Newhall Weekend 2009

Columbus Day Weekend

C.J. and I missed the gathering last year, and this year's promised to be bigger and better than ever, so we drove to the Newhall Ranch on Saturday morning. C.J. reports on the flying and eating in an email, below:

We did the annual party weekend at Greg and Laurie Newhalls, and flew Saddle on both Saturday and Sunday. We drove to Kiona first on Saturday (on Dave Norwood's recommendation), but it was blowing 20-25 on launch so we wimped out. Turns out we should've gone to Saddle right off, as Lawrence, Pam and James had been soaring there until just before we all arrived. By then it was just blowing in lightly, and we all had pleasant sledders (except for those noble folks who drove down, like Chris A. for our vehicle). (George says, "Actually there were a few weak thermals out beyond the Crab Creek Road that Mike Green and I worked. Mike gained 1000 ft while I, arriving late and low, only got another 100 ft and a few minutes out of the lift".)

Sunday we went straight to Saddle, with cell phone contact with Bob B. and Doc Shallman at Kiona. They reported a pleasant 8-10 in the LZ, but they called us from the saddle on the road below launch to say it was blowing 25 there and they were coming to join us at Saddle.

Meanwhile, it was barely trickling in from the ENE at Saddle, and we were not feeling very optimistic. Jeff Kohler was there with his new topless hang glider, and a flight plan to launch and fly straight N, beyond the road, where a thermal often lurks near the lake in light conditions. Dave "Preacher" Norwood and Doc arrived, and Dave set up and launched right after Jeff. Neither hit a bleep of lift until they got beyond the road, and then both began climbing. George was off next, then I went, and we glided and glided and glided... By the time I got out there George was well up, and as soon as I hit the thermal I was up there with all of them. What an unexpected treat! We were topping out at about 3100' for a while, but I eventually got up to 4100' (BRRRR), but even from that altitude I couldn't make the crossing back to the hill to consider toplanding (but Sinead had driven our truck down, so we weren't concerned about getting back to launch). It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, and the lift for the most part was pretty smooth. Doc and I hit a nasty parcel of air that gave him a 50%er, and convinced me that an hour was long enough. I pulled ears and landed – in a SE wind – along with a bunch of others who somehow ended up coming down right then as well. Luckily that's a huge area to land in, so there was no problem with 5 of us landing in quick succession.

I don't think anyone went back up to fly again. There was way too much good food still in need of being eaten at Newhalls, so we happily headed back to the trough. Tom's salmon, Jaye's Calgary Stampede beans, more desserts than can decently be displayed at the same time outside a pastry shop. It was a great weekend!