Rat Race 2013

20-30 June 2013

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This is C.J.'s eleventh year attending the Rat; she's the only pilot to fly in all eleven RR comps. We're lucky to have had a sponsor for most of those years - Barbara Summerhawk provides us with lodging in her yurt on the east fork of Humbug Creek - and since she is now semi-retired from teaching in Japan, she can be home during the Rat Race. This will be her first year to see just how busy the launch is when up to 200 people are launching in the space of two hours or so. One new wrinkle this year is that a "Super Clinic" has been added to the mix - about twenty additional fliers, some quite inexperienced, led by Kari Castle, Ken Huonjorgenson (who some say looks a lot like me) and Kay Tauscher. 

20 Jun, Thu - The drive: with our new Sorento, leave 0830, gas in Eugene, yurt by 1650. After dropping off our stuff we went to Ruch to get our annual RVHPA membership cards/helmet stickers at the store ($60, mastercard). Then we went to Fiasco to see if anyone was going to fly glassoff. We met Jeff Slotta who was sorting his wing out after a tree landing earlier in the day. [He said he had launched with tangled lines and ended up in a 150 ft tree. Forrest had to come help him get extricated.] We also heard that a pilot had crashed on launch and had to be helicoptered to the hospital. It didn't sound good so we went back to the yurt for a dinner of quesadillas. It was pretty chilly overnight and three quilts was about right.

21 Jun, Fri - We turned on the electric, oil-filled radiator before getting up, but it did not warm up the yurt the way the old propane stove/fireplace used to when it was working. I prepared oatmeal in the GSI Bugaboo teflon-coated pot - nothing stuck at all and it was easy to clean up. We went in to HQ around 1000 and later to Fiasco to find a carpool. Jeff Slotta drove us (incl Riss E, Wheely and Yuril?) up to launch in his vehicle even though he was not going to fly himself. I launched in a light west cycle and sank toward mid-launch and ran into some turbulent air and a strong but rough climb. Having VERY little bump tolerance, I opted to fly out over Hunter's LZ and land to the north in switch-y winds (:16). Two others landed as I was packing up but most people seemed to be climbing well above launch. After finishing my PB&J (while sitting on my folding butterfly chair), I started walking toward Fiasco. Part way there I got a ride with Joel from Austin, TX. [Later I found out that he had been the pilot involved in the second accident on Thursday having had a bad forward launch and plunging down the face, impacting with enough force to shatter his ski helmet and render him unconscious. However, he was quickly released from the hospital and seemed generally unharmed.]  While we were standing around at Fiasco talking with Rich from Maui, a  TVreporter tried to question Joel about his accident but he wouldn't admit that he was the victim. C.J. radioed from Longsword and I drove over there to pick her up, but then I had to return to Hunter's where I had stashed my wing. Then we went to HQ so C.J. could register and I could attend the volunteers meeting from 1700-1800. Afterward we returned to the yurt and made a good spaghetti dinner with the ground pork we found in the scatch-and-dent meat section of the otherwise-overpriced Ruch Store. Keiko, Barbara's guest from Japan and a top Japanese competitor, had arrived and we got to meet her. Barbara and Deb Vosevich had flown glass-off, Deb with a demo Delta 2.

22 Jun, Sat - It was cold again in the morning, not below freezing, but cold. C.J. and I left for the HQ and practice day about 0830. There was no problem parking (in shade, even). Uploading turnpoints took way longer than expected so the usual prac. day meeting was postponed. All the glider bags this year went in a big Hertz truck; C.J. and I rode in the white bus with Sarge (John Sargeant) driving. I decided to launch early and got off about 1205 when the pilots' meeting was beginning. I went left for a change and did not find much on the flank of Woodrat Peak. Then I flew to Mid and sank below the launch there. Out in front I found a thermal that got me to 3800 ft and I crossed to the radio tower at the south end of lower Rabe's Ridge. No lift there so I pointed at Fiasco (3:1 glide) but before I had gone very far, I found lift good enough to take me up Rabe's Ridge while gaining to 4600 ft or so. Where the ridge steepened the conditions became turbulent and I bailed toward Burnt Ridge. Before reaching the turnpoint, I turned south and crossed Bishop Creek to Mid and then out to the LZ where I landed to the N at 1302 (:57). After packing up I waited for an hour hoping for a ride back to the HQ but I ended up walking with my pack, a hot and sweaty hike. The water in the solar shower was hot so I washed up and hung around until C.J. got back from Longsword after 1630. We had the opening day Mexican-themed dinner at HQ; as one of my volunteer duties, I served salad. There were coolers of margaritas and sangria as well as a refrigerated beer truck with two taps. We got back to the yurt about 2200. It wasn't as cold but it was overcast and there was a shower about bedtime (2330).



23 Jun, Sun - It was much warmer with an overcast sky. Rain started at 0820; the meeting at 0900 was still  on. The meeting started late and went on and on until 1100 or later. Afterward C.J. and I decided to go to Medford and see about a new service provider for my smartphone. The only place around Ruch where I had service was on top of Woodrat; that wasn't much help when we wanted to communicate with each other to coordinate transportation (and it wouldn't provide any assistance if I crashed and needed help - C.J. at least had the borrowed Spot. This wasn't the first time I had been without service - all of Montana, for example, seemed to have no Virgin Mobile service). Greg at AT&T helped us set up a second line on C.J.'s account. Then he found a trade-in of $100 for my year-old HTC OneV and transferred my old number to a new Samsung Galaxy S4 Active (supposedly water resistant to 1 meter for 30 min). All this worked out well financially because they were having a "special" where we did not have to pay the $36 activation fee. And, of course we saved 10% on the tax because we were in Oregon. Our total monthly bill with minimum data (300 MB each) now is supposed to be about the same as were paying with C.J.'s old plan and my VM plan. On the way into Medford we stopped at the Jacksonville "farmers market" and ate our Rat Race lunch in the park in front of the old courthouse. While in Medford, we gassed up at Costco ($3.599) then returned to HQ where I began to figure out how to use all the new features on my new phone. At 1800 we drove over to Fiasco Winery for the big dinner for the Hunter's favorite charity. There was great BBQ ribs and chicken, and an excellent dessert of a shortbread cookie with one end dipped in chocolate and fresh strawberries (both from Costco). Around 2000 or so Eric Reed did a presentation on vol bivouacs - trips in India-Nepal and the "Sierra Safari" from Walt's Point to Lakeview. We got back to the yurt around 2200.

24 Jun, Mon - It rained overnight. In the morning a call from Barbara's new land line (no cell coverage for any provider up Humbug Canyon) determined that the day had been canceled and there was no pilots meeting. Chris went to Christina Ammon's to see if Josh and Michelle wanted to go to Oregon Caves National Monument. They were just getting up but they and several others wanted to go. We met at the Applegate Store so Chris and J&M could share a ride with us. We went via the main secondary roads to Murphy, Wilderville, Cave Jct and up the winding road to OCNM. After getting a short info lecture about bats and the whitenose disease,  we signed up for a 1415 tour ($4.25 each w/senior pass). Since we had to wait we wandered through the Lodge (built 1932). Hawaiians Pete and Tyler, Joey and his girlfriend, and Seattleites Julie and Lori joined our group of 15. The ranger guide was not as well-informed as some members of the tour group but the cave was full of good formations including the Paradise Lost Room reached by a steep stairway, and an Imagination Room with formations resembling a heart, George Washington's head, a camel, a Coke bottle and more. At the exit most of us took the longer Cliffside Nature Trail up to a cloudy viewpoint and back to the HQ and the Lodge. After a car shuffle (Chris wanted to eat lunch at the Lodge and J&M wanted to get back ASAP), C.J. and I took the fire evacuation route following blue signs on gravel roads FS4613, 4611, then Lower Ridge Road to Williams and Provolt and back to Applegate, arriving before J&M who had retraced our morning route in reverse. We spent a little time at the library (closed) downloading stuff and got back to the yurt around 1830. Keiko prepared a delicious dinner of udon, plus there was salad and good bread. Debbie had been to Costco and brought corn and a tuxedo chocolate cake. And we had fresh strawberries from Geoff and Terry's garden.


25 Jun, Tue - It was another "no fly" day even though the sky showed only a few fast-moving clouds. A land line phone call said that we were supposed to check in again around noon. At about 1000 C.J. and I went over to HQ where I spent the rest of the morning reading the manual on my new phone. Lunch was provided - chicken salad wraps on huge spinach flour tortillas. Afterward we joined Chris, Conrad, Julie and Laurie for a hike up the trail on Upper Table Rock (the easternmost mesa, the one with a VOR on the flat summit). It was about a three-mile hike altogether and we took our time to spare C.J.'s foot as much as possible. On the way back we stopped at the Rogue Creamery, not an ice cream place as we thought, but a high-end cheese factory and distributor. We saw some cheese priced close to $50 per pound! Back at the HQ I read some more of the manaual then we drove over to the Red Lily Winery for a good dinner of tri-tip streak, chicken brochettes and pulled pork, with cheesecake for dessert. We didn't leave the windy, and rather chilly, premises until 2130.

26 Jun, Wed - There was a late meeting at Fiasco (the $12 a head breakfast had been held there earlier). It was drizzling but we stayed dry under the big tent that had been raised for the charity dinner (Dave Palmer of Fiasco later purchased the tent for the winery.) Mike Hailey sent us to the top around 1300-1330 and we hung out in the cloud with some occasional chilly drizzle. After 1500 Mike canceled the Sprint task but sent the Race off on a relatively short task - WR - Rab-Pk - Poorman - Donatos (no one made goal). Most folks flew down under the low cloudbase but we rode to Fiasco on an almost empty school bus.C.J. worked on editing the alpha for Aug then we had burgers and salad for dinner. Back at the yurt, Barb had gotten the propane stove/fireplace repaired (just in time for the weather to warm up); we had some of Deb's cake for dessert.

27 Jun, Thu - The meeting did not start until after 0930; meanwhile I took care of some garbage with the other guys who are also volunteering. We went up in the white bus again but today the sky was mostly sunny and all three groups flew tasks (Super Clinic launched early, then the Race, and last, the Sprint). Fluffers were needed and Roger Brock asked me to help out so I didn't even take my wing out of the pack until everyone had launched. [Earlier I ate my meatball sandwich while sitting comfortably off the ground in my new pack chair.] At 1451 I launched and found lift along the ridge, climbing in pretty friendly thermals. I headed over to Burnt and found more lift there to over 5K. Even though I had my GPS set for the goal field at Donatos, I left the ratty lift and flew toward LW-RABE sinking. I reached there above the ridge (barely) but not before experiencing a big, rippling collapse. I found reasonable lift on the lower end of the ridge, enough to let me make it to the 0.4 km circle around Squires Peak. By then I was low enough to have to head directly back toward Longsword where I had a soft landing. C.J. joined me there even before I was completely packed up. After helping her put her wing away I got a ride back to HQ with Paul Kunzl. I returned with the Kia to pick up C.J. and then went back to (solar) shower and review the 1308 alpha. I was supposed to be serving for the dinner at HQ but C.J. took my place until I was finished with the editing. After dinner we returned to the yurt around 2045.

28 Jun, Fri - As usual we drove in for the meeting and garbage pickup. We went up to launch around 1100 in the white bus. I helped fluff for the Super Clinic, then Race and Sprint. By then wind had picked up and the gaggle(s) near launch were not getting up. I decided to drive down and found an old Dodge minivan that needed to be returned to the HQ. I stuck with the paved road as the gas gauge and fuel light both indicated out-of-gas. I hung out at HQ until C.J. got back from the LZ. Jug gave her the names of some people wanting to sell their old Flymaster B-1 Nav flight computers (so they could buy the newest version). Eventually C.J. made a deal with Bill Briskie for $375. [Really glad that Preaher had just bought my old Dragon2!] Later we got together with Jack Brown who showed us how to use the Alaska Airlines website to get a stand-by flight on his "buddy pass" for our trip to Alaska. About 1830 we returned to the yurt and fixed the left over spaghetti and sauce for dinner along with a salad. Deb came over later and showed C.J. and Barb her photos from her Colombia trip.

29 Jun, Sat - It's the last day of the Rat; we had the usual meeting and garbage collection and took the white bus to the top for a lightwind forecast day. I wasn't scheduled to assist on launch so I got my wing ready to fly and launched at 1155, just as Gail (or Kim Phinney, the social media/Spot person) was taking the group photo. I was low man in a gaggle of 8-10 wings and soon took off on my own to LW-RABE. I found enough lift to work all the way up to Rabe's Peak (3800ft) at 5?00ft. As usual, I choked on the rougher air and altitude and bailed to the south along the ridge west of China Gulch. Sinking, I crossed Flyair and found enough lift on the west slopes of lower Rabe's to climb and cross Hwy 238 and head toward Squires. I had a good view down to Raven's "resort" and could even pick out Dan and Mary Beth's new Chalet A-frame. Then I headed back W to land at Longsword (:55).  The weather was back to more normal "hot" and there was a long wait before I got a ride back to HQ even though Sarge was staging the white bus at Longsword for moving  large numbers of pilots who were expected to land farther down the Applegate valley. Finally I begged a ride with local pilot Forrest back to HQ. C.J. called to say that she had had a great flight with her new vario/flight computer and had landed south and west of the river north of Cantrall-Buckley with four others. She later got a ride with the landowner back to Longsword and then shuttled to HQ. We cleaned up with the solar shower and enjoyed some draft beer from the refrigerated truck along with chips/salsa and veggies/dips. Dinner was late at 1900 and I was a server again. The Award ceremony followed and was one of the best in all the years we've been going to the Rat. Gail had chosen etched glass vases for trophies. In addition to all the placing pilots, Dave Wheeler got an award for all has done with his Spot webpage for safety and ease of retrieve (also for his work on WTSS and scoring). [Earlier LeAnn had showed me how to use http://xcfind.paraglide.us on my phone to locate C.J. on a map. Conrad also showed me how to cut and paste the "I'm okay" Spot message to Google Maps search function to see the same thing.] We stuck around after the awards ceremony for some of Raven's decorated cake, then C.J. said goodbye to everyone and we returned to the yurt pretty late (2230?). Chris came in even later around midnight.

30 Jun, Sun - We got up at 0715, had some oatmeal, then packed up and cleaned the yurt. By 0930 we were on our way home. We stopped for gas in Medford, gas and lunch in Eugene. There was some slow traffic on I-5 north of Portland and again north of Olympia, one a gaper block. We filled the tank at Costco in Covington, although we didn't need that much gas since we were getting 27 mpg (indicated), but we were stopping in Eugene anyway. We also picked up some groceries and milk at Freddies. We were home by 1940.