Feb 12,2013: Another paragliding lesson learned

At one time I thought I might be able to make one long post on this trip to Australia but now I see that is likely not to happen.  I’m probably at least two weeks behind in my trip diary so here’s a short update on what happened today.

Nice clouds but low cloudbase and a few towering Cumulus around.

  I think I’ve made a lot of progress in my flying and am really aware of a lot more when I am thermaling up and figuring out where  the next thermal will be. But I still have a lot to learn.  After 45 minutes in the air and I learned a new lesson today.  Maybe even re-learned it.  When you are going for that proverbial brown filed make sure that the clouds will not shade it out any time soon and definitely not when you arrive over it. Look at the wind and what’s happening.


Great thermal source when not shaded out

The field in the picture typically generates the last chance house thermal  just off the West Launch that has nearly always worked for me.  But here’s what I saw as I got close to it.

Today the clouds were on the verge of over developing and I was very cautious about what thermals I wanted to take away from launch.  There seemed to be a lot of lift and I took two or three thermals part way over the back before deciding they were not the ones Iwanted.  On the third trip out front I got a little low and headed for the brown field with a tree line at the edge that was the trigger you could always count on. 

Unfortunately for me the clouds produced by another thermal trigger shaded it out just as I was arriving over it.  I scratched light lift for a few minutes before giving up and landing.

Meanwhile, confident in my ability Mary Beth drove the Pathfinder down the east side of the mountain to Godfrey’s farm.  Neither one of us were happy as I hiked back to the west bomb out LZ and Mary Beth drove up and over the mountain to retrieve me.

I thought I would go up again for another flight but as we were driving back up the west side of Mt. Borah to launch it was obvious there would be no flying any time soon.  

Storm clouds that shut down launch as seen from downtown Manilla

 

We bought some TV dinners at the IGA on the way home and called it a day.  Tomorrow should be epic!