Winter Flying Launches

One of my favorite things about hang gliding is that you have to work for it.  In Colorado, you really have to work for it.  It's always a mission involving long hours and lots of miles, 4x4ing, and being a wizard at reading micro scale high altitude mountain weather.  It's been an unseasonably warm few weeks of winter so far this year, meaning the launch road to Villa Grove was still dry and passable.  I missioned the 6 hours roundtrip on Saturday in hopes of squeaking out a flight.  

As I crested Pancha Pass winter was in full effect.  There was no snow on the ground, but the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo mountains were shrouded in a thick cloud layer.  As the ragged cloud base slowly lifted it revealed apparitions of frosted conifers.  The muted brown, green, and grey colors of early winter in the San Louis Valley painted a picture of solitude and isolation, qualities that make the tiny town of Villa Grove a magical place.  It's the kind of place that most people drive by without a passing glance, but those of us who know see it as the gateway to best flying site in Colorado.

On launch patience was key.  Three pilots ahead of me found launch-able cycles and headed off into the thick winter air.  By the time I hooked in it was consistently blowing down, but I found a lull where it was just no wind.  Launch is at about 10,000 feet.  Greg had a simmering cigarette that was putting out great smoke signals.  Everyone was super apprehensive.  I considered their experience and opinions, but also felt confident it was safe and well within my ability.  I channelled my raw desire to fly and used my marginal fitness to power off the 15 foot ramp with ferocity.  There was a minefield of rocks below.  The glider was flying solidly in ground effect by the end of the ramp and the energy trend was going in the right direction.  I held it in ground effect extra long for good measure and pulled up with grace to launch height.  Even my ragged out T2C is an energy machine!  It was more intense than a cliff launch, but incredibly fulfilling.  There was no lift, but I made it to the landing X at Larry's house with 400 feet to spare.  I enjoyed a few wing overs and set up a high energy approach, turning base at wind sock height.  I had a bit too much VG and had to drag a foot to get down to flaring speed - cold toes on hard rocks = ouch!  I flared a tad early, but better too early than late when landing above 8000 feet!

Winter Launches

Winter Hang Gliding Launches Villa Grove from Cloudbase Imaging on Vimeo.

Hang Gliding in Yosemite Remix

My dream has always been to fly.  For me hang gliding has been the most pure expression of that dream -- the most pure expression of the art of flight.

I belong to a tribe of people who live the collective dreams of generations.  The dream has persisted for centuries and millennia.  The dream to fly is as old as humankind.  The wing I fly has directly evolved its shape and form from the imagination and persistence of those who have dreamt before me.  It shares the same aerodynamic DNA as the one that Francis Rogallo designed to recover the Gemini Space Capsule.  The one that the Wright Brothers limped off of the windswept dunes of Kittyhawk.  The one that Otto Lilienthal sprinted down the rolling hills of Rhinow region in the Northeast of Germany.   The one etched into history from the imagination of the original renaissance man himself, Leonardo Da Vinci.  That fact that I live in a time when I can casually rock up to a launch and fly off, repeatedly and safely, then fly for hours and hundreds of miles is not lost on me.  I live the dream on the shoulders of those who came before me.  Their spirit fuels my pursuit of the art of flight.

The art of flight, however, does not come without work.  Two years ago I drove 36 hours and 2218 miles for 18 minutes of flying.  It was worth every minute!  Check it out.

Hang Gliding Yosemite Remix from Cloudbase Imaging on Vimeo.

You can also see this journey through 100 pics here:

Yosemite and Back in 100 Pics

Mary's Gash, Mineral Bottom Hang Gliding Cliff Launch with Base Jumpers

The pursuit of human flight has been a path forged in dreams and cemented in blood.  If not for the greats, Da Vinci, Lilienthal, and Rogallo to name a few, chance happenings like the one below would continue to exist only in dreams.  The fact that I live in an age where I can safely and repeatedly drive to a launch and experience flight in its most organic form is not lost on me.  It is exactly why when I had the opportunity to work with photographer Krystle Wright I didn't hesitate to drive 14 hours roundtrip for less than 5 minutes of flying.  The resulting image below, an instant in time artfully captured forever, is the realization of that dream.  Read on for the full story.

Photo Courtesy of Krystle Wright

Mineral Bottom cliff launches have long been a staple of autumn for OB, Dr. West, and myself.  Last year I had to opportunity to huck off Mary's Gash over Mineral Bottom for outdoor photographer extraordinaire Krystle Wright.  Krystle and I had been talking through the internet for months, but finally converged in Moab last October.  That's no small task considering Krystle hops continents more often than most people leave their hometown.

For me it was a typical speed run to make it to Moab in time for a sunset cliff launch.  I met Krystle at the giant conestoga wagon north of town and we headed west into the desert.  The first day of shooting was hampered by a persistent cirrus layer that flattened the light, muting the red rock walls of the basin.  We set up on opposite sides of the canyon and, quite comically, coordinated the launch by yelling at each other.  We were so far apart that our echos took over a second to reverberate.  Only the piercing quiet of the desert would allow such analog communication.  Our hope was that the sun would peak below the cloud layer on its way to the horizon and ignite a short explosion of golden-hour colors, but sadly our patience was not rewarded.

A Roadside Toyota Camry Rendition of Lightning McQueen

The Mystery Machine

Mary's Gash and Mineral Bottom

After it became apparent the sun was not going to break through the clouds I launched.  It was the first no stepper cliff launch I've done in the Wills Wing T2C.  It handled the fully-stalled exit beautifully. I kept the initial dive shallow which allowed an extended tour of the valley.  Good lighting or not, launching Mineral Bottom is a spiritual experience.  After a superb flight I touched down on the soft sand of the flood plain with my soul recharged.  Late that night Richard and Kresta met us just in time to enjoy the last embers of our fire.  Late that evening the clouds gave way to brilliant stars that only the high desert can offer.

Cloudy Solo Launch





Launch Photos Courtesy of Krystle Wright

The Sweet Smell of Burning Juniper

We woke up in the dark to stage for a dawn launch.  As first light broke over the red cliffs it was obvious the day would reward us with a good light.  Richard and Kresta were going to exit in their base rigs as I launched so we would all be in the air at the same time.   On Krystle's cue Richard and I planned a staged exit with with Kresta to follow.  I would run off so I could capture Richard exiting just ahead of me.  It went off perfectly, except that my helmet mounted Go Pro died.  That was unfortunate because watching him fall away as I dove off the cliff was a view worth sharing.  After we all exited I was tempted to swoop their canopies, but I didn't want to add any surprises to the mix.  Instead, I swooped the hill on the west side of the LZ then tested my glide to the Green River for a future river swoop.  I never zipped up harness, but with full VG I reached the river with tons of energy to spare.

Dawn Launch
Photos Courtesy of Krystle Wright







Rigged



Richard and Kresta



Launch
Photos Courtesy of Krystle Wright

Screen Shots

Video

After celebratory hugs all around it we headed back up the hill to pack up camp and part ways.  On the drive home I opted to follow the Colorado River through the canyon it carves upstream of town.  The E30 sliced up the varying radius and camber turns with ease.  Even a eighty pounds of dead weight on the roof could not unsettle the original Ultimate Driving Machine.  On the way I scoped the next project.  I had to ford a few creeks on the way, but it looks doable.  I won't hold my breath for the next time four transient souls meet on a random piece of rock in the desert, but when it happens, it'll be worth the wait.

Fording Creeks in the E30

Time Lapse of the Colorado River Canyon

Santa Cruz Flats Race 2012

School has put a serious damper on my blogging activity.  I have one week off between semesters, so I'm going to push through as many posts as I can to catch up, starting with the 2012 Santa Cruz Flats Race.  This vid pretty much sums up the race with random clips and pics from the week.

Hang Gliding, RC's, and Water Balloons

Santa Cruz Flats is a one of the most challenging comps in the US, especially for me.  It's based from the Francisco Grande Hotel in Casa Grande, Arizona.  The start is surrounded by agricultural areas on all sides which makes for areas of soft lift going to and from the big air over the mountains on the far ends of the tasks.  Over the years I've learned that shifting gears between racing and survival mode is key.  In the words of Dave Chapelle on keeping it real, "You've got to pick your spots man."  Patience will generally be rewarded with longer flights, but not as much as staying with the gaggle.  For God's sake, if you are going to press out on your own, you better have a few friends.

In 2012, I did a good job of applying the lessons learned during previous years.  For the most part I ignored my independent tendencies and stay with people as they splintered out of the start into smaller gaggles.  On the one cloudy day or in the mountains where my flying is best, I ventured out on my own with some success and a few failures.  The worst was when I unintentionally jumped the gun on the first start due to setting the incorrect in my vario.  If not for a sever penalty I would have landed with one of the best finishes of my career, but that doesn't consider the slight advantage leaving early gave me.  It was good catching up with all the usual suspects and the inevitable shanigans that followed.  RC's and water balloons were in full effect this year during the down time between flying.  The incredible flying at hang gliding comps is completed only by the people and Santa Cruz in 2012 was no exception.  I'll let the pics tell the rest of the story (except for my Day 7 exploits at the bottom of this post).

Long Ass Drive from CO to AZ

Aspens in the Rockies

 

 RC Stop in Monument Valley

The Francisco Grande

(photos courtesy of Jamie Sheldon)

Pilot's Meeting

(photo courtesy of Jamie Sheldon)

Launch Cues

(photo courtesy of Jamie Sheldon)

Dust Devil on Launch

(photo courtesy of Jamie Sheldon)

The Gaggle from Above

(photo courtesy of Jamie Sheldon)

The Phoenix Flying

(photos courtesy of Jamie Sheldon)

Looking Down on the Resort

Cloudbase

Thermaling with Davis

The Estrella Mountains at the End of the Western Tasks

Picacho Peak

Exhausted After the Longest Task of the Meet

Water Balloons!

(note the sausage)

Bigger

Biggest

This had to be water-birthed as it would not support its own weight!

7 Story Balloon Drop



RC's



Mike Bilik's 3D Heli Flying was Impressive



Day 7 was the most rewarding task of the meet for me. A short triangular task into the mountains south of Casa Grande was called. The second turn point was Kirby Chambliss's private airstrip, which was emblazened with a RedBull logo on the threshold! I got dropped from a large gaggle between the firs and second turn points. I dribbled along flying an off course line over the mountains. That gave me the glide to tag the turn point and dive back into the hills. I was well below the peaks, but found my strongest thermal of the week taking me to above 10,000 feet at max pulse of 1800fpm. From there I glided easily into goal with Glenn Volk. On the way we flew over a course line littered with gliders just outside the finish. It was only the second goal of the week for me, but with a little dumb luck I made it. Great way to end the meet!

Day 7 Task and My Track Log



The Mountains South of Casa Grande





Kirby Chambliss's Private Airstrip and the 2nd Turn Point



Looking Down from 10,000 Feet



Final Glide into Goal







My Retrieve Partners



Robin, OB, and Ben Take Home 1st, 2nd, and 3rd

 

Jim Wins the Rigids



Great Week!