Rat Race - 2016

17-24 June 2016

Photo by Gabriel Schwarzmann

This is the fourteenth year for this paragliding competition held at Woodrat Mountain in southern Oregon near Medford. C.J. has been to all of them and I've been to most (missed a few due to work). I think, however, that this is the first year that C.J. has really been participating rather than competing. Her back was giving her trouble so she decided that her goal would be to fly as long as possible until she was no longer comfortable, then land at the Longsword Winery where most of the goals were located anyway. It worked out well for her. I went along as a volunteer as usual; I helped "fluff" wings on launch and kept the garbage cans from overflowing at the headquarters, Gail and Mike Hailey's house in Ruch. Gabriel Schwarzmann took our picture just inside the door to HQ (left). This was the second year in a row that all eight days of the meet were flyable. However, I did little flying during the middle of the day and our busy schedule did not allow much opportunity for flying the evening glassoff, either.

17 Jun, Friday - left at 0830, stopped for gas and a McDonald's mocha frappe in Roseburg. Got to RR HQ shortly after 1700, in time for the volunteer meeting. On the way down Barbara had called to say that it was going to be cold and that Teri and Geoff had offered us a room for the night. We picked up a couple slices of pizza and a small container of chicken salad at the Ruch Store and heated the pizza up in the microwave at Teri's. They were out to dinner and didn't get back until around 2200. Barb stopped in to visit after her meditation group.

18 Jun, Saturday - We went over to the yurt to cook oatmeal for breakfast then headed for HQ for the 0930 meeting. It was cold, as expected. We rode up to launch with David Le in the big, white van he was driving and I helped "fluff" wings for the 31 superclinic students, the Race and the Sprint (and probably a bunch of free-flyers, as well, including CC and Cathy who were there to fly tandem). I drove a truck down to Longsword for a hang glider pilot since it was windy and I didn't want to fly. David picked me up as promised and we returned to the HQ. It was pretty early and both C.J. and I were glad when the staff put out some chips and salsa to snack on. C.J. had had some problem with getting the new message on her Delorme InReach and worked with Eric ? to figure out what had to be done. After the big pilots meeting there was a baked potato buffet and I served the cheese sauce, sausage gravy and sausage bits. There was also a big salad bar and then brownies for dessert. A couple of volunteers helped me with emptying the HQ garbage cans, much appreciated.

Pilot Meeting on Woodrat Launch, C.J. is near center right

19 Jun, Sunday - We shared breakfast with Chris and went in early enough so that C.J. could get connected to the inadequate internet at HQ and download the update for her Delorme. After another relatively short pilots meeting we waited until the school bus arrived to take us to launch. It was warmer on launch on Sunday, but not t-shirt weather. I fluffed until everyone had launched and then thought about flying. However, when I was ready there was a big gaggle of pilots sinking out over Hunter's. And then, when they started to climb, it got somewhat windy on launch. Most of the Superclinic people who had considered relaunching packed up instead. David Le asked me to drive the white van down so he could fly. I took a load down and hung out at HQ until the Hunter Charity Dinner at 1715 prepared by the local RVHPA. Later I got some help with garbage duty and took a shower. C.J. had attended a mentoring session by local pilot Jared about flying in the Woodrat area. We got back to the yurt around 2030 and C.J. took a bath and I just loafed around reading.

20 Jun, Mon – I wasn’t on duty for fluffing so I flew. I got a ride back up with the Superclinic van. David Le asked me to take over driving the white van, at least down to HQ. I took the few people who didn’t want to launch, including Lori Dirks. Later, A lot of people wanted to fly glassoff so I got in line for the available transportation. Thanks to some generous pilot, we got to use his truck – the white van and the Civil van were full. At launch the conditions were light and crossed from the north. A couple of people launched to the west but they barely made it around to the north side. Kari took off from the sketchy north launch and stayed on the north eventually getting up to the upper launch. A bunch of folks gave up on the midlaunch and went to the top where people were getting high. I stayed until 1915 or so  then gave up and got a ride down in the Civil van. Gail opened the kitchen long enough to get me a meat patty and all the fixin's.

21 Jun, Tuesday – Up late at 0715 since we didn’t have to be at the HQ until shortly before 0900 when the Penske truck was scheduled to leave for launch with our wings. Oatmeal with mango for a change. At launch I helped launch the Super Clinic students and since they seemed to be soaring in friendly air, I took off at 1250. Almost all launches were from the north launch. I managed to get up over launch by about 400 feet then I headed off toward Rabes Ridge. I had a couple of tip collapses, so apparently the air wasn’t as smooth as it had appeared. I got to the Ridge at about the level of the M/W tower, too low to catch any good lift. I turned back to Hunters and landed short of the upper field, but it was only a short walk to the gate. I packed up in the oak shade just outside the fence. I didn’t have long to wait for a ride up as Sonia showed up with a big pickup truck. Julie and I rode up in the back and talked about our trips to Colombia. [I had launched right after Julie and landed just a moment before her.] The Sprint group was already launching when I got to the launch. C.J. was near the end of the line and the wind switched just as she was ready to go. She went over to the west launch and got off on her second inflation (video on phone). I hung around a while longer helping the Superclinic and hiding out in the shade from the broiling sun. Around 1600 I drove HG Orv’s truck down to the HQ. C.J. had flown to Burnt, Rabes and then, with her back aching, landed at Longsword. It took a while before she got a ride back to HQ, just before I sent her a text asking if she needed a ride. Back at HQ I finished the re-install of my Microsoft Office, probably a waste of time as I have to return this computer to get a new motherboard so that the “sleep” power option will work. Dinner at Red Lily winery at 1830. I had a glass of Red Lily Cuvee and C.J had a Blood Orange Ale (10). The dinner of tri-tip, pulled pork, pork ribs and chicken was very good (15).

Sprint task board for 22 Jun

22 Jun, Wed – We went in a bit early but got up later. The RVHPA members cooked breakfast for all the pilots and volunteers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t well advertised and maybe only 50 [out of the 100 Race and Sprint, 31 Superclinic and maybe 25 volunteers] showed up for the breakfast of eggs, pancakes and sausage patty. We went up on the school bus; I took my wing even though I didn’t expect to fly. I helped out with launching and late in the afternoon I drove the Civil van down with Ken Hudonjorgenson and a few superclinic students. [Four parachute deployments today – the air must have been pretty rough. C.J. flew well, though, completing several of the turnpoints including Mt. Isabella and landing at Longsword.] Back at HQ C.J. and I ate the hamburger-hotdog with salad. I had been thinking about flying the glassoff but it turned out to be too windy (probably). We went back to the yurt and visited with Barbara talking some about the proposed trip to Japan in November.

23 Jun, Thu – After oatmeal with mango and pear we drove in around 0800 to HQ. We checked the scores and C.J. was right in the middle of the group at 26^th place; she was second in the list of women sprint pilots. We rode up on the school bus as usual. There wasn’t anything to do for a volunteer so when C.J. suggested I fly with Michelle and Janie, I started getting ready. The whole group of superclinic students seemed to be getting ready at the same time. I launched at 1100 and found lift out in front which took me to over 4000 ft. Then I pushed across to the M/W tower and came in above it; there was lift as usual and I was able to climb up onto Rabe’s Ridge and then to 5300 in strong (1070 fpm) lift. There were clouds above me but they did not look like the kind that suck you up, nevertheless, I headed to Baldy and arrived above the top and burbled along almost to the Burnt turnpoint. Then I turned south and flew to Mid and then thought about going to Longsword where Kari had reported being at 5400. But there wasn’t any help from thermals as I flew in the direction so I turned back and landed at Hunters (0:35). Michelle and Janie were already packed up. I got a ride back up to launch after dropping off my wing at HQ. C.J. was just getting ready to launch and later I saw her in the gaggle and then forging ahead as the Start window opened. I rode down with Tony from Alberta and ? to HQ. I grabbed a shower while it wasn’t busy (and was still working) then started to record my flight. C.J. called to say she had landed off the main road but only 7 km from the goal at Donato’s. I headed over there with her coordinates but the GPS would not show a road route to her location – apparently the roads/driveways were newer than the GPS database. I tried the car Garmin and Google Maps on my phone but no luck. Finally I hooked up the mobile 2m radio and called her on 146.55Mhz. That lessened some of the frustration but did not get me any closer. Finally she asked the landowner and he gave me his address and directions. It turned out that the access was off Dark Hollow Road and not Pioneer where I was. It was easy then to find the landowner’s driveway which had a couple of big temporary signs (5305). C.J. got a ride out to the road and we headed back via Jacksonville so we could get gas. Unfortunately the one local station was out of regular unleaded; fortunately the pilot we picked up along the road bought us ice cream at Ray’s Market. Back at HQ C.J. uploaded her tracklog and I emptied the garbage cans. Dinner at Longsword  was tacos prepared by a new vendor that Gail was trying out. There were three kinds of seasoned meat, refried beans, Spanish rice and a foil packet of warm 4-inch flour tortillas and a drink (beer or wine) was included (not a small thing since a glass of wine at Longsword usually costs $8). We got back about the same time Barbara did.

24 Jun, Fri – Breakfast and on to HQ, up on the school bus. I hung out waiting for people to start launching then helped fluff wings. Everyone was off by 1300. I drove Sam’s van down to HQ, took a shower and waited to see if C.J. would make it to goal at Donato’s. Nope, she called and said the air had been ugly and she had made a couple of turnpoints but did not want to go way in to Sugar so she landed (to the east!) at Longsword. I went into West Medford to get gas at the Mobil station near Albertson’s – it was a couple miles farther than Jacksonville but the price was 20 cents per gallon cheaper. I bought enough to get us to Roseburg, about 100 miles. C.J. was back by the time I returned but she had misplaced her phone. We looked in her wing pack which was under a pile of wings in the Penske truck with no luck. Then we drove over to Longsword and it was still on the arm of a chair where she must have left it. We hung out there with David Blizzard, Wendy and Kari Castle and David bought us a Fentiman’s Ginger Beer which was good. It was 1630 by then so we went back to the HQ so C.J. could get a shower before we went to the Upper Humbug Fish Fry that Barb, Teri and Geoff were doing for us. Chris arrived a bit late but the corn took a little longer to roast on the charcoal grill anyway. Teri roasted the salmon fillets that Barbara bought at Albertson’s, and there was a kale salad with some lettuce, chopped cashews and nutritional yeast. We brought over our bottle of heavy cream to whip for topping for Teri’s peach and blackberry cobbler. I asked Barbara to take a look at what I was planning to do with the cracked doorstep of the yurt. After cleaning out the crack we were able to clamp it almost closed; maybe putting glue in the crack before we put tighten the clamps and screws will help hold it together. Someone had tried just glue and that had not worked.

RR banner and Ninkasi beer trailer

25 Jun, Sat – Last day of the Rat. I flew early, at 1100, and I still had a big tip collapse. I got up above launch out over the Mid-ridge and tried to go to Rabe’s. I reached the M/W just at the top of the tower and didn’t feel good about flying beyond it, especially as I looked back and saw how far away the bailout LZ was. I made it back into the lower field (NW quadrant) and had a walk to get to the gate. I packed up in the shade then got a ride up with Laura in her Sprinter van with motorcycle and surfboard inside, and Jamie who lives at The Crash Pad. I was in plenty of time to help with launching the Race and Sprint pilots. I drove Sam’s van back to HQ. C.J. called and had had a good flight and had landed in goal (but without completing the course). I drove over to Longsword to pick her up and brought back Jug, also. As dinnertime approached, Gail put out the usual chips and salsa but also a pork pate’ and a tapenade and some other interesting snacks. Dinner was not lasagna this year.

Trophies and local wine prizes

There were big pans of teriyaki chicken, pork and beef. I was serving pulled pork on the second shift. In addition, there were vegetables, Hawaiian rolls and salads. Later, after the awards ceremony there were two big sheet cakes and strawberry shortcake. C.J. was just 37 points out of third place for the Sprint women even though she had been flying only for personal goals, not the whole course. Owen Shoemaker took second for the Race even after having to deploy his reserve on the last day (as did three of the six top finishers. Francisco Montares from Argentina took the top place, Andy McCrae third. After emptying garbage a final time, C.J. and I went back to the yurt.

26 Jun, Sun – After breakfast we moved some furniture and pulled the rug back from the door of the yurt so I could drill holes in the threshold/doorsill with the pockethole drill bit. Chris put the two large clamps on (the other two I brought were not big enough) and closed up the crack after we liberally doused it with waterproof wood glue. I put in five 2½ inch x 8 screws. Hopefully that will hold it together. If not, then next year (or August, if we go to the FFFF) I’ll bring 3-in x 10 screws and more clamps. We started home around 1030, stopped for gas in Roseburg (2.229), a frappe’ in Vancouver and gas again in Tumwater (2.459). It took more than ten hours due to slow traffic on I-5 here and there. Just north of Olympia (exit 111) we got off and took a detour through Yelm, Roy and back to SR 512 to avoid a jam that stretched to Mounts Road (near JBLM). It may not have been any faster but it was interesting and saved on wear and tear due to frustration in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Home around 2030.

Blanchard Bash 2016

3-5 June 2016

C.J. and I have tried to attend the combination DNR Trails Day work party and Blanchard Fly-in every year. This year, unusually, Blanchard did not provide soarable conditions on any of the three days we were there. However, there was good flying at Sumas on Friday as reported by David Le, as well as at Black. Then on Saturday we went with a bunch of paragliders to Black and it was again good with people flying for as long as they wanted and landing in the usual group camp LZ and the larger field across the road from the main entrance to Silver Lake County Park. [Some non-participant pilots launched from Sauk the same day, got up to 11,000 ft along the way and flew all the way across the North Cascades to Mazama!] Sunday was just too hot for us to want to repeat the hour-long trip to Black (and there was the hassle of not having a key), so we headed home early. 

3 Jun, Fri – We left around 1000 with the trailer and didn’t stop for gas in Burlington as we usually do, figuring that we wouldn’t be driving much farther than the launch and LZ at Blanchard. Stacey directed us to our own private site between some trees, leaving the larger spaces for people with large RVs. [Thanks Stacey, for taking time out from prom preparations to be a gracious hostess!]

After getting set up and visiting with some of the locals we rode up to launch with Jan and Murdoch. Conditions looked “OK” but there was some north to the wind. I pulled my wing up and had to abort, and then C.J. managed a forward inflation and launch. But as soon as she got out beyond the trees, it was clear that there was some pretty strong north. She got rock-and-rolled and turned for the LZ. And later she reported that it was strong west, and she had to maneuver herself into a position from which she would not be dragged into the briars and/or RR tracks if she didn’t get her wing collapsed (which she did neatly). I stood on launch a bit but C.J.’s radio report convinced me to pack up. Jan did, too, and we drove back to Beck’s where I got the Sorento and went down to pick up C.J. Tom Lake was there with his French bulldog, along with Jud. No one beside us had been on launch. We hung out around camp the rest of the afternoon and evening, greeting new arrivals as they pulled in. Shawn Lucke, pres of the NCSC, was there so we paid our $25 fly-in donation to him. This year we didn’t go to the Chuckanut Manor for the Friday buffet because we had already done an out-to-eat at the Coho in Issaquah. Instead, we had the rest of our Zucchizza and a salad.

4 Jun, Sat – We got up around 0700 and had breakfast early enough that we could get to the usual meeting place for the DNR work party. As usual there were juice, coffee, various kinds of snack-y bars, fruit, and pastries. I counted about 60 volunteers of which more than 40 were pilots or spouses. Up at the launch we were going to spread out the limbs from three or four felled trees to the left of the new, graded and grassy west launch. But for some reason the trees had not been bucked or limbed. So we ended up just weedwhacking, mowing and generally cleaning up the overlook area. Yaro and I helped David make a tree disappear; he had cut a tallish evergreen that was just to the right of the flight path from the south launch. After that I took a break while helping Paul install additional roll holders for the TP in the rest rooms.

Samish Overlook DNR Work Party - Delvin, C.J., Nancy (By Bonita H)

 By noon we were finished and people were thinking about flying. Hangs were probably going to Lookout and some paras were talking up Black. Fortunately the lunch preparation had gotten an early start so we were able to eat some burgers and brats prepared on Guy’s Bar-B-Choo, plus some salads and desserts. We took David Le with us and headed for the 1400 rendezvous at the LZ with CC and Cathy following. At Silver Lake we loaded CC and Cathy in with us and followed Delvin’s carload up the decent gravel road to the 4600-ft launch. The last mile of the road had some pretty serious waterbars, but only a dozen of them. Conditions looked good and the first person off soared so most people got ready to launch. CC and Cathy flew tandem and went way to the right out of sight, but when we next spotted them they were above the top of the ridge to the north. CC said they had reached 2000 ft over launch. By the time almost everyone had taken off I had decided not to fly so we wouldn’t have to come all the way back up to retrieve just my vehicle. [There were five vehicles, and all but mine had drivers.] It was a half hour down to the red gate at the Mt. Baker Hwy and then another 2.25 mi to Maple Falls. C.J. had landed in the big field, David also. Rick Lai was there with another pilot and wanted to go up to fly but there were no keyholders who wanted to go back up. A call to Jeff Beck gave Delvin permission to loan Jeff’s key to Rick. [Later we heard that they launched around 1930 and had extended sledders.] I stopped in B’ham at Safeway to get some gas (2.549) and then returned to the gathering at the Becks for the salmon and chicken BBQ with potluck salads and desserts (C.J. had brought a big zucchini-chocolatechip-spice cake). The large bonfire with last season’s dried-out Christmas tree on top produced a lot of light and heat, which really was not needed this year.

"Bonbonfire" by Bonita Hobson

5 Jun, Sun – Thinking that folks would want to travel in order to fly, Jeff started the pancake, scrambled eggs, and sausage breakfast early, sometime after 0800. I would have liked to get in a flight but the thought of driving all the way back to Black (about an hour) and waiting until conditions got good later while baking in the unseasonably hot weather was daunting. After waffling for a while and consulting with Chris and Patricia (who had been at Sauk on Saturday) we decided to look one last time at Blanchard launch (we saw a para and two student hangs launch and go directly to the LZ) and then head home early. At least we didn’t have a lot of late Sunday traffic to contend with. We stopped at Costco Burlington to fill-up (2.399) and were home by 1600, giving us plenty of time to unpack and get showers to cool off. Later we heard from Chris, Patricia, Beth and Ernie that flying at Black was not as good as it had been on Saturday.