift to serious overdevelopment and from light northwest winds to strong north winds. The wind forecast concerned me most since the launch on Mount Ascutney faces northwest and a strong north wind makes launching a challenge. Ryan volunteered to pick us up if we could escape from the mountain.
After surviving the hike into launch we were greeted with a promising, but unusual sky. There were cumulus clouds but instead forming the usual round tops they were spreading out over large areas after hitting an inversion around 10000 feet (3050 m). This produced a sky filled with widely scattered "cloud platters on cumulus pedestals".
Jake volunteered to go first. He waited for a break in the north cross and punched into the air with his usual great launch. I scrambled up the rock to quickly join him but the wind was blowing directly across launch. While I waited for my opening, Jake flew down across the northwest face to the ski area that faces north. He searched for lift getting quite low before finding a weak climb. I lost track of him while I waited for my invitation from the launch gods. I asked where Jake was when the wind appeared to be switching in my favor and was told he was over the LZ. What? Crap.
I finally got a light northwest cycle and ran into the air. Like Jake before me, I flew down across the northwest face encountering mechanical turbulence, but nothing worth turning in. I continued on across the north facing ski area. Again, nothing. With my LZ getting dangerously far away, I pushed on around into the northeast bowl. I decided to ignore the useable but unfriendly fields below as I kept going. I finally stumbled into a stream of warm air rising up the far side of the northeast face and started a slow climb. I radioed I was climbing, but Peter and Rodger were not impressed and stayed put.
I was very happy when I could see the top of the ski lift and then the top of the mountain. I relayed my climb rate and position to Peter, who was waiting for his own invitation from the wind gods on launch. I slowly playing in thermals flowing up the northeast bowl. I watched Peter launch and find a climb on the northwest side before hopping over the top of the ski area to the northeast bowl.
We watched Rodger sit on launch as we climbed to base as one of the large cloud complexes formed overhead.
While Rodger, and later Dan, sledded, we had a sweet joy ride at or above cloud base on our way south to
Springfield.
I flew out ahead to mark a climb near the Springfield airport. (My glider has a much better glide than Peter's so I took the risks hunting for climbs).
I had a tough decision to make after topping out with Peter near Springfield. The best clouds were further to the west where the LZs were further apart and Peter would be at a disadvantage with his glider. Instead of diving over the higher ground, we shifted east towards the wispy clouds along the Connecticut River valley and its plentiful LZs. We found a couple thermal-wanna-bes but nothing substantial. I pushed on towards Bellows Falls towards an aging complex that offered up one more climb. Peter was too low to reach my climb and landed along the river in a huge mowed hay field. I climbed to around 5000 feet and started a long smooth glide to
Putney.
Aside from the small helicopter that was crossing the southern end of my chosen LZ, I had a landing fit for a Vermont travel brochure. I banked over the Connecticut River, flew along the edge of a verdant corn field, flew a long final beside a railroad track and landed in still air at the entrance to a recently mowed alfalfa field across from a red barn with a white silo.
I had pleasant conversations with several neighbors and admired the wild flowers while I waited for Ryan.
Jake, Peter, Rodger, Ryan, and I enjoyed dinner at a typically atypical Vermont eatery. A
Mexican - clam shack combo that featured live contemporary acoustic music on a summer evening.
Pilots remember flights for the quantity, (height, distance, or time), some outstanding event, or for the quality. This flight definitely fits into the last category. Going "all in" to snag the first climb and avoiding the ground, being rewarded with a dreamy flight along cloud base, a long smooth glide over towns and farms, a near perfect landing in a post card setting, and a fun funky dinner filled with flying stories makes this flight a "keeper".
Flights: 1, Duration: 1:55, Distance: 29.8 miles
