Lookout 5-9-10

Hungry to fly the T2C I headed to Lookout this afternoon. JY, Steve, Dean, Mark, and Grant along with a hand full of paragliders were waiting patiently for the cycles to get stronger. JY, Steve, Mark, and Dean were the first to launch. JY nailed his launch timing with a perfect cycle and skied out. Steve, Mark and Dean followed along with a few paragliders. Grant launched next and scratched along the road. It didn't look inviting. I waited looking for the next thermal. There aren't enough leaves on the bushes yet to see thermals drifting up the hill. The best sign of one approaching locally (other than smelling hops from the Coors factory) is a lull in the wind. As the thermal approaches it blocks the easterly wind flowing up the slope. The trick is to launch just before it hits the hill.

The Launch Cue

Dean Avoiding a Launch Hazard

Instead of reading the wind I just launched thinking I could scratch in light ridge lift until something came through. I was wrong, there was no organized lift and soon I was very low. Low enough that I'd be on the ground with a few more turns. Then just as I was setting up my approach I felt something. It was over highway 93, but I had enough altitude to make the LZ if I needed too.

After a few turns I hooked it. It was a typical high pressure Colorado day with tight, narrow bubbles of lift. I managed to work my way from about 300' over the LZ to 7900'. The thermal drifted west into Clear Creek Canyon and soon I was joined by Grant in his U2. I normally don't like to venture deep into Clear Creek Canyon, but the lift was solid and the T2C's space ship glide ratio heightened my confidence that I could get back out front.

At 8000' Over Clear Creek Canyon

Grant and Sunday Drivers Below

Highway 6 Tunnel #1

The lift seemed to peter out at 8000'. I pulled on VG and headed for the towers where I could see Matt climbing. It was a huge mistake, I hit massive sink was down to 6800' by the time I got there. Today was a day when patience pays off and I acted impatiently. I should have hung out and conserved my altitude. If I could have punched through to 9000 it would have been easy to stay up. Steve, JY, and Matt seemed to be boating around enjoying themselves while the rest of us were in survival mode below.

I scratched on the hills just south of the towers until I had to leave to clear some high tension power lines to make the Miner's Field LZ. I set up an approach to the south on what looked like a slight incline. It was drama free until I noticed a beach ball sized rock hidden in the grass. It was going to flare right on top of it and couldn't take a chance damaging the glider. Somehow I managed to flare early and straddle it with my feet. The glider and I cleared it except for my angle, which grazed the side.

The Rock Hiding in the Grass

(I haven't moved my glider, this is exactly how I touched down!)

Just Grazed It

(Now it's the size of a golfball)

10 Feet Further and It Would be Downhill

My ankle is sore, but at least my carbon fiber control bar is unscathed. Skin and muscle heals, carbon fiber doesn't!

Wildflowers