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!).
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