Baldy Fly-in

26-28 September 2014

Rick Lai's shot of launch and LZ from above

C.J. and I were "iffy" about making it to this fly-in but Friday and Saturday looked good for some decent flying and it was billed as the Dave Norwood Memorial Fly-in, so we packed up and hit the road for the second weekend in a row.

26 Sep, Fri. - Left around noon. We stopped for gas in Cle Elum where the prices were still low at $3.299 per gallon for cash (North Bend, for comparison was still at something like $3.799) We went directly to the Lmuma Creek BLM campground and snagged a decent parking spot. There no other hang or para campers in the CG but a score or more had already gathered in the LZ/parking area and down in the cowpie-covered wooded area used for camping, the potluck and campfire. We got a ride up with Paul Kunzle and Bonnie (moved here from Hawaii). On the way we saw deer and a galloping herd of bighorn sheep. The north launch was working so I didn't wait around very long but launched for what was essentially a flydown to the main LZ. Later the wind picked up and Mike Brand, Cort and others had a half hour or so of soaring before the sun set.

Rick Lai's photo shows our wings on north launch

27 Sep, Sat - After breakfast we wandered over to the fly-in site and hung out as more and more folks arrived. It looked like the fly-in was going to be well-attended this year (financially necessary because the land owner, Mr. Eaton, had started to raise the price over the next five years from $3000 to $4500 per year). We caught a ride up to the top with Paul, again spotting some bighorns on the ridge. Conditions were pretty light from the north but I decided to fly right away thinking that it was going to get strong later. I got off pretty easily and there was some lift so I went right toward where we had spotted the sheep. Unfortunately, I got a close look at them because I ran into a pocket of big sink and descended so fast that I looked up to see if I still had my wing above me. After getting out of that sink, I was pretty low and there was no lift. There seemed to be plenty of wind at times as my forward speed was quite low. I didn't even aim for the fly-in LZ which was too far away to make on a glide. I eked it over the deep canyon where the old road ran and landed just short of the road junction and the fourth gate, where the power lines make a right-angle turn. I couldn't quite make the road and as I approached the ground I could see I was landing in a veritable boneyard. There were at least two bleached-white skeletons of cattle amongst the sagebrush. Just as I was gathering my wing a vehicle stopped to give me a ride back to the LZ. I spent the rest of the day hanging out and wondering where C.J. was since she had been laid out to launch right next to me. I later found out that she had caught a gust and been dragged a bit and decided not to fly. When she got a ride down it was after lunch time and while she was distracted from her snack of bread and cheese, a dog ate her bread, then came back and licked the cheese. We could see the silhouettes of many pilots up on Baldy waiting for the strong winds to die down. They did eventually but by then C.J. did not feel like going back up. Peter Gray, who had volunteered to be the organizer for the fly-in along with Naomi, had cut a dead tree down and left his chain saw. So I got it out and Iain and Randy got it started. Randy whacked the tree up into rounds. I split a few of them with my hand axe to add to the pile of apple wood for the campfire. The potluck dinner later was well-stocked due partly to the fact that over 80 people had signed up for the fly-in. It was dark by the time we ate and the warmth of the campfire was welcome.

Rampart Launch

28 Sept, Sun -  Conditions looked to be strong and maybe from the east after the first few flydowns, so we packed up and headed for Rampart where a fair number were going. As we approached the Hyak exit we could see a line of cars parked near the bridge on Gold Creek, presumably the paragliders who often land on the road. We continued on to the boat ramp area on Lake Keechelus where we met a dozen hang glider pilots. We wangled rides up with Travis (for C.J.) and with Tom and Lori (for me). At the HG launch the wind was not quite over-the-back but it was seriously crossed from the left. When we got to the PG ramp, there were a bunch of pilots trying to launch

Matty and Heather - Rampart

there in very cross conditions. I'd never been to Rampart when the wind was so crossed from the left. It took real skill to get off safely in those conditions but a few managed, and once off, climbed to over 6000'. I helped lay out wings until it looked like the wind direction was slowly clocking around; then C.J. and I got our wings out. It was a little difficult to find a place to lay out because six or eight of the hangs were setting up near the PG launch. I let C.J. go before me and she had a good forward launch. I tried a reverse but had to abort. Just before I tried again C.J. radioed with the news that one riser was seriously twisted and she couldn't use the brake on that side. She had

Matty and Heather - tandem at Rampart

climbed a thousand feet above launch and would now have to go land. Fortunately she could control the wing and flare with her rear risers, and landing conditions at the "carrier deck" were benign - a light breeze from the south (right up the lake). I got cleanly off launch using a forward inflation and then climbed above launch and flew to the base of the first rock face. I didn't find any more friendly climbs and ended up going back to soar around below the SW face of the hang launch (where a few pilots were now able to take off). I landed to the south in a not-too-muddy spot and packed up with C.J. and Meredyth, the only other PG to land with us. Earlier I had watched a couple of paras land on the sandy beach of Gold Cr downstream from the I-90 bridges. I guess they could walk back to the Gold Cr Rd under the freeway. After sharing some cookies, we headed over the pass and home.