Volunteering at the Classic and Open

7-11 July 2010

The Chelan Cross Country Classic (CXCC) is the longest running local hang gliding competition in the Northwest (although it now welcomes paragliding participants as well). With its choose-your-own-task format, it flies in the face of the prevailing enthusiasm for race-to-goal competitions. C.J. and I have not competed in the CXCC in years but we have served as launch directors for part of the last several meets. This year we chose to be there for the last two days of the Classic and the first couple of days of the Open. The Chelan Open is a paraglider race-to-goal comp organized by Doug Stroup of Aerial Paragliding in Cashmere. This year it is also the first of a series of two National Championship meets, the next one to be held in September at Sun Valley.

7 July, Wed - After flying at Tiger the day before, we took a late start and stopped for a picnic dinner under some pines on the way up Blewett Pass. As volunteers, we got to stay at Tom and Lori's Chelan home with the meet directors, Peter and Naomi, and scorekeepers, Terry and Xan. Rigid-wing pilot Mike Daily and April were also staying there so it was a pretty full house.

8 July, Thu - On launch there was a mix of hang glider competitors with a few PG competitors and, as expected, a fairly large number of PG free-flyers who were getting in some practice days before the Open. I stayed on the main Between-the-Rocks launch (photo, left, G in his launch director costume) while C.J. dealt with launchers on Ants, and later on Green Monster. After a generally uneventful day (well, there was one HG who crashed without injury just below the takeoff), C.J. geared up and launched off Lakeside where the wind was blowing straight in, unusual for 1600 on a July day. I hopped in the Trooper to chase her because she was getting high above the Butte and she had another pilot, Roger, to go with. Unfortunately, she did not find enough lift above Farnham Canyon to make it worthwhile pushing farther onto the Flats, so she came back to land at the soccer field. Back at the house we helped Xan prepare grilled peppers and chicken parmigana for the group dinner. Peter and Naomi arrived late having flown tandem across the Columbia to Sims Corner.

9 July, Fri - There were even more paragliders today and inevitably some friction with the hang glider competitors. (photo, left, C.J. and CJ Brockway) Still, everyone got launched safely. We both decided not to fly as the wind had picked up and we wanted to be ready to help at the pizza party in the soccer field pavilion. Naomi had estimated 50 people. Lori and Debbi weren't so sure about that and bought food and drinks for a bunch more people. However, many folks had already headed for home and most of the paragliders had a required pilots meeting at Campbells at the same time as the party. So, when we were cleaning up, there was a bunch of salad, chips and pizza, not to mention sodas, to take back to Tom and Lori's.

10 July, Sat - C.J. as the emcee for the 0930 CXCC awards ceremony in Lakeside Park used the same plan she used last year. She asked each recipient to tell about their best flight or most interesting event during the week. The attendees provided a small but attentive audience. After the short ceremony, C.J. and I drove up the Butte with Chad Bastian and Bob Peloquin from Santa Barbara, who had placed first and third respectively in the PG class. The Butte looked altogether different for the Open: there were shade structures for the lunch line, the big Red Bull tent, a portable wooden shed for overnight storage, PA/music speakers with a generator to run the sound system, and a set of railings to define the launch line. In addition, the two main launches were covered with pieces of carpet. Kari Castle was the safety director and Zach was in charge of the launch helpers/monitors. We pitched in to help on launch after the short pilots meeting. Launches went well until someone had a collapse and crashed below the rocky point on the left of Between-the -Rocks. Zach and an emergency room nurse (and Doug) dealt with the injury while we continued launching people. Eventually the ambulance/aid car arrived and the injured pilot was carried out and taken to the hospital (to be released after being checked). The task was Butte-Coulee City-Almira and about 60 of the 102 pilots made it in to goal. After everyone was launched C.J. and I drove down and cleaned up a bit then went to the Four Lakes Winery outside of Manson where Val was playing and singing for the stream of wine-tasting visitors. On the way back to the house we picked up a rotisserie chicken for the main dish for us, Peter and Naomi and Zach. We used some of the salad and veggies from the party as well.

11 July, Sun - We got up to launch in time for the pilots meeting. Few wind dummies flew and those that did sank out pretty quickly. Dave Wheeler finally launched and showed that it was soarable...barely. Most launches were from the Green Monster and, as it got windier, the takeoffs got more and more "interesting", especially the skinny comp wings like the Ozone R 10.2. There were a number of pilots flying away from launch with cravats after wrestling with their wings. Around 1330 the wind gusts increased in severity and at 1340 Doug closed the launch but did not stop the task. There were a fair number of competitors who did not launch including Mer and CJ Brockway. We decided to head home since we were all packed up so we took the alternate route down the Butte from the saddle coming out on SR 97A above the tunnel. The route passed through large swaths of flowers on a Butte that was still green even this late in the season. The fire in Swakane Canyon that had started the day before was still burning as we passed by and at least five helicopters were dipping up water from Entiat Lake just above Rocky Reach Dam. We stopped to get some cherries after turning off US 2 but apparently this year cherries are scarce (and more expensive) so we bought some apricots instead. There were no traffic slowdowns anywhere so we were home in plenty of time to make dinner (of more leftovers from the party!).

Rat Race and Bay Area Trip

June 11-25 2010

This was C.J.'s eighth year of attendance at the Rat Race, a paragliding competition held at Woodrat Mountain in southern Oregon. She's the only competitor who can claim the distinction of having been to every Rat Race since it was started by Dixon White and Mike Hailey. This year she had a new (very new, having flown it only once) Golden3 and turned in her best performance yet. Naturally I had a bit of wing envy, but an extension of our trip to the Bay Area and Wally Anderson's Merlin Flight School would give me a chance to demo a new wing for myself. [Of course, the extension was billed as a family get-together with C.J.'s siblings Ginny and Bill.]

11 Jun, Fri - Packed and out by 1000, we stopped only for gas in Covington and a couple of rest stops and gas again in Eugene (much fewer gas stops when we aren't pulling the Aliner!). A traffic jam caused both by a raised bridge on the Columbia River and by an accident in the northbound (!) lanes slowed us down in the Portland area but we reached the Ruch, OR, Rat Race HQ by 1830. After registering we drove through the Applegate Valley and up Humbug Creek to the huge yurt that Barbara Summerhawk graciously lets us use when we are in the area. While the calendar said it was June, the temperatures were such that we spent considerable time trying to get the propane fireplace to work. (The pilot light would ignite but then would not stay on even though there seemed to be plenty of propane.) Chris Ammondsen joined us after we had prepared dinner (outside) and eaten (inside). We piled up the quilt and down comforter on the futon mattress and expected a chilly morning.

12 Jun, Sat - It was cold enough for fleece jackets, wind pants and hats when we got up but the sun warmed things up fairly early - good thing because the practice day pilots meeting (photo, left) was at 0930. By the time we got there at 0900, the parking lot was full (We later found out that there was plenty of room but people had blocked access to additional area) and we had to park near the entrance. There were a lot of first-timers at the meeting and there were lots of rules to go over by Nick Greece and Jeff Farrel who were standing in for Mike while he and Gail were at her son's graduation. We took the small bus to launch with our gear and there was another meeting. I launched about 1230 and, although I got up over 5K and crossed to Rabe's Ridge, I ended up in the LZ in 30 min having found only bubbles of lift. I lucked into a ride to launch with some Colorado pilots but then decided not to fly in midday conditions with the big gaggles. I helped spread wings on launch until all the competitors were off and drove a vehicle down to the LZ. The Civil van got me back to HQ where C.J. reached me on our usual ham frequency after she landed at Longsword. She had had a good day. Later I attended the briefing for us volunteers and then there was a baked potato w/toppings dinner including salads, and margaritas in a 5 gal cooler. C.J. helped clean up in the kitchen while I did my assigned garbage duties around HQ. When we got back to the yurt we stopped to see Terri Becker, Barbara's neighbor and "yurt manager". She didn't have any more luck than we did getting the fireplace to light. But the temperature seemed to be warmer than the previous night.

13 Jun, Sun - It wasn't quite as cold in the morning either. We got to HQ a bit earlier and snagged the same parking spot. Then there was a looong meeting in which Mike went over the same rules again plus assigned mentors and other stuff. The little bus appeared to be full so we took the big school bus instead, with thanks to Dave Norwood who put our wings in his truck for the trip to the top. I was going to take off before the launch window opened but I was a little late and ended up helping lay out wings on launch until 1400. When I launched I was thinking about trying to fly to the day's goal at Purcell up toward Applegate Lake. At first everything was working well, I got up, crossed to Rabe's and got up again to 5600'. Then I headed SE thinking I'd top up at Squires Peak but there was no lift to be had and I slowly slid down the west face of the ridge. If there had not been a few pockets of lift out in the valley I would not have made it to Longsword and a free glass of wine. Even better, while I was waiting C.J. called on 146.55 with the news that she had made goal! Finally back at HQ, C.J. checked in and I did my garbage thing. On the way to the yurt, the check engine light came on and the cruise light began blinking. Uh oh!

14 Jun, Mon - C.J. got a lot of attention at the Pilots Meeting today for being the second-highest scoring woman (Mer was #1), for making goal for the first time at the Rat Race, for being the HG&PG Magazine editor-emeritus, and for presenting Mike and Gail with a handmade t-shirt quilt. Because it was overcast and almost drizzling, we didn't go to launch until 1100 or so. [I called Eastside Subaru to ask what was up with the check engine light. They said to give it a couple of days or several trips but get concerned if it starts blinking.] It was pretty chilly on launch what with the wind and lack of sunshine but it gradually cleared. Launch window was set to open at 1340 and I launched just before that. I found lift on the spine then lost it and had to fly out to the mid launch to find a good thermal. Near cloudbase at 5000' I flew to Rabe's but found no lift there and returned to land at the LZ (where 80% of the competitors ended up as well). I walked back to the HQ and hung out until C.J. called on our ham radio frequency from the LZ where she had landed after conditions became scary. I picked her up and we stayed around HQ until 1800 when we went back to the yurt for dinner. as soon as the sun went down it started getting cold again and we thought it might get even colder than the first night if there were no clouds.

15 Jun, Tue - Fiasco Winery, run by Dave Palmer, a longtime HG pilot and current president of the Rogue Valley club, provided a pancake and ham breakfast for the Rat Race at the winery. We had the Pilots Meeting also and loaded on to the shuttles there. Since the weather was predicted to get windy (as if yesterday hadn't been windy enough), an early launch time was set and all pilots had to land by 1530. I launched at 1140, climbed up on the spine and crossed to Burnt where I got under the clouds (This was the first time I remember seeing Mt. Shasta while flying at Woodrat) . After almost sinking out I got back to 5400' near the edge of the cloud and gave up any chance of returning to the LZ by turning north and following the day's task toward Jacksonville. Once I got over the town the lift quit and I had to pick out a place to land. No one seemed to be flying any flags so I picked the wrong direction but a good location, landing in a grassy park. A local retiree came over to talk and offered me a ride back to my car which was still at the winery. Whoo hoo! A good day for me since most competitors and wind techs did not make it out of the LZ. I picked up C.J. then went to the HQ for a while to check in and download tracklogs. we went back to the yurt to rest and clean up before dinner at Las Palmas in Jacksonville. Good dinner, friendly staff. Most of the competitors and volunteers attended, maybe because it was such a short day. Before the dinner C.J. and I attended Jeff Farrell's presentation on using the speed bar - even modern 1-2 wings now have a better glide when using speed between thermals, he said. On the way back to the yurt we stopped at HQ so I could empty the garbage cans. It was another cold night but still comfortable for sleeping.

16 Jun, Wed - It was cold enough for long underwear and I was glad to have it on the windy launch under mostly overcast skies. At the pilots meeting at HQ Mike reported that seven pilots had landed in a forbidden field at the foot of the Poormans waypoint. He then passed the hat to collect some money to buy something to placate the landowner; later we heard $418 had been donated. I launched at 1250 just before the launch window opened and had to go all the way out to mid launch before finding a thermal that took me to 5000'. I crossed to Rabe's and more lift there let me push in farther to the 2K cylinder around the RABPK turnpoint. Unfortunately there wasn't any more lift as I headed back out and I barely cleared Rabe's Ridge. I continued sinking until I thought I'd have to land on the hillside but just before the last chance I caught something and climbed 500 ft , enough to glide to the LZ and search for lift along the way. There wasn't any and I landed going toward the mountain. After getting a ride to HQ I decided to go into Medford and see about getting new tires, buy fruit, a camp stove lighter and deposit some checks. At Costco the tire salesman said I still had three to four thirty-seconds of tread and could probably get through the summer. But he strongly recommended that I get the 98H Performance tires when I did replace my tires, otherwise there would be no warranty. When I checked my mobile, I found a voice mail from C.J. that she had made goal at Donatos! Back at HQ I dumped the garbage and then googled "check engine light" - there were various opinion. Back at the yurt later I disconnected the battery overnight to wipe out the error code in the vehicle computer. If the light comes back on I'll have to consider finding a Subaru repair shop.

17 Jun, Thu - Today was warmer and the task committee called a fishbowl with a dogleg to goal at Donatos via Jville LZ. I launched at noon and didn't get up again until mid launch, crossed to Rabe's at 5K and slid back to the LZ. Fortunately, I got a low save at the soarable LZ and climbed to Burnt then across to Rabe's and thermalled out toward Flyair with the thought of going to Longsword. Instead I crossed back to mid and climbed to 6K and considered trying for Jville LZ. By the time I had reached Burnt I had sunk to ridgetop level so I turned around and landed in the LZ in switching winds. I waited at HQ until C.J. called from Longsword then drove out there and hung out for a while. Back at HQ we found out that a pilot, who we feared might be our friend Steve T, had sustained a back injury near Donatos. We went back to the yurt to clean up for the dinner at Fiasco catered by the Dewey Bridge Store - fried chicken, beans, salads and chocolate sheet cake. While we were eating a number of people flying the glassoff landed in the Fiasco fields in pretty strong west winds. Good news: the check engine light has not come back on since I reconnected the battery.

18 Jun, Fri - This was the first day that a task was called to the west (Bald Hill back to Donatos). I launched in normal conditions at 1200 and left the small gaggle to get out front under some clouds. Unfortunately there was no lift beneath them and my line to the microwave tower on Rabe's did not hit any lift either. I turned back to the LZ and my GPS indicated a ground speed of 58 kph. When I turned into the wind at the east side of the LZ my speed dropped to less than 1 kph. Oops! I used the speed bar to creep into the field and then it took quite a while to get down from 200 ft. I used the D-lines to douse the wing when I touched the ground but it wasn't all that windy at ground level. Other wind techs reported the conditions (plus a tree landing above the Rottweiler field) back to Mike at launch and the day was put on hold, then the turnpoint was changed from Bald to Isabelle, then the task was canceled. I got a ride back to HQ with Robyn Orr and the Bay Area pilot wind techs and waited for C.J. to get down. We hung out at HQ for the rest of the day and ate dinner there to contribute to the Hunter scholarship fund. We got back to the yurt around 1830 and saw a turkey on the way. The check engine light remained off.

19 Jun, Sat - Mike had a "volunteer appreciation day" at the meeting in the morning. We all got a bottle of Fiasco claret and a Starbucks card. Being a volunteer is already a good deal and Gail had made it even sweeter this year by comping us for the two Rat Race dinner parties. Clouds lifted and broke as we got to launch. The task was the same as on Friday (Isabelle to Donatos). I launched at 1207, got low a couple of times and climbed back in big thermals both times. Then I crossed to Rabe's high and pushed up the ridge above 5000', deciding I'd turn back at 4500 - it was upwind to the 3K cylinder around MT_ISA and I couldn't reach it (Pilots that did later reported having to try five times before finally getting inside the cylinder.) I headed back but found enough lift to maintain and caught a good thermal over China Gulch to 6K. I thought about flying the rest of the course but by the time I reached Burnt I was below the ridgetop. Trying for Longsword I overflew the Hunter LZ and ran into big sink. I had to turn back to the LZ but, as usual in the afternoon, it was soarable and I climbed out enough to easily make Longsword. The west wind had picked up in the valley and there was a tandem landing at the same time, but it's a big, clean field and I had no problem. As soon as I got packed up I caught a ride with Robyn and some of the Bay Area pilots back to HQ. C.J. called later to say she had landed in Forest Creek Canyon and I drove out there to pick her up. Back at HQ there were drinks and snacks and then the Awards Dinner. I helped serve the lasagna, of which there was not enough so the portions kept getting smaller. There was also other pasta, salads (one made of greens from Gail's garden), and garlic bread. Raven made a bunch of decorated cupcakes for dessert. Outside there was a new refrigerated beer keg, and a cooler each of margaritas and Rat Race rum punch. The awards ceremony (photo, left, C.J. and the other women top finishers) was fairly low key this year - maybe it was too cold to throw people in the pool or maybe they weren't drunk enough to tackle big Jack Brown, the Open class, Masters class,and Region One winner. After I emptied garbage one last time we headed back to the yurt around 2230.

20 Jan, Sun - Since we didn't have to get to a pilots meeting, we scrambled up some eggs for breakfast, then packed, cleaned the yurt and hit the road (not much later than 0915). The Costco in Redding did not have a gas station so we went all the way to Williams and arrived with the tank just about empty. At the Soaring Center we ran into Bill, C.J.'s brother, right away and then Ginny. After Bill and Ginny did a tandem sailplane flight without finding much lift, C.J. and Ginny went up and managed to soar around for an hour. Meanwhile I went to get gas thinking that the Pilot station with relatively low-priced gas was just south of Williams. After driving ten miles I realized that it must be just south of Dunnigan, instead. Oh well, the gas really was a lot cheaper than at the stations in Williams. When I got back to the gliderport, Ginny had organized a barbecue dinner for us and the crew. Wally arrived just in time to get some dinner. Afterward we had ice cream, fresh fruit and whipped cream in Bills house. C.J. and I slept in the bunkhouse where it was a bit warm but cooled off enough for a quilt or down comforter by morning.

21 Jun, Mon - Ginny provided us with a nice scramble for breakfast and we looked at weather - windy already at the gliderport and forecast windy at upper levels - not good for our planned itinerary of flying Wally's demo Mistral 6 at Potato Hill. So we hung out at the airport until about 1100 and then followed Wally down I-5 and on to the the east Bay where the wind was kicking up lots of whitecaps. However when we reached the coast at Pacifica, the wind was much less strong, but quite south. Still, it looked good enough to carry our gear to "Jungle", a launch above "Walkers" located in a narrow crease in the unstable hillside with ice plant above and tall bushes and trees below. (photo left, above - Wally and G at The Dump) When Max, an Australian, launched and began soaring, Wally suggested I go next. It took me three tries to get off because I kept losing the brake toggles (stiffer than the ones on my Dragon2). But finally I launched and climbed out in ridge lift. Since we had seen some high wind, I was careful to stay below the top of the cliffs and didn't go around the corner where the slopes faced more west. I landed when the fourth pilot launched into what seemed to me a pretty narrow lift band and C.J. brought the lunch she had made out to "Tomcat" launch. We followed Wally back along the coast route to the Golden Gate Bridge, thus avoiding much of the rush hour traffic. Ginny had finished what she was doing at the gliderport and had gotten home not long before us.

22 Jun, Tues - Ginny had to go to work early and, since the weather was lousy, we hung around the house until around 1400 when we went with Wally to Pacifica again. We had our wings with us but Wally was in business mode: delivering a wing and reserve to a student. After rigging the speed bar and packing the reserve Wally gave the student an intro tour of "The Dump". Clearly we had made the right choice because no one was flying (except one guy at "Cheetah"). It was foggy, and 30 deg. colder at the coast than at San Anselmo. On the way home we stopped to pick up a Papa Murphy pizza, some salad makings and ice cream at Bon Air in Corte Maders and got home just before Ginny.

23 Jun, Wed - The plan for breakfast was to meet Ginny and C.J.'s cousin Scott at Dipsea Cafe in Corte Madera. On the way there in Ginny's Forester, we got rear-ended by a Volvo. No one was hurt and surprisingly Ginny's vehicle was not damaged and the other car had only a damaged headlight or turn signal. Breakfast was good and the cafe was a Marin-original with a decor that harkened back to when the county was primarily farmland. We stopped at AAA on the way back and then headed home to get ready to go to Mt. Diablo at 1300. We met Bob Clem, the site coordinator, at the LZ (1000' MSL) around 1430, checked it out, and drove to the Junction Ranger Station to sign in. From there we drove to Juniper Campground which is about two miles from the summit. The launch is right there (2850' MSL) so we filled out forms and signed waivers and got our helmet stickers (good indefinitely). Bob launched first and had a pretty short flight to the LZ. I took off next (1610)(photo left - G' and new Mistral6) and worked spotty lift but couldn't maintain or climb. As I was approaching the LZ over Poker Table Flat, I caught the first good thermal so far and was able to climb almost back to launch . C.J. came out to join me(photo left - C.J. launching new Golden3) and Wally launched. I didn't hang onto the thermal and had to head back out to the LZ where it was a bit difficult to get down. But landing on the sloping, grassy ridge wasn't too hard even without a usable wind streamer. C.J. landed pretty soon after me and then Wally. When Ginny got back from taking Bob to his car at the campground, we drove to San Anselmo to a great little Thai restaurant, Lanna Thai. Back at Wally's I did some car packing and got cleaned up in preparation for leaving on Thursday.

24 Jun, Thu - Ginny cooked another egg-and-veggie scramble before she had to take off for work. We cleaned up a little, finished packing the car, and said goodbye to Wally, who found a Swing T-shirt for C.J. We left shortly after 0900 and stopped for gas at Costco Vacaville. Then we pretty much drove straight through to Medford with one stop to view Shasta Lake with its unusually high water at Turntable Bay(photo, left). After a couple more rest stops and a disappointing drive through Yreka in search of a DQ, we reached Medford and got gas at Costco and some groceries (and a very berry sundae). After a stop for fresh strawberries on the way to Ruch, we drove out to the yurt for the night.

25 Jun, Fri - We ate breakfast in Barbara's cabin which was still warm from yesterday's heat. After stopping to chat with Teri, we drove to Rat Race HQ to pick up Meredyth's first place trophies for 2009 and 2010. We took the Old Stage Road from Jacksonville to I-5 as directed by "Sheila", the GPS. Gas in Wilsonville at Costco then through some slightly slow traffic in Portland. We ran into really slow traffic from the Nisqually River to Fort Lewis as a result of a fatal accident near Bridgeport Ave. Costco Covington provided us with a rotisserie chicken for dinner and then we were home by 1910. Another adventure successfully concluded!

The Southwest 2010

23 May - 3 June

I had really thought that C.J. and I might get away to the SW in late April or early June to visit some of the national parks that we missed last year. This time we would have the Aliner and the weather wouldn't matter as much. However, what with "this and that" it didn't happen and we were beginning to think it was late enough to consider going to Vancouver Island for a week or so. In mid-May the weather turned back to almost-winter with snow on our backyard 4000-ft Mt. Si and rain - lots of rain - in the lowlands. Scott Ernst and Robin Hastings, pilots from New Mexico were enthusiastic about the Memorial Day Dry Canyon Fly-in at Alamogordo so,when I got home Friday from a subbing assignment, I strongly suggested that we get out of the gloom and leave for NM on Sunday. C.J. was up for it and managed to pack just about everything we would need into the Outback and trailer even though she was working on two big projects at the time. Hopefully she could get the Foundation article done while on the road, and the Rat Race quilt could be finished when she got home.

23 May, Sun - We left in the rain at 1000 (photo left); there was fresh snow on the mountains as we went over Snoqualmie Pass. Costco gas in Yakima seemed to be low quality or something else was causing our poor gas mileage. We had to stop and buy more gas in Baker City (at typical inflated central Oregon prices). It was early enough as we passed my planned overnight stop at Weiser that we continued on to Boise and parked for the night at the Walmart on Fairview.

24 May, Mon - We left around 0900 for Sierra Trading Post where C.J. found good deals on pants, socks and Tevas; I bought some much needed new slippers (Acorn) - all at 20% off the STP discounted price. Then we went to the World Center for Birds of Prey ($9 w/AAA discount) and lucked into a tour with a knowledgeable docent. He had a harrier to show (named Potter!) and a couple of videos. We were trying to do activities that kept us somewhat separated from the elementary school field trip. Outside we saw a Bateleur Eagle with a bright red face cough up a pellet. Also in outside cages were a bald eagle, another eagle with a fancy crest and a peregrine falcon. Later we were led to the library and falconry archives building where all things falconry were displayed. There was also a wing where a full size Bedouin (Bedu) goat hair tent was set up along with wax figures of Arab falconers. We were about museum-ed out by noon and did not drive out to the Snake River Birds of Prey Conservation Area, saving that for another time. The next stop was at Costco in Twin Falls for gas and then a bit of a detour to Shoshone Falls (photo left, below)(no charge - Golden Access card got us in even though it's a city park, not a U.S. gov't facility). From there we headed east a ways and turned S on I-84 over Sweetzer Summit. We ran into some rain and some lumpy rain but it cleared as we came out of the mountains. A stop at the Welcome center didn't profit us as it had closed fifteen minutes earlier. We drove on through Salt Lake City around 1900 so there wasn't much rush hour traffic, and stopped for a Costco hot dog dinner in Sandy. Checking the GPS we found a Walmart in Orem and stopped there for the night around 2030. It was colder than the previous night but Timpanogos and the other high Wasatch Mountains were beautiful in the evening sun with a thick coat of new snow.(photo, left, below: Our Aliner at Orem Walmart could fit inside the neighboring motorhome)

25 May, Tues - We left Orem about 0900, left I-15 at Spanish Fork and headed up into the hills. At the big landslide near Thistle we left route 6 and headed south to Fairview. Climbing steeply out of Fairview the Outback began to overheat and we stopped to let it cool. The 9600 ft pass was well up in the snow covered mountains, surprising for so late in the season. We stopped for a break at Huntington Reservoir and again at a power plant/coal mine on the outskirts of Huntington. At the town we turned west for a few miles before joining I-70 for the trip over the San Rafael Swell, a scenic route, for sure. We stopped at three View Areas. Only the last one, Spotted Wolf, had no vendors of Indian jewelery/pottery. Back on the flats we stopped for gas at Green River ($3.07) then turned south for Arches NP. The "campground full" sign was out so we had to find a BLM site along the Colorado R. about 6 miles up SR 128. [Apparently all the campsites in Arches are now available by reservation so there is rarely a site unfilled.] After setting up around 1730 we headed back to Arches, made a quick stop at the VC then drove out to Wolfe Ranch and hiked 1.5 mi across the slickrock to Delicate Arch. There were a surprising number of folks, maybe 100, there waiting for the good light near sunset. We left before the sun had set but it was dark when we stopped at the VC again to fill our water containers. And dinner wasn't until pretty close to 2200.

26 May, Wed - The nighttime temperatures were comfortable and the midges went away after dark, mostly. We got up at 0730 as the sun crested the rim surprisingly early. We were on our way to the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park by 0900. On the way up we stopped at a viewpoint, then briefly at the VC for a trail map and to fill our big water jug. From there we drove to the south end of the park, Grand View (The Colorado had been called the Grand above the confluence with the Green before it was renamed.) We took our time getting our hiking gear sorted out so that we could catch the 1130 ranger talk on geology (wrapped around the story of Powell's first trip through the area). After that we hiked about a mile to the west looking down on the White Rim mesa (and the 100 mi road that follows its edge). When we got back we drove to Buck Canyon overlook for a scenic lunch spot. The wind had been gusty all day with big lenticular clouds to the north. That didn't keep us from going up to the north end of the park and hiking the 0.8 mi Upheaval Dome trail (although we met others who had turned back due to the wind). This time of year must be the prime time for visitors in the Utah canyonlands - last night there had been no parking spaces left at Delicate Arch and there had been a crowd at the arch itself, and today there were lots of people on the trails although it didn't feel crowded. Actually the parking areas at the trailheads are pretty small compared to most of the other parks we've been to - I'm glad we weren't dragging the trailer and expecting to park. There were tons of motor homes however, many of them rentals. On the drive back we detoured through the Willow Flat CG - small and full as of midmorning - and stopped at the VC to buy postcards and to watch the video. By then it was after 1700 so we drove out of Canyonlands and down to Arches to visit the VC there until it closed at 1830. Back at camp there was plenty of hot water in the solar shower for cleanup. I put a strap over the Aliner roof just in case the winds (photo, left, below: high wind lenticular clouds) got any stronger. [While at Arches VC I called for reservations for tomorrow night at "Mom and Pops RV Park" in Farmington NM, and Friday night at Edgington's RV in Alamogordo - no problem, lots of room and inexpensive, unlike the Moab area where everything is full up and expensive (well, the BLM sites weren't pricey at $4 per night with our "Golden Geezer pass)(and they weren't fancy, either, with open air toilets (photo, left below)). We needed to recharge the battery and C.J.'s cell phone (I had no coverage in most of the SW on my AT&T pay-as-you-go mobile.) after a four days of boondocking.] It was pretty hot in the Sport even with the fan, but too windy and/or buggy to eat outdoors. C.J. put away the fleece sleeping bags and put sheets on the bed with the quilt available if it cooled off (it did).

27 May, Thu - Since we were so concerned about the wind picking up before we took down the roof on the Aliner, we got up a little earlier and were on the road by 0815. We bought some $2.979 gas at Maverick in Moab and then climbed steadily but slowly to over 7000 ft before heading down a bit to Monticello (6000') where we stopped at the excellent TI for water and to check the radiator since the engine temperature was near the red area even though the ambient temp was only in the 60s. The coolant level was fine. We picked up some freebies including some info on Hovenweep, stopped for groceries, then drove on passing through Blanding before turning E off the main highway. The roads into and out of Hovenweep National Monument are now almost completely paved despite the map information and we reached the VC before noon. After watching the orientation video (using headsets) we set off on the two mile walk around Little Ruin Canyon which houses the Square House group of ruins. Many of the towers were still partially standing and we got a bunch of photos (photos, left, above: Twin Towers and a collared lizard). It was windy(photo, left, below at VC) which was a good thing because the temps were now in the low 90s and it was midge season so there were clouds of gnats. Trying to stop in the rare shade of a juniper was a losing proposition so we ended up having lunch on the shady patio of the VC. By 1415 we were back on the road taking the sort-of scenic road east through McElmo Canyon. We skipped Cortez, CO, and turned south toward NM. Just before the border in Towaoc we stopped at the Ute Mountain Casino Mobil station for gas ($2.799). On the way to Shiprock, the city located east of the famous landmark volcanic neck, it finally got hot enough to turn on the A/C. It worked for a while but then stopped putting out cold air. Apparently the A/C turns off if the engine temperature gets near or above the 3/4 mark on the gauge. So we drove on with the windows down enough to provide some cooling. It was only 28 mi from Shiprock to Farmington and we got to Mom and Pop's RV Park by 1700. It was a gravel and asphalt lot in the south end of town but cost only $20. That garrulous park owner casts metal toy soldiers as a hobby and has quite a display, plus a big model RR in his yard. We charged C.J.'s cell, the trailer battery, and we could have run the trailer A/C if we had needed it. When I checked the car coolant level it seemed a bit low so I added more water. The transmission oil cooler may be a problem since it blocks the flow of air for the driver's side radiator. Or maybe the car is overheating just because it's hot. We got our chairs out and sat in the shade of the next-door RV enjoying some chips and salsa and cold drinks (the refrigerator is working fine on 12V - and on 120V, and propane, too). The wind helped keep the temperature bearable. During the night there were several gusts that rocked the trailer so we got up and used the 3/8" goldline to secure the roof. There were some other loud noises occasionally but we slept okay considering that we were right in the city. [In fact, it was quieter than it had been near Moab where noisy trucks or motorcycles on Rte 128 had disturbed our sleep occasionally.]

28 May, Fri - We were awake and on the road pretty early, 0830. The wind was really strong as we turned south causing our gas mileage to be really lousy. We had to stop twice for gas, once in Cuba (2.749?) then in Carizozo where weekenders were lining up for middle-of-nowhere prices (2.939). Not only was the mileage poor but the car was always close to overheating. We stopped at a rest area for a lunch break 60 mi south of Albuquerque and again while crossing the San Andres Mountains west of Carizozo. From there it was mostly level or downhill to Alamogordo so the engine temp dropped and we were able to run the A/C. We checked in to Edgington RV Park just north of Alamogordo then drove to the LZ (easy to find: N32* 55,706 W105* 56.722). PG Had, his wife Marilyn from El Paso, and Greg, a relatively new HG from Albuquerque were there waiting for others while keeping in the shade of the large open-sided structure in the parking lot. Lee and Erica showed up later as did Terry Kowing, now living in Tucson (Sherry was back in their room at the Satellite Motel). (photo, left of G, T & S, on Sat) Scott Ernst had called us as we were enroute from Carizozo wanting to know if his truckload of pilots should wait for us to arrive; we said, "No". There was big development over the Sacramento Mountains to the east with virga and gusty winds blowing from the launch. [Later Scott reported over-the-back at 10 mph.] We bagged it after hanging around for a while and drove through town, got cash from a Wells Fargo ATM and had early dessert at Caliche's, a frozen custard drive-in. Back at camp C.J. prepared a chef's salad to eat outside in the shade of the planted trees. I spent some time looking over routes back to North Bend, and setting up the new REI shade shelter for a trial run. There were too many midges to eat outside so we moved inside and ran the A/C for a while (We are allowed 20 kwh per day and had no idea how much the A/C used - not much at all, as it turned out). Later I connected to the RV park Wi-Fi, checked email and requested a trip routing from Good Sam. It was cool enough for comfortable sleeping and there was even a sprinkle of rain during the night.

29 May, Sat - We got up early enough to get to the LZ at 0800 to meet with the PG group who wanted to be on the top by 0900. We met Jeff and Jay and Jim and Greg and rode up with Jeff along with Scott and Terry. It's a rough road once you get off the pavement and definitely requires a 4WD, preferably something big. From the HG launch and parking it's a 10 min walk through the brush and down a steep face to the PG TO. The wind was blowing in pretty strong so after the first HG took off I let a few other PGs go first. I launched about 1008 and flew to the right to the house thermal just left of the HG ramp but the lift was mostly ridge. From 6900' at launch I got 300 over a few times but traffic was pretty heavy and unorganized so I headed to the lower ridge closer to the LZ (a big stretch to make at 8-to-1 and 3.6 mi from the TO). After crossing a ravine and some low stuff I found lift on the point. A thermaling falcon (?) showed lift farther out and I went for it. The resulting thermal got me over 7600' which was as good as anyone got this morning. Looking back behind launch I could see overdevelopment and virga so I headed for the LZ, still 6:1 away. Making it to the huge, grassy landing area was easy only because there was lift over Scenic Drive (the road that loops around the east side of town to the Space History Museum and hospital). The LZ was thermally as well but I had to get down quickly because there were two PG and one HG also inbound behind me. Robin Hastings was there operating the Dry Canyon Control Tower on the radio (151.925 Mhz) and lots of pilots had landed and were landing. C.J. and I signed up for the fly-in ($40) but didn't bother collecting a flour bag for the bomb drop. After hanging around for a while we drove to Walmart to restock our Triscuit supply and pick up fruit, cheap avocados, pop and cereal. We had lunch at Quiznos whose billboards had been promising better subs than Subway (they were); the launch and some hang gliders were visible from the patio where we ate. Since we weren't going to fly in middle-of-the-day conditions in the high desert, we decided to visit White Sands National Monument, about 15 miles to the west. It was 93 deg F according to the car thermometer and the sun was glaringly bright on the gypsum sand dunes. We saw the film, visited the small museum, and then took the 16 mi RT drive into the heart of the dune field where almost nothing grows. Along the way we walked the Interdune Boardwalk and got some photos of Soaptree Yucca (photo, left). C.J. later got pics of blooming soaptree yucca, ocotillo and cholla (photo left, below: blooming cholla). It appears that we were in the desert at exactly the right time. After stopping at the Visitor Center on the way back to refill our water bottles with cool water we headed back to the LZ. We probably should have gone the extra 20 miles to see the Missile Park at White Sands Missile Range it was too hot for us Northwesterners. After checking on the plan for the evening we went back to camp to get showers and rest. We paid for two more nights even though we could have camped at the LZ for free (but without showers or shade). The A/C cooled down the trailer but we still decided to sit outside in the breeze. Around 1900 we drove north about 4.5 mi to an outdoor gathering at George and Velma Woodcock's house. Just as we arrived a hang glider was "parked" and trying to set up to land in strong, gusty winds. He had gotten to 12,500' and another pilot had flown up to Tularosa and back to Alamogordo. Our hosts served a bunch of elkmeat tacos along with a huge vat of beans, and this wasn't even the official fly-in party. We left around 2030 to get away from the loud music and threat of karaoke, a privilege of geezerhood.

30 May, Sun -0800 meeting again and we rode up with Scott. 0900 at launch but conditions were light and people were sinkinmg out all over the brush-covered slopes below launch. When I moved my gear I must have pulled the bite valve off my Playpus so there was water everywhere. I finally found my valve down inside my harness and the low humidity and hot sun dried my stuff quickly. Dried me, too, so I hiked back up to the hang launch to refill the Platypus from Scott's water jug. People including C.J. finally launched and some reported turbulent air (not C.J.). Had specifically said that flying after 1130 was a bad idea. so Jeff___ and I hiked back to the trucks. Jeff left his wing at the PG launch for the evening flight but I carried mine up the steep trail not sure if there would be an evening flight. C.J. landed in a clearing not far from the road at the base of the mountain and got a ride back to the LZ. Since none of the hang pilots wanted me to drive their vehicles down, I rode down in Scott's truck with Kitty (Martin's wife from Socorro). The road is just as steep, rocky and rough on the way down and not wide enough for most of its course for two trucks to pass easily. Later C.J. and I dropped the Outback off at Walmart for an oil change and walked to a nearby Sonic for 2-for-1 shakes (not especially good even if they were advertised to be "made with real ice cream, really"). I bought a ratcheting 10' strap and a couple of 12' tie-down straps at Walmart to secure the Aliner roof when windy. I had plenty of time to shop because the oil change took over two hours. When we got back to the LZ a bunch of people were loading up for a trip to the top to catch a possible glass-off. Conditions didn't look as stormy as they had the past two nights so we went up in Scott's truck. On launch conditions were changeable with the deal-breaker being a NW wind in the LZ. Gradually conditions improved and we all went down to the PG launch. Bo from Santa Fe (?) launched and got up but yelled down that it was NW so the rest of the group sat and waited. [One reason for not launching was that Dave Church, a hot local HG had gotten "drilled" down onto the brushy ridge just below launch, and no one wanted to join him.] Finally people began to launch but when I stepped up, my risers were twisted and I had to go fix them. Nevertheless I eventually launched and got a good, if somewhat short flight and landed close to the spot. Tommy West, a local former/future HG measured it at 10' 7". I packed up quickly and went to pick up C.J. who, like many, had not made it to the LZ. She had landed next to Scenic Drive where one lane had been closed for construction. Better to be "short" than land in the field of creosote bush that separated Scenic from the grassy LZ, the LARGE, city-owned, irrigated field set aside for use of Dry Canyon pilots. After a shower at the campground we joined the rest of the pilots, friends and family at the Woodcock's again for a huge meal of brisket, turkey, corn, salad, watermelon salsa and birthday cake. When awards were handed out, I was surprised to find myself in first place for spotlanding (at least among the PGers; Robin had actually beaten me by an inch in his hang glider). The trophy was artfully constructed of a slab of cedar topped by a wing covered with granite paint. There were also trophies for duration, XC and bombdrop. We left right after the awards ceremony to avoid the chance that someone might insist we participate in the karaoke. We really wanted to rest up in case we wanted to fly again or begin the first leg of our journey home.

31 May, Mon, C.J.'s Birthday - It looked cloudy, somewhat more humid (38%!) and SE wind becoming SW. We decided to head home. After stopping at the LZ to say goodbye, we topped up the gas tank (2.679) in town and headed the 55 mi to White Sands Missile Range. The guard stopped us at the gate, checked our IDs and had us park there. It was only a short walk to the Missile Park and we took some photos of the missiles which had been tested at White Sands over the years (Photos were okay so long as we did not aim the lens at the testing range to the east). The V-2 building was closed for the holiday so we could only peer through the windows at the big rocket displayed horizontally with much of the innards visible. Back on the road again we drove over the San Andres Mountains at the 5700 ft pass. Since the car was still overheating, we turned north in Las Cruces on I-25 instead of trying I-10 to Tucson-Phoenix-Las Vegas and north through Nevada - probably too hot. It was a long day of driving to get back to Farmington but we stopped at a rest area for lunch, bought gas in Socorro, and stopped for a birthday ice cream at Coldstream Creamery in Los Lunas. From there we took a less-traveled route to intersect I-40. Driving into the headwind degraded our gas mileage so we got gas again in Grants (2.599) About 80 (?) miles down I-40 we turned north on another lightly traveled and scenic route(SR 371). After some rough stretches of road we reached Mom and Pops RV just before 2000, took showers and ate outside in the cool evening.

1 Jun, Tues - Surprise! The weather in Farmington is much cooler at night. We needed to dig out the fleece blankets halfway through the night. In the morning we had a leisurely scrambled egg breakfast then checked out and drove (in traffic!) out of Farmington to Aztec Ruins Nat Mon (photos, left). It was interesting to see the ancient walls and rooms, the plaza, and the restored Great Kiva. About 1030 we drove back through town to get gas at a Safeway (2.649) and a loaf of bread and a bag of apples. We stopped on the way to Shiprock to mail two postcards at Waterflow, NM, then headed N on 491 to Colorado and across to Monticello, UT where the TI was "closed on Tuesdays". In Moab we got gas at Maverik (2.979) and ice cream/frozen yogurt at HogiPogi with a coupon from the helpful TI folks. Leaving the Arches/Canyonlands behind, we started to run into clouds. It was still a long climb up SR 6 to Price and 7500' Soldier Summit. We got into Orem's Walmart parking lot about 2000.

2 Jun, Wed - After another scramble for breakfast, we bought some avocados and corn at WM. We got on the road about 0850 and stopped in SLC for gas at a Costco. Along the valley and over Sweetzer Summit we were getting good gas mileage, 21 mpg at the summit(!). We got off I-84 to visit the old (1905) town of Rupert and had lunch in the town's central square which is now a park. I refilled the gas tank at a Maverick (2.899) and mileage dropped to a disappointing 18 mpg even on the rolling Snake river Plain. We stopped at the Twin Falls TI to use their wireless to get Eastside Subaru's phone number. Then I called and made an appointment for a 90K maintenance on Monday. We also got a list of Good Sam approved RV Parks and decided to use our $25 rebate (for new members) on Neat Retreat in Fruitland, ID. Traffic was heavy due to rush hour and construction in the Boise-Meridian-Nampa area. We got gas at Costco in Nampa (2.939, also 85 Octane as were both Maveriks and SLC Costco - maybe the percentage of alcohol is the variable affecting gas mileage). We pulled in to Neat Retreat around 1820 and set up in light rain which became heavier later.

3 Jun, Thu - Last day on the road! Taking advantage of the time zone change to come, we got up around 0700 and took a morning shower before another breakfast scramble. We drove north to Weiser and crossed the Snake River there, passed by the Good Sam Oasis RV Park on the Snake before hitting I-84 at Huntington. It was a nice drive over the Blue Mtns. We got gas at Pilot near Stanfield/Umatilla. Just past Yakima we took the canyon route which we were not able to do on the trip out due to a bicycle race there. We were home by 1700.

Now our "states visited with the Aliner" map would look like this:

(Looks like we'll have to plan a trip to the East Coast.)

Chelan Beach 'N 2010

30 April - 2 May

Weather didn't look great Friday (in fact, we heard from someone at the PUD that it was blowing 40 mph) but we headed over around 1600 in clouds and showers. Other folks reported later that they ran into snow on Stevens Pass. We had no trouble finding a pull-thru site at Beebe Bridge campground for our Aliner (although by Saturday night all sites were full).

After a leisurely breakfast we showed up at Lakeside Park around 0930 to find the wind already pretty strong. No paragliders landed on the beach after we got there for the rest of the weekend (Well, maybe one landed really early Sunday morning). Even hang gliders were finding it slow going to reach the beach, and one misjudged the wind speed enough to land short in knee-deep water. By noon it was pretty obvious that we weren't going to fly and gave Kerie a ride up to the Butte to retrieve her vehicle. Even the hang gliders were breaking down in the face of the increasing wind speed.

C.J. volunteered to take Aaron and Kerie's son Jagur for a hike with us and we took off for Alta Lake State Park. The 1.2 mi trail to a good view on a rocky ridge had about 20 switchbacks and nine-year-old Jagur told us that he had never hiked up a mountain before. He was pretty proud of himself for having made it all the way to the viewpoint. Alta Lake has a nice tree-shaded campground on the small lake situated between two rocky ridges. There was lots of room on this off-season weekend, but I expect that it would be full during the summer. We returned to Lakeside in time to find out that the pizza feed had been moved to the Chelan Falls soccer field where it hopefully would be less windy and cold. We made a brief detour to Beebe to be sure our Sport had not blown away (and to pick up some warmer clothes). About thirty-some-odd pilots had signed up for the Beach'N and there were lots of friends and family as well so we made pretty short work of 16 pizzas. After dinner Danny Uchytil and some of the late Bill Avirett's friends held a brief memorial service for him. Later the wind seemed to almost die off and a number of us headed to Lakeside to see how it looked over there. Unfortunately it was still blowing like stink and we ended up setting up an early meeting time for the next morning with Paul Dees. C.J. and I were pretty tired and headed back to camp to get some rest (after a trip to WalMart to grab some porta-potti chemical).

When we got up at 0700 the wind was already blowing our streamer around. We met Paul at 0815 instead of 0830 and went right to launch. Just as we got there two paragliders launched (Ralph Boirum and Gene Beaver) and flew to the beach and the soccer field respectively. No one felt like launching next and the sky got progressively more overcast. The wind stayed at a reasonable velocity but it was blowing from the SW up The Green Monster and the hangs that were launching were soaring in somewhat turbulent conditions. No other paras launched and C.J. and I drove back to Lakeside around 1000. After some visiting we drove over to the gravel pit where Larry and Tina were doing some training with Jasmine, Justin (?) and Ceannie. Rob Dixon showed up a little later and dusted off his launch skills on a Falcon 225. I bought a Dog Frostbite shirt from Tina, then we went back to Beebe to pack up and head home around noon. We were in no rush so we thought we might check out a couple of places we had missed on the way home. The Washington State Apple visitors center wasn't open and we continued on up the road toward Blewett Pass and stopped at the old mine and townsite. After walking around for a while we found the remains of the arrastra (Later: looks like we may have missed the arrastra and found the remains of the old stamp mill instead) and had lunch sitting on the large timbers. By the time we reached I-90 the weather looked threatening ahead and we soon ran into rain which lasted all the way to North Bend.