Christmas Greetings

Ho, Ho, Ho, a Merry Christmas to you! We hope that you are looking forward to another wonderful year as much as we are.

The big event this past year was our long-anticipated visit to Nepal in February. After a couple of days in Kathmandu getting acclimated to the most Third World-ish country we have yet visited, our group of paraglider pilots flew to Pokhara where we enjoyed ten days of flying with the Annapurna Range in the near distance as a background. We also camped two nights trekking-style flying during the day and enjoying excellent meals prepared by our Nepali guides. Our final adventure was a three-day tour of Chitwan National Park in the lowlands; we did the whole safari thing including riding an elephant through the jungle and sneaking up on several rhinos. The entire three weeks in Nepal was an amazing experience.

Aside from Nepal, our winter activities were mostly hiking (not much snow in ’10), some XC skiing and snowshoeing and, on very rare occasions, paragliding and (for C.J.) hang gliding. By May we were getting tired of the rain and cold so when we got an invitation to a fly-in down in the Southwest, we loaded up the Aliner and took off for two weeks in the canyonlands of Utah and the Memorial Day flying at Alamogordo, NM. Great scenery, and New Mexico was wonderfully sunny and HOT!

We came home to more chilly rain, giving C.J. lots of time to work on scrapbook pages (both digital and paper), but putting our garden way behind schedule. Meanwhile, George had started (finally) to build cabinets to line the upstairs room. At this point we have about ten feet of the 40-some feet completed.

We escaped the western Washington rain for several short trips to Chelan, and were joined by Ginny and Wally for a week of fun in the sun. We also continued our August tradition of joining C.J.s since-kindergarten girlfriend (who lives in North Carolina) and her family for a few days on the Oregon coast. In October we were in Bend, Oregon for a week of chilly but sunny hiking and kayaking followed by the USHPA board meeting. Winter started early in 2010 with close to a foot of snow on our deck the week of Thanksgiving so we were really glad we'd scheduled a trip to Florida for a Farnsworth get-together in early December. Next up is a camping and flying trip to southern California - we’re hoping for that typical SoCal warm sunshine this time.

On the health front, some good news, some not so good. C.J. seems to be weathering the 60’s well. George, however, was diagnosed with diabetes and is taking some medication, exercising more, and (C.J.) is watching his diet. Fortunately the VA (Dept of Veterans Affairs) has accepted George as a fully covered patient (the Purple Heart medal has finally paid off!) so all the tests and treatment are done at no cost (not to mention the free digital hearing aids he scored). At about the same time, George became eligible for Medicare, so he has that health coverage as well.

If you are really interested in the details about any of our trips or other activities, check out C.J.’s digital scrapbook at http://sturtevantcj.blogspot.com and/or George’s travel blog at http://sturtevantg.blogspot.com. Other photos at picasaweb.google.com/GSturtevant

We hope you and your loved ones are healthy and happy. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays! Write and tell us about your 2010. You can reach us both at georges@nwlink.com.

Rob's Birthday in Florida

1-7 December 2010


Ginny came up with the idea of getting together to celebrate brother Rob's birthday (4 Dec) and thank him for all he's doing to care for Mom Farnsworth. By the time the day rolled around, all siblings but one had gathered in Palm Coast for eating, drinking and sharing memories.

1 Dec, Wed - Patti, bless her heart, let us park our car in her garage and then drove us to SeaTac for our 11:27 United flight. After all the talk about TSA scanning and patdowns, it was a non-event as we went through the same old security as last time we flew in February. Our flight was delayed almost an hour (giving us time to grab a sandwich) but we reached Chicago with plenty of time to make our next flight to Jacksonville (and grab another sandwich) arriving around 22:30. This was the first time we flew with just carry-ons and it worked very well for this short trip to what should have been a warm climate. Hertz had no compact cars and offered us an SUV or a Mustang. We took the bright red convertible just to savor the look on C.J.'s siblings' faces. It was about 80 minutes from the airport to Palm Coast where we checked in to the Best Western. [BTW, car rental and hotel were arranged as a package through Expedia at a very good price. Airfare was covered by our Mastercard "World Points".]

2 Dec, Thu - We slept-in a bit then had breakfast in the hotel lobby - eggs, sausage, and biscuits and gravy as well as cold cereals, waffles, and pastries were available. We picked up a bouquet of flowers and dropped in at the house to say hello to Mom F. and Rob. Later, Ginny stayed with Mom F while we went to lunch at the Golden Lion in Flagler Beach with Rob and Pat, C.J.'s oldest sister.

On the way back we stopped to buy a couple of rakes at Walmart and spent some time clearing most of the leaves and pine needles from the front yard. For dinner we drove to Daytona Beach where Ginny was staying with Pat in one of Pat's timeshare condos on the beach. Mary showed up (a day earlier than expected) and we had an excellent pasta and sausage meal and an interesting conversation until way past our bedtime.

3 Dec, Fri - Somewhere we had heard of a trail that looped down to the Palm Coast Marina and back to the community center. So starting at the Community Center seemed like the logical beginning. We found a brochure there with a map and set off down the median between the lanes of Palm Coast Parkway, along the St. Joe Canal (a fork of the St. Joe Creek we had paddled on a previous trip), and under the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. We stopped at the Tropical Kayaks shop to check on a possible rental for several of us and then continued along Clubhouse Drive back to the Community Center. Later, we gathered at Rob's and left Doreen, the visiting nurse, with Mom while the rest of us went to Hooligans for drinks and a large selection of snackies. Greg showed up from Delaware just as we were about to wind things up, but at least he had time for a beer. Once again we gathered at the condo in Daytona for dinner, this time salmon was on the menu.

4 Dec, Sat - Leaving Mom with Doreen again we all met for breakfast at The Pier in Flagler Beach. Afterward Rob led us to Wickline Park and a nearby boardwalk that extended into a marsh on the Intracoastal Waterway side of the barrier island. The far end of the path had lots of gopher tortoise burrows but we didn't see any of the critters. I did spot a wood stork as well as the ubiquitous egrets and herons. On the way back Greg, C.J. and I walked though the farmers market marveling at the huge avocados. Mary and Pat were off on a quest for fine manicures, but later Mary spent the afternoon preparing for the night's pot roast dinner. C.J. and I were in charge of dessert and bread and found a nice artisan loaf of roasted garlic bread. Dessert was up for debate but we eventually settled on a ice cream cake roll with chocolate cake and mint choc chip ice cream from Baskin Robbins. Dinner was a big success: good food, good company, and Mom seemed to be enjoying herself. We all decided to follow Rob's suggestion and leave as soon as dinner was cleaned up so as not to overtire Mom.

5 Dec, Sun - Ginny and Greg met us at Tropical Kayaks and we paddled up the canal to "Manatee Cove", a pond surrounded by a golf course. We didn't see any manatees but there were lots of birds. Leaving the cove, we paddled east to the Intracoastal Waterway and turned north into a strong wind, not quite strong enough to produce whitecaps. After a few hundred yards we found a sandy beach to pull up on and lazed around in the sun for a while before paddling back to the marina. Greg came back to the hotel with us as he was going to spend the night in order to get an early start home on Monday. Later, we rode over to Rob's with Greg, hung out for a while, then went down to Daytona for another dinner, this time shrimp scampi.

6 Dec, Mon - Greg left early leaving his jeans in the closet while we slept on. Then C.J. and I visited several parks: Herschel King (not much more than a boat launch and playground), Graham Swamp ( which provided a good walk along a forested sand ridge above the mostly drought-dry swamp), and Bulow Plantation State Park. At Bulow we walked the nature trail to the ruins of the sugar mill (photo, left) and springhouse. There is a boat launch and canoes are available to rent ($10/hr, $40 all day) for a paddle on the Bulow Creek canoe trail. We had lunch with Ginny and Rob at The Meeting Place then we took a walk along the Intracoastal Waterway where we spotted three large dolphins. Later we returned to Rob and Mom's for a London broil dinner.

7 Dec, Tues - We got up at 0530 to a dark and cold morning - the temperature was in the low 30's and folks had covered their tender plants and fruit with blankets. By 0630 we were on our way to JAX arriving around 0800 for our 0949 flight to Washington, DC. The TSA must have been having a slow day because both of us were scanned, my waistband was probed, and C.J.'s hands were checked for explosive traces(!). The flight to Dulles was on a commuter plane with just four seats across and we were assigned seats in the Economy Plus forward section since all the Economy seats were taken. Our roll-aboard luggage would not fit in the overhead bins so they were checked at the gate and we picked them up outside the door to the plane at Dulles. We had a very short layover and then were on our way at 1236 arriving in Seattle where it was 20 degrees warmer at 1510 or so. There was not much to see except clouds on the way across the northern US except in a few places that were snow covered. Patti made our day by picking us up at 1600. We were home to our chilly house by 1715.

Pat, Greg, C.J., Rob, and Mary at Wickline Park nature trail, Flagler Beach

Dirty Harry's Balcony

Nov. 4, 2010



After my morning appointment and a stop at the VA COBC (community-based outpatient clinic) for a blood draw to check my PSA (3 month interval), C.J. and I headed out to take advantage of the last of the brief Indian summer. We hiked up at rough trail, more streambed than trail, to "Dirty Harry's Balcony". No, not that Dirty Harry, but some logger who had clearcut the area 40 or 50 years ago. The balcony, a rock outcrop about 1.5 mi and 1200 ft above where we started gave a scenic view of the I-90 corridor toward Snoqualmie Pass. It was pretty late by the time we reached that point and the sun was about to set behind Mt. Washington and the Cascade foothills so the lighting was dramatic. However, it was starting to get a bit chilly especially as the wind was picking up. We managed to get back down the rocky trail before it got too dark to see and home in time for a drink and supper. That was likely the last chance we'll have to start out so late on a hike this year as the daylight savings time ends this weekend.

Central Oregon in the Fall

17-24 October 2010

North Matthieu Lake near McKenzie Pass

17 Oct – After a not-so-early start, we drove over Snoqualmie Pass, got some gas at Safeway in Cle Elum, then filled up at Costco in Union Gap. We arrived at Eagle Crest Resort about 1700 and checked in to the upper floor of a 3-BR condo way down the end of the Falcon Crest cul-de-sac.

Tam McArthur rim panorama

18 Oct – After talking with Steve Roti about weather and activity options, we decided to do the hike to Tam McArthur Rim. We left around 1030 and took the kayak with us in case we wanted to paddle in Three Creek Lake 16 mi south of Sisters. We missed the trailhead and drove to the end of the road in an empty FS campground with a few yurts. Backtracking, we found the trail at the other end of the lake (6500 ft) and started steeply up and around the wall above the lake. Less than a mile along we entered the Sisters Wilderness Area and the grade eased and we passed out of ponderosa pine into limber pine and later through stands of subalpine (?) or noble fir. Our lunch spot was a promontory on Tam McArthus Rim at about 7700 ft, some 2.5 mi and 1.5 hrs from the car. After lunch we explored along the rim a bit farther until the trail started dipping down toward a low point beyond which was a lingering snow bank. We met only a few other hikers on the trail and made good time back to the car. Too tired to consider paddling in the small lake, we headed back to the condo and dinner. Later, we drove to the Eagle Crest Resort lobby and used the wi-fi to pick up email and download other stuff.

19 Oct, Tue – Steve called to let us know that the weather looked marginally better for flying but we were off to get tires for the Outback at Costco and didn’t have our wings in the car anyway. We thought it over and decided to get together for a paddle when Tina got back from a class. After some minor Costco shopping we drove out to the Bend Factory Outlets and I looked for some trail shoes to replace my worn-out pair at Columbia Sportswear. I didn’t find any that fit perfectly, but maybe there will be something at the FM anniversary sale. After getting some cash at BofA, we got gas at Arco (2.819) and had some lunch. We met Tina and Steve at the Powder House parking lot around 1330 and followed them up to Sparks Lake, west of Bachelor Butte. We had the lake to ourselves and paddled along the lava shoreline and up several narrow inlets. In one inlet we could hear the water gurgling as it drained down into the passages that connected Sparks with the next lake downstream. This late in the season the water was very low and we scraped the sandy bottom several times and had to paddle without a rudder some of the time. By 1630 we were reloading the kayaks on the cars ready to head back to town. C.J. and I stopped to pick up some avocados, tomatoes and apricot ale for dinner with the Rotis. Steve also invited Steve and Nona so we had a good crowd for another Tina-prepared feast. We got back to the condo by 2145.

21 Oct, Wed – Another beautiful day with crisp temperatures and bright blue sky. We decided to do another hike and headed for McKenzie Pass and the Matthieu Lakes Trailhead (arrived 1130). There was only one other couple gearing up to do the same hike and we checked with them on the correct trail since we did not have a map. A short segment of trail led to the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and we followed that about 2.5 miles through forest and across some openings on a ridge to South Matthieu Lake. We had lunch on the far side of the little lake then started down the trail past North Matthieu Lake to make a loop. It was only another 2.5 miles along the moderately-sloped trail to the parking lot. Since it was still early, we drove the short distance to McKenzie Pass and found the Dee Wright Observatory, built by the CCC of lava chunks from the lava field it sits above. Some of the windows were arranged to frame the surrounding mountain peaks so we were able to identify some that we weren’t sure of. From there we backtracked down the scenic, old (narrow, no shoulders) highway and stopped in Sisters to look around a bit and buy a postcard. The last item on our agenda for the day was to pick up some groceries, a watch for C.J. and a pair of trail shoes for me, all reduced in price for the Fred Meyer 88^th anniversary sale. After a yummy dinner of zucchini soup we went over to the hotel lobby to download email and do other online chores.

22 Oct, Thu – We met Tina at her house and fastened her light, twelve-ft Current Designs kayak against ours so we could all ride in one vehicle. We drove about 35 miles along the Cascade Lakes highway to Hosmer Lake boat ramp. There were only two other vehicles in the parking lot and we only encountered two other boaters or fishermen during our paddle. We paddled along the perimeter of the open water and through relatively narrow channels between reed beds. Near the northern end of the lake we followed Quinn Creek up to a good pull-out spot just below a low waterfall where we had lunch. The water was a little low in the creek but that was the only place we had to pull up the rudder. It was still pretty early when we returned to the boat ramp so on the way home we stopped at Elk Lake Lodge thinking to get a drink or some ice cream but it was closed (in between seasons, I guess, because it is open in the winter for snowmobilers and skiers). C.J. and Tina decided to sit on the patio in the sun and look at C.J.’s Nepal scrapbook. Back at Tina’s, we had a snack and then took a quick shower before following Steve to McMenamin’s Old St Francis School for the USHPA “icebreaker” at 1800. After schmoozing for an hour-and-a-half, we headed back to the condo for dinner and to meet Bob H who arrived around 2100.

23 Oct, Fri – We spent the day at the USHPA board meeting at the Phoenix Hotel in downtown Bend. First we studied all the nominations for awards and made some notes. Then we took a break and went to “lunch” with Mark Forbes at Goody’s, a candy shop/soda fountain on Wall Street – a sundae for lunch! We got back for our Awards Committee meeting a little late but managed to get all the awards sorted out by about 1500. The only two that really needed any discussion (because there were more than one candidate) were the Paragliding Instructor Of The Year (Benoit Bruneau, Kevin McGinley) and Promotional Video (“Zippy”, “Torrey Pines” by the La Jolla Historical Soc.). The rest of the afternoon we talked to other directors and staff and C.J. typed up the minutes of the meeting. On the way home we stopped at Fred Meyer for some groceries and a new clock for C.J.’s night stand. We also filled up our gas tank there at the unbeatable price of $2.829, and that should get us back to Yakima.

24 Oct, Sat – Again we spent the day at the Phoenix. This time for the General Session – lasted to almost 1800. There were a couple of breaks and, since the weather was better than forecasted, we walked down to Drake Park for a picnic lunch in the sun amid the falling leaves. The Board chose Kitty Hawk, NC, as the site for next fall’s BOD meeting. We were already considering going “Back East” for the fall colors and now may consider attending the BOD meeting as well. It coincides with the 100^th anniversary of the first flight. New officers were elected and Bill Bolosky is back in as an Exec Comm member and secretary, Mark Forbes remains treasurer, and the new president (We’re guessing that past-pres Lisa resigned so she could apply for the Exec Dir position.) is Rich Hass, another Region One pilot. Later, Belinda and Davis met us at Eagle Crest for dinner and we had a good visit.

25 Oct, Sun – It was pouring rain and very windy as we ate breakfast but stopped when it was time to load the car. Since there were some patches of blue sky, we took the scenic route (well, new route anyway) to Prineville then up SR 26 through the National Grasslands to Madras. We ran into some downpours and strong winds along the way, enough to push the bow of the kayak out of alignment with the car. Maybe I need to put the front cradles closer together. We also had some wonderful sunbreaks and fall color so it wasn’t a bad trip at all. We got home around 1630, early enough to pick up some books at the library that had been on hold since last Sunday.

Paddling Near Deception Pass

6-7 October

C.J. and I have been talking about doing an overnight kayak trip since the weather first improved in June (?) (No, it wasn't June because the weather was lousy then, as it was in almost-winter May), or maybe July. The San Juans looked like a good possibility, especially Lopez Island. But it's been difficult to schedule the ferry with the tides/currents and decent weather. So we decided to just go somewhere the first time we had decent weather even if we didn't kayak camp.

6 Oct, Wed - We got up no earlier than usual and didn't rush breakfast, but we still got the trailer out of the driveway by 11:00 (including a trip around the block to go back to get the brake controller). We were definitely running a bit late when we knew that the slack at Deception Pass was supposed to be between 1500 and 1600. It was while we were going through Mt. Vernon that I noticed that the brake controller wasn't showing "C" for "connected". I pulled up to the curb in front of a Les Schwab, checked the trailer cable and found that a loop of cable had been dragging long enough that most of the wires were ground-off. I could fix that but I'd need some tools and supplies that I didn't have. About when I was thinking how I'd have to find a NAPA auto parts or something, a Les Schwab manager came out and asked if we needed any help. He called his friend, Greg, at a local auto repair place and he said he could fit us in. Greg cut the abraded piece out, stripped back some of the insulation and used heat-shrink butt connectors and a bunch of electrical tape to make a pretty permanent repair. We were on our way in about a half-hour only about $50 lighter in the wallet.

Our first objective was to set up camp at the Bowman Bay section of Deception Pass State Park, but it was "closed for the winter". That meant we had to go to the main Cranberry Lake section of DPSP. The entrance was unmanned but the signs said all campsites were subject to reservation - would there be a site for us? Only one loop of the campground was open but the place was mostly deserted so we had no problem finding a "primitive" pull-thru site in an open forest with good sun exposure. Wasting no time, we set up and then headed back to where I thought we could launch the kayak, but Rosario Beach was gated and "closed for the winter" also. The boat ramp at Bowman Bay was open, though, so we put in there. The Bay was a great place to start as the water was glassy and the wind calm. As we poked our nose out around Rosario Head, the wind picked up and there was some current. Rosario Bay was also calm as we paddled around to see the Native American sculpture, KO KWAL AL WOOT, we had hiked to many years ago when we were diving here for the first time in dry suits. We backtracked and crossed the mouth of Bowman Bay, rounding Reservation Light for a view of the Deception Pass bridge and a little feel of the roiling currents of the ebb tide. We paddled almost as far as Lottie Bay before turning back to the calm of Bowman Bay where we spotted a group of sea otters along with many birds, especially noteworthy being the huge, pterodactyl-like Great Blue Herons.

After loading the kayak back on the car we wandered over to the CCC interpretive center (closed for the season, of course) and looked at some of the old CCC-built picnic shelters and bathrooms. There was still sunshine so when we got back to our campsite, we grabbed some snacks and headed for West Beach which turned out to be just a short distance from our site. We found the trail to North Beach, but abandoned it for the chance to walk along the firm sand shore. At North Beach we settled on a rocky point to watch the sun set while we had some bread and cheese (should have brought the wine...). We got back to camp before it became really dark and the sunset color lasted even longer.

Uh oh! No lights! No power in the trailer! Is the battery discharged? Checked the fuses - all good. Took the battery cover off and found the main 20-amp fuse was blown - probably while the repair was being made. Fortunately I had a spare 20-amp so we were back in business with lights and refrigerator (Does the fridge use some electricity even while running on propane?)

7 Oct, Thurs - After breakfast we stopped at the entrance station on the way out to use our credit card to pay for camping . [ We found out that there is a "senior off-season pass" that allows you to camp for free from October through April for an annual $50 fee.] We exited the park and crossed the highway and entered the Cornet Bay section of DPSP. The tide was low and we had missed the 0945 slack current but the paddling in the bay was fine. We went out to Ben Ure Island and looked around the point at the Deception Pass bridge and the flood tide, then backed off and continued around the other side of the island, then along the shore of the bay. There were lots of birds but no mammals this time. We paddled past our put-in place and on toward Hoypus Point which is the site of the old ferry that was replaced by the bridge. As we approached the point our speed increased from the lazy 3 mph we had been making to 4, then 4.9; it seemed like a good time to turn around before we were swept beyond the end of the road. The eddy wasn't particularly hard to paddle against and soon we were back to the boat launch. After securing our kayak to the roof rack again we took lunch and walked out to Hoypus Point and a view of Deception Pass. The road is gated and beset by cracks and subsidence, but makes a good walk. Other trails branch off and wander through the old forest, something to look forward to on another trip.

We returned to our campsite to pack up the trailer and headed home through Burlington where we got gas at Costco (2.779). Traffic was light until we passed SR 520 and then we did the Bellevue Crawl all the way to I-90. Nevertheless, we were home by 1700 and ready for some rest.

Dog Mountain Weekend

2-3 October 2010

It was really overcast and damp when we left but like magic the skies cleared just past Storm King south of Elbe. We quickly set up the Aliner then led Tom Lee, Jeff B, and Bob up to launch. Since the wind was fairly light (even though a few whitecaps were visible on the lake), I set up and pulled off a creditable reverse inflation. Just as I expected, there wasn't much lift and, even worse, C.J. informed me on the radio that I had a knot in my brake lines near center. Since I couldn't clear the tangle, I concentrated on maximizing the little bit of lift there was and managed to hang in there about 100 ft below launch. It helped that no one else wanted to launch so I had the whole lift band to myself, such as it was. In a half hour or so the lift increased a bit and I was able to briefly get above the take off. More folks arrived and started to set up and Bob launched in his North Wing Horizon. There still was plenty of room but when the next person took off, I headed out to the point to give the hangs more room in the shallow lift band. Surprisingly my descent rate was quite slow, probably due to the increasing wind speed as I got lower. I stayed out in front of the LZ until I was low enough to make a very short downwind-crosswind-final and descended almost straight down to the spot. (0:57) After packing up, I noted that no one else seemed to be heading up to launch and I needed to get some more exercise anyway. So I chomped a couple of crackers and took my radio and walked along the Champion Haul Road a quarter mile then tackled the steep climb through brush and briers heading for the road to the top. There was way too much brush and small downed trees to make this route a regular means of getting back to the summit, even though it cut off maybe three-quarters of a miles of road walking. [Interestingly, there were well-worn game (?) trails criss-crossing the slope.] Just as I arrived at launch Larry drove up for a second tandem flight. I hung around long enough to dry some of the sweat then drove the Trooper back down. C.J. had already landed after a flight of more than an hour (1:10) and was mostly packed up. Since we had both had good flights, we didn't feel a need to go back up again (although it would have been fun to fly the north side when the wind switched as it did later).

Later as it got dark enough to see the stars and Milky Way clearly The group put together a sort of potluck meal of burritos, Hungarian meat in a creamy sauce, C.J.'s salmon omettata, salad and spaghetti, followed by cake to celebrate Amelia Adler's first birthday. The fire felt pretty good but we only lasted to 2100 or so before hitting the comfort of the trailer to read for a while.

Sunday dawned cloudy and seemed an ideal opportunity to have an impromptu CBCC meeting at Tina and Larry's property. Important issues like the reasons for requiring USHPA membership at Dog, Tiger, Blanchard, Chelan, Eagle, Big J, Stewart, and Black were discussed, and volunteers were solicited for some of the jobs that are wearing out the folks who do most of the work. During the meeting Tina and Larry's neighbors brought shepherds pie for lunch, much appreciated since some folks were running on sugar overload from the box of Krispy Kremes. Later, the sun began to peek through but it didn't look like a great day. In fact, there were rain showers coming down the lake, so we packed up and headed back to North Bend arriving early enough to have dinner at home.

Saddle Mountain Air time - 1:00

30 September 2010

That's 00:01:00, one minute

After a morning at the VA Medical Center in Seattle for diabetes training and consultation, I agreed with C.J. that Saddle looked like a real possibility even with the two-hour drive. We arrived around 1400 noting promising wind markers along the way especially crossing the I-90 bridge at Vantage. Steve _____ was already there doing launches and toplandings with his Sport2 hang glider. Three BLM archaeology surveyors were there as well studying something down in front of launch (and I heard later that other surveyors are looking for a route for a new set of powerlines over the Saddle Mountains). While there were stronger gusts, the base wind seemed to be from the N at 10-12 mph. I pulled my wing up and ran under it with good control but as soon as I turned around, I was snatched up into the air. "Not to worry, this happens all the time. I'll just get settled and fly out of the compression", I thought. Unfortunately, there was NO forward motion at all and soon I was moving backward at a good clip toward the wind-test tower with its cable guylines. I sideslipped as much as possible to the east hoping to get around the tower. Once I was pretty sure that I had cleared it I stood on my speed bar and pulled big ears. I still didn't get any forward penetration but managed to get on the ground safely just south and east of the tower. That was enough for the day, and we packed the wing up and headed down to put Plan B into effect.

For years we'd passed the Wanapum Dam Heritage Center and said we'd like to stop and check it out. Today we had our chance. The small Heritage Center had exhibits pertaining to the native Wanapum people who lived in the area (There are only about 60 left and they now live just a ways downstream from the dam - but no more fishing in the falls, long covered by the water behind one dam or another). Unfortunately we arrived just minutes before the center was to close so we'll have to go back for a better look sometime. From there we went to Ginkgo State Park near Vantage, built by the CCC in the '30s to preserve a bunch of petrified logs of elm, walnut, sweetgum and Douglas-fir scattered along a hillside. It was close to sundown so the dry, dusty hillside was less hot than it would have been in mid-day. In any case we got a good walk along the interpretive trails. (Then we probably ruined all the good health bennies by eating dinner at Sugar Thai in Ellensburg.) Having managed to miss the I-90 closure for blasting near Lake Keechelus by stopping to eat, we were able to sail home with no slowdowns.

Baldy Butte Fly-in

25-26 September

Just in time the weather shifted from rain and gloom (unusual for September) to glorious fall. We dusted the spider webs off the Aliner and hitched it to the Baldy-capable Trooper for the trip, the first time we've had the trailer out since May. [first two photos from an article in the Yakima Herald (http://sportsyakima.com/2010/09/paragliding-an-air-raising-experience/)]

9/25/10, Sat - Getting out of the driveway by shortly after 0900 was the best I could do but there was no particular rush since the good conditions for flying would probably not occur until mid afternoon. We stopped for gas (2.99) in E-burg at Loves (used to be Pilot) and picked up some ten-for-a-dollar corn across the street. On arriving at the LZ, we decided to not hassle with trying to find a level spot in the parking area but use the BLM Lmuma Creek campground. Surprisingly (or not...) it was nearly full with other trailer and tent folk but we fit into a slot between Greg Adler and Bob Bunger's trailers. There did not seem to be any concern about being in a numbered site or not, and there was no fee as far as we could tell. Of course, there was no water either, but there were two outhouses and they were clean enough. Back up at The Rock, we checked in and paid our $25 pp fee, then took a stint at signing other folks in and collecting money. When a parks and recreation guy from Selah showed up and volunteered to drive back down, we decided to take a load of pilots up in the Trooper. The road was as bad (or worse) as ever and the SUV actually scraped the bottom a few times. Many pilots were waiting for it to get soarable at the south launch and were convinced that it would magically turn on at 1400.

I got tired of waiting and launched after Patty and CJ B, and Iain and others just before 1400. There were some patches of lift but not enough to really work. I flew over the ridge crest and back to the north side to see if any leeside thermals might be happening - no luck and I passed over the upper sagebrush LZ on the way to an uneventful landing not too close to the cone. C.J. landed not long after me and, while we were packing up, Dan Heath and Gloria showed up and offered us a ride up in his big crew cab pickup. Conditions were stronger on launch but no more lifty and my second flight was depressingly short, over the crest and straight to the LZ crossing the river twice (a bit gingerly since someone had landed on the wrong side of the Yakima earlier). (6 min) We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting and I worked on cutting up some wood for the campfire. The potluck feast began around 1900 with Amy Heim there to make sure that everything was organized properly. There was a plethora of tasty casseroles, salads, and a slew of desserts (which I dutifully avoided - well, mostly). Dave Norwood showed up, still in his marrying clothes with a beautiful hand embroidered (by himself) stole, and handed out prizes and certificates for the spot-landing and duration contests and for the yearly Baldy X-C League. Later, Mike brought out a bunch of West African-style drums and other rhythm instruments and conducted an hour-long facilitated drum circle. It was fun and kept most people's interest, unusual for a contemporary large-group campfire gathering.

Mike "facilitating the drum circle"

C.J. with a rhythm instrument made of dried seedpods

C.J. and I headed back to the trailer not too long after the drumming died down. An almost-full moon rose above the canyon walls with bright Jupiter to the south. The temperature was comfortable and we needed no furnace even in the morning.

9/26/10, Sun - We slept in until 0900 (cloudy) although there was a contest for the first pilot to fly off Baldy in the morning. (Bob B drove up with a full load of people who graciously allowed him to be first to launch.) Since there were lots of wind dummies flying we could see that conditions were not soarable so we did not rush to the summit. In fact as it got later and later we felt less and less interest in having another flydown. By 1400, after visiting most of the morning, we started packing up the trailer and heading down the road. As we passed The Bowl and approached the Umtamum trailhead we decided on the spur of the moment to stop for lunch and hike up the canyon. However, after lunch and crossing the suspension footbridge, we took the left fork which climbed steeply up a side canyon. We met only one party coming out so most of the folks from the parked cars must have gone up the main canyon, a relatively flat trail that appeared to go about 4.5 miles. Near the top of the climb we passed a grove of quaking aspen and, having been forewarned by other hikers, we looked for the owl. We spotted a large great horned owl and it turned its head to stare at us as well. C.J. got several photos which she was later able to Photoshop to a good close-up of the bird. Just above the aspens we came out of the narrow gorge to the rounded ridges covered with the typical dry steppe foliage of the upper Yakima Canyon. Since we had not bothered to stop and pick up our trekking poles I was concerned about how my knee was going to deal with the downhill half of our walk so we did not go much farther up onto the ridge. The walk back turned out not to be a problem and we passed the owl again and reached the Trooper with no knee pain. The rest of the drive home was uneventful with only a little traffic slowdown and just a bit of rain. I left the trailer in front of the hedge so C.J. wouldn't have to spend time in the drizzle directing me as I backed down the driveway. Despite the lack of soaring, a good fly-in with sunshine, friends, good food and entertainment.

Big Johnson Fly-In... and Seafood Boil

Labor Day Weekend

Chris and Patricia called to tell us about the northenders' party and we threw our gear in the car for a spur-of-the-moment getaway. Going on Saturday and returning on Sunday (weather looked very iffy for Monday) meant that we missed the worst of the Labor Day traffic. Even so, it seemed like every pullout along the North Fork had people camping and there was lots of traffic on the gravel roads leading to favorite mountain bike sites.

We didn't arrive at Victor's property on the North Fork Road until nearly 1700. Several pilots, including Murdoch, were still folding wings from a late afternoon flight and reported rowdy conditions and had not gotten high enough (2400 ft on the 1800 ft launch) to go over the back the 3 miles to the beer shrine (North Fork Tavern). Jan gave us a quick tour of the camping area and we set up in a nice grassy area. It wasn't long before Guy and Rita were starting to prepare clams, mussels, crayfish, shrimp, crab, corn and ? to go into the big pot with water, wine and lots of garlic. C.J. made the "sweet and savory kale" dish and provided a big batch of homemade bread sticks. Other folks threw in salads, pizza and beer (from the "shrine") and other goodies.

(left to right, the boil, Rita and Guy, yummy stuff)

Chris and Patricia didn't make it back for dinner (nor did CJ B. and Derek) because Blanchard had "turned on" late and Chris was soaring until sundown. Otherwise there was a pretty good crowd with Doug and Judy and her boys, Scott and Autumn, T.J. Olney, Roger Brock, Victor and his 3-yr-old Ariana and older son Orion (but not his wife Rebecca), Paul, and probably several more I've forgotten. Missing were Sid, who had been injured at the Black Mtn. Fly-in, and Delvin and Pam who were off on a trip to Glacier NP. After dinner it was surprisingly warm sitting around the fire and even when we went to bed around 2200, it did not get cold. There was a little drizzle overnight but barely enough to wet the tent fly.

In the morning we didn't even get up until 0900 and missed the mama bear and two cubs who wandered near the camp area. Around noon the sky started looking less dark and overcast and some went to hike to the falls on Racehorse Cr, and we went with Murdoch, Jan, Guy and Rita up to BJ launch (48 51.639, 122 07.554) using the gated Sierra Pacific road because the Canyon Lake access road had a washed-out bridge (See map at http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/dyn/MyAccount/TripMap.aspx?tripId=883330&cacheBuster=b1c3fb795e774066a6b95616e7aabca8) [Oops, sorry! You'd have to log in to Backpacker .com to use that link].

I walked up the road from launch for some exercise because the sky was not clearing overhead although you could see sun on the hillsides down toward Acme. We even had some more drizzle. It was around 1400 by the time sun hit the launch but by then we had heard that Blanchard was looking better so we got a ride down with Judy as Chris, Patricia, CJ and Derek were heading there, too. We packed up as the sky cleared even more and as we pulled out we found that Guy, Doug and Jan had flown and landed and Murdoch was still soaring. Oh well! On the way to Blanchard we stopped to pick up some local corn on SR 9 near Hoogdal Road, then cut west to Bow Hill Rd and the usual route up Blanchard. We reached the top probably close to 1700 and the last pilot to fly had had a sledder, even though it had been soarable earlier. We waited a long time in partially obscured sun before the three girls decided to launch together. C.J. was last off at around 1800 and managed to find the elusive lift so she got above launch and was able to boat around for almost long enough for me to reach the LZ. Everyone else pretty much had extended sledders.

After packing up we made a beeline for home in time for a late dinner. It was a fun time with the northenders and we'll have to make an effort to get up there more often.

[In addition to finding out that the Canyon Lake access road was closed, we found out that the road up the front side of Stewart was closed and the way up the back is very long. We hadn't realized that Sierra Pacific required all pilots have USHPA membership/insurance, - that's Black, Big J and Stewart, at least. Blanchard launch (Samish Overlook) looked cleaner than I've seen it before with no fire rings on the launches at all. there was, however, a new brush fire burn just behind the west launch. James was there picking up burned cans and bottles from that area.]

Oregon Coast and Woodrat Mountain

August 24-30 2010

(C.J. and Paula, above)

This was a long-planned trip. After meeting Paula and Stephen at Yachats last August, we wanted a replay. So when the Goldmans let us know they had finalized their plans we contacted Barbara at Woodrat to see if we could get together afterward and fly "The 'Rat". It all worked seamlessly. Well, except for the weather which turned unseasonably cool with a really unusual dash of rain thrown in.

25 Aug, Wed - We left around 0845 in the Trooper and got gas at Costco in Tumwater, where we also got some fruit at the nextdoor Fred Meyers. We left I-5 at Tigard and drove past the McMinnville Air Museum with its Spruce Goose exhibit (have to stop there one of these days) to Lincoln City then along the coast in glorious sunshine. We made a quick stop at the Newport docks to pick up some tuna that Heather had ordered (fresh, line caught, under 30 lbs); it turned out to be delicious cooked lightly on the BBQ grill at the rental house in Yachats. C.J.'s birthday cake was a big hit also, especially for almost-four-year-old Sylvan who had never seen canned whipped cream before (I hope we haven't set him on the downward path to junk food!)

26 Aug, Thu - C.J. and I got up at 0800, early enough to get out of the living room where we had slept, and went for a walk on the rocks. It was a minus tide and there were lots of tidepools with anemones and starfish. When we got back everyone was up and we had a big communal pot of oatmeal for breakfast. We didn't leave until 1300 but clear, sunny weather kept us on the coast all the way down past Brookings into California. We stopped for gas in Florence where gas prices were unusually low for the coast ($2.849) and had a DQ snack in Gold Beach. The drive up through the redwoods and then through the coast range was marred only by the smoke of a forest fire (and the length of the drive). We pulled in to Barbara's yurt around 2000 and cooked up some dinner.

27 Aug, Fri - Barbara came in late last night after a Britt performance by Garrison Keillor. We slept in until almost 0900 till it warmed up a bit (Is it always cold at the yurt?) and then cooked some oatmeal. Around 1115 the three of us drove over to the Woodrat LZ and met up with Rick Ray, Debbie V. and Anne __. Kevin and some of his students were at Mid-launch. Christian and Nick Crane were on launch with tandem students and soon launched to show us what the air was doing. We waited a while for the high cirrus to burn off. I launched at about 1400, found lift and eventually got to 5800, not quite as high as C.J. A few pilots looked low at Rabe's so I didn't go there. I went to the S peak of Woodrat, then back, and crossed to Burnt where I got high enough to make a crossing to Rabe's. On the ridge and toward Rabe's Peak I found some small but strong thermals and one gave me a reported 75% collapse of my left wing. There didn't seem to any easy lift on the way to Rabe's Pk so at 4000', I turned south to Longsword Winery. I ran into wind and landed, farther out than I had planned, in some starthistle. I waited at the winery while C.J., who had landed before me, and others went to retrieve the cars. Apparently the local wisdom is to land at Longsword if you fly in the middle of the day, thus avoiding the usual turbulence of the Hunter LZ. I called Stephen back in Yachats to see about getting my fleece jacket back which I had left hanging by the door when we left. I also called the Medford Costco pharmacy to see about getting some Metformin since I had not brought enough with me. Later C.J. and I went to get some fresh veggies at a farm near Cantrall Buckley and back to the yurt. We mixed up a dinner of leftover salmon, eggs and veggies and ate inside on our table as the temperature had dropped markedly.

28 Aug, Sat - It was warmer last night, probably because it was cloudy. After a cold cereal breakfast we drove in to Medford to get my Metformin prescription, gas and some groceries. By the time we got back to the LZ no one thought that flying under the overcast with "proto-mammata" looked like fun (although Deb and Don had had flights from Mid). A group went to visit recovering PG pilot Bill, and we went to Eve's Cafe to have lunch (and to check our email). Barb met us there on our way out but stayed to chat with Anne and Doug while we went back to the yurt to read and relax. There were some rain showers. Barb came over to look at C.J.'s scrapbook. Everyone is hoping for better conditions on Sunday.

29 Aug, Sun - There were more showers overnight so it was pretty cold and damp. C.J. cleverly held off on taking a bath until the morning so she could go up to the cabin which was, compared to the yurt, toasty warm. I tried preparing oatmeal and milk over the double boiler and it worked well (as long as you weren't in a rush). Just after 1115 the sky started to clear and we headed over to Woodrat to catch the shuttle to the top ($10 ea for non-locals). The shuttle is just a regular open-back pickup pulling a trailer with some telescoping HG racks but it has been carrying folks up the hill on flying season weekends for a couple of years now. Sam Crocker, Jim Tibbs, Dave (Fiasco Winery) Palmer, Randy, Barb, and Don (Donato) Fitch and a few others rode up in/on the shuttle. Deb and Rick met us on top. We waited until 1330 or so to launch. I climbed slowly above launch and at 4600 went to Burnt but sank to where I thought I was going to land at the Old folks Home. But I caught a very low save and climbed quickly to over 5K and crossed to Rabe's. I pushed up the ridge in mixed lift and reached 6400 above the Bunny (-shaped) Meadow. Deb and Rick came in above me (reporting cloudbase at 7100') and I got as far as a half mile from Rabe's Peak. Then I turned for Burnt thinking about trying for Donato's as a goal, but I was not able to find any lift on my line so had to run for Mid where I got up to 5K again. I flew over to Squires Peak and then headed west toward Cantrall Buckley. I was slowed by the headwind and didn't find any lift so I turned N for Longsword and landed there in strong-enough wind to make for a very slow final glide. C.J., Barb and Jules and a few more were already there. C.J. got a ride over to the LZ to retrieve the Trooper and we went back to the yurt for a late lunch and rest. Barb stayed for a HG flight with Jim Tibbs, who was working on his tandem rating. I downloaded my track logs and the photos from Yachats, and recharged my radio and C.J.'s cell. Barb came by after a late dinner and reported on her flydown (!). Some PGs had had hourlong flights but it wasn't really glassoff conditions.

30 Aug, Mon - It rained during the night somewhat more than showers so there are some puddles on the deck - strange weather for southern OR! After pancakes (made w/o milk from a Canadian baking mix), C.J. came back from cleaning up at the cabin with a weather report of showers and below normal temps until Wed or Thu. We packed up and were out by noon. I had been hoping to go to Whaleback to fly and camp and then up to Pine Mtn, but the forecast was just too adverse. On the way through Grants Pass we saw a whole posse of teddy bears on motorcycles, probably the signature art for 2010. We stopped at Eugene to pick up my fleece jacket at Heather and Ryan's beautiful craftsman-style 1941 house. We were going to be too late getting home so we pulled into a Quiznos in Centralia for a quick dinner. The weather changed to mostly clear and sunny from just south of Eugene all the way home. Arrived home at 2120 after gassing up at Costco in Covington.

And, yes, it did rain overnight and on through Tuesday.

Cooper and Pete Lakes

16-17 August



As the heat wave continued C.J. and I decided to get out of town and go camping somewhere in the mountains with a lake. Cooper Lake won the toss on a recommendation from our investment counselor, an avid fisherman.

16 Aug, Mon - We weren't in any particular rush but we were already beyond Easton at 1230 when brake lights went on as drivers slowed down to merge into one lane. No worries; it was a good time for some lunch anyway. By 1400 we had followed a paved USFS road from Salmon La Sac almost to Cooper Lake, finished the last mile on dusty gravel and found the small campground. We were slightly taken aback to realize that it was a "walk-in only" campground, but since we were traveling lightly, that wasn't a problem. There was plenty of selection as there were only a few of the nearly 20 sites occupied and we could have chosen a more secluded site, but we opted for one with good access to the water. [Speaking of water, except for the lake, there wasn't any. But there was a handy outhouse.] After setting up our tent we drove the short distance to the boat launch where we had a shorter and gentler walk to the water. Leaving the sprayskirts behind we paddled off to do a leisurely counterclockwise tour of the lake. We didn't see the beaver who must inhabit the huge, old lodge near the inlet but we did spot an osprey nest with a young bird. Perhaps he was considering his first flight. A mature osprey flew slow circles above the clear water but apparently saw no fish near the surface to prey on. At the outlet end of the lake a few private cabins had gorgeous views of Chickamin and Lemah Peaks. Back at camp we lazed around until supper and the already-early sunset and darkness. Since we didn't even bring a tent lantern, we went to bed "with the chickens" and planned to get an early start in the morning.


17 August, Tues - It was comfortable sleeping after it cooled down and we were ready to get up as it got light around 0600. A breakfast of fruit and granola got us out of camp early and to the trailhead for Pete Lake by 0725. Not having planned to do any serious hiking, we had only one rucksack and a beltpack to carry our extra clothes and gear. We soon warmed up, shedding our morning fleece, even though the trail gained hardly any elevation at all - a total of some 200 ft in the four-plus miles. Unfortunately, as soon as we removed a long-sleeve layer, the mosquitoes swarmed us, C.J. especially. The trail was pleasant enough through the forest, but a bit dusty probably due to the pack trains supplying the USFS trail crew working on the Pacific Crest Trail around Spectacle Lake, a few miles beyond Pete Lake. About two miles in we passed into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and two miles later, after a short final climb, reached Pete Lake where the bugs were blessedly absent. There were a number of campsites scattered along the trail around the lake and we met groups of backpackers, many of whom were doing the Stevens Pass to Snoqualmie Pass hike. Tough for them - there was a major detour around the Spectacle Lake re-construction all the way to Cooper Lake and then a road-walk back to the PCT. Beyond the end of Pete Lake we took a break overlooking the river and had a snack before retracing our steps. It was warmer now, at 10:00 or so, and the skeeters were even worse, or maybe we had just sweated off the bug dope. It was slightly downhill and we beat feet pretty quickly to get back to the relatively bug-free Owhi campground. On the way out we met a pack train of horses and mules heading in to resupply the crew camp. After a rest in the shade back at Owhi we loaded up the kayak at the boat ramp and broke camp for the drive home. We may have left just at the right time because we met a school bus from Seattle Academy as we crossed the Cooper River. Back down at Salmon La Sac we were surprised to see so many people playing in the water.

Tiger Mountain Fun Fly-in

31 July 2010, Saturday








(photo, left, back of t-shirt, "Load the van!" in
Russian. Thanks, Matt!)






Expecting a hot, sunny day I had dragged out our old 11’x11’ dining fly and our new Alps Mountaineering dome fly to set them up for practice on Friday. However, Saturday dawned cool and cloudy making the shade probably unnecessary. I threw them in the Trooper (and later set the old fly up anyway). There were a couple dozen pilots listening to Matty and Wheely talk about XC tactics and competition when we arrived around 1045. Amazingly we lucked into a parking spot in the lot even though the roadside strip was already filled. We had already figured that the van would be overfull for the ride to the shuttle so we sent our packs up to launch and then set off to walk up the trail. We were passed by three of the pilots in the “hike and fly” race and some hikers going up and down. Launch was still above cloudbase with streamers of clouds drifting quickly up the slope. However, the horse farm below the south launch was occasionally visible and the clouds were breaking up to the north. We hung around for several hours while some tandems and a few individuals took off. Eventually it cleared but very few pilots managed to soar. And the launch conditions often left much to be desired. Then David Byrne launched and found lift and disappeared over launch. By that time it was 1600 or so and the hamburgers and other lunch goodies were calling so we launched even though the cycles had really become light (…but at least they weren’t east anymore). Five or six minutes later we were on the ground…and Dave Byrne was high over the towers. If the flying (for most) wasn’t great, the t-shirts and hamburgers almost made up for it. And the price was right – only $25 for a family and that included three shuttle rides to the top plus a t-shirt and lunch. Organizer Ralph Boirum certainly deserves a round of applause.

A Few More Days at Chelan

24-28 July 2010

Ginny and Wally left San Anselmo on Tuesday, a bit later than they had planned. After a stop to visit Page at Hat Creek and a couple of days camping at Lakeview (and a great flight from Sugar), they headed up to Ephrata and then to Chelan on Saturday. Wally could count it as a business trip since he was meeting with his Swing PG company rep from Germany. Meanwhile, C.J. and I could go to Chelan and see what a PWC (Paragliding World Cup) was like.

23 July, Friday - At the soccer field LZ in Chelan Falls we were in time to see the leaders fly into goal - pretty impressive landing speeds on those competition wings; most skied along the grass on their feet but Jack Brown, arriving first, just lay down on the back of his pod and slid in. Dave Norwood asked C.J. to fly tandem with him for one of his required T3 flights and I went up with them for a late sledder to the soccer field. Later we checked into Tom and Lori's house where Ginny and Wally had arranged to stay when they arrived.

24 July, Saturday - We went for a paddle from Lakeside Park across the lake with Tom and Lori, returning via the Lady of the Lake dock. Around noon we got up to launch and helped lay out the wings of the PWC competitors. After everyone had launched we helped dismantle the infrastructure - Red Bull tent, railings, shade structures - and empty out the storage shed. We took a bit of rest and met up with Ginny and Wally at the house, then drove down to the goal at the soccer field LZ and were lucky enough to catch the first pilots to make goal. Doug had said he could use some help before the awards party so we went to Riverwalk Park and did a couple of minor tasks. That put us in the right place for the dinner catered by Country Boys Southern BBQ of Cashmere. The awards ceremony got underway shortly before 2200; the top pilots were Josh Cohn, Yasushi Kobayashi, and Nick Greece, with the USA walking away with the team competition.

25 July, Sunday - C.J. and I launched our kayak at Park Street and paddled to the dam then back up the lake along the north shore to where we cut over yesterday near the derelict cabin, then crossed back to Park St. When G & W got back from breakfast with Torsten, we all went up to the Butte for a flight, Wally's first at Chelan. Conditions were about perfect with cycles coming up Between the Rocks. I was first off and lucked into a thermal that took me to 5K. After some ups and downs we all reached 6K but could not break through the inversion. Then the air began to feel trashy and I headed out to land (:55). Ginny picked us up and we returned to the house for some rest and to get out of the heat (after an ice cream stop downtown and some grocery shopping).

26 July, Monday - When Ginny and Wally got back from breakfast, we took our tandem and the two plastic kayaks belonging to Tom and Lori and put in at Lakeside Park. We all paddled across the lake then Wally, C.J. and I continued another couple of miles along the north shore while Ginny crossed back to the south. After a stop for lunch under some small trees, we paddled more or less directly back to Lakeside, a total distance of about 5.7 mi. We hung out at the house where it was relatively cool in the basement until time for dinner. Ginny and Wally took us out to eat at Tin Lilly which has a pretty eclectic menu and outside dining - perfect for summertime in Chelan.

27 July, Tuesday - After packing the car and cleaning up the house, we drove back to North Bend via the usual route. Wally and Ginny headed into town to pick up a new inflatable bed for camping, a pair of pedals for his bike and some groceries. We had a dinner of Ginny's lamb stew and C.J.'s fresh bread and salad on the deck outside where it was comfortably cool after a hot day.

28 July, Wed - I cooked up a batch of fresh blueberry pancakes for breakfast. When Ginny got back from her morning walk, we took the Trooper to Tiger. C.J. and Ginny decided to walk to launch while Wally and I and Wayne's gear took the road having missed the 1230 shuttle (which may not have run because Mike had some kind of medical emergency - we saw the rescue truck pulling into his driveway as we went by). Two tandem flights launched a short time after we arrived and scratched up and over launch then disappeared. We waited a while longer until C.J. and Ginny arrived then I got my wing ready. Cycles had gotten lighter but I took off anyway and found nothing to the left, middle or right and had to grovel on the Yaher Wall. Eventually C.J. and I found a thermal good enough to get us up and I went left to the ridge. It was a lot of up and down and I never got much over 2800 msl. Wally launched in what must have been a down cycle and scratched his way tenaciously to the LZ. In the distance, there was big overdevelopment above the Cascades and some of the clouds were stretching toward us. Shortly after the next batch of pilots launched (including Wayne on his Sky) both C.J. and I headed for the LZ. I first flew to Squak finding nothing then had to maneuver a bit for landing space with another wing approaching at the same level. No problem and we both had good landings. By the time Ginny got to the LZ (She drove the Trooper down, bless her heart!), it was getting late enough that we had to scramble home to get showers and change for dinner with Uncle Harry in Puyallup. We had a great meal at Mama Stortini's and then got a tour of Uncle Harry's retirement residence, Willow Gardens. We got back late and had to save C.J.'s blueberry pie for G&W's send-off breakfast on the 29th.