Slow starting.
Under normal circumstances, this would not be of much concern - the flying season will start when it is good and ready. But these are not normal circumstances. The Chabre Open and the 100km XC course are just around the corner and I admit at the beginning of this week I was not feeling particularly optimistic about being prepared given the trend.
Strange how an opinion can change so much in a single day.
Tuesday's forecast? Promising. Lapse rate is unstable to launch height at 600m followed by varying degrees of conditional instability up to 2000m. Winds from the S/W @ 6 knots changing to W @ 14 kts late afternoon. All in all, a little rock and roll down low through out the day with climbs becoming wind torn as the day progresses - nothing I hadn't dealt with before.
There is little doubt that it will be flyable, so at the crack of dawn I email into the office and let folk know I will be taking a half and half. Half day of work from home (from 6 till 11) followed by a half day of vacation (11 onwards).
Fast forward to noon, the passing of logging trucks punctuate the serenity I enjoy while sitting at the base of Mt. Woodside. A SUV eventually pulls in and the driver, Gary, suggests sticking around as Kevin was on the radio and not more than five minutes out.
When we clear the final rise, Woodside launch unfolds to a flurry of activity. A dozen plus paragliding pilots in varying states of readiness mill about, soon joined by a quartet of hangglider pilots. An apparent hive mind, realizing with the weather as of late that today is an opportunity not to be wasted.
The first half score of pilots are quickly off and heading west towards Sasquatch while the remainder of us pause, an unexpected wind now blowing over the back.
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
Wonder if we will end up sitting here till nightfall, destined to become grue bait in the fading light.
The battle between wind and thermal continues for what feels like an hour before a victor is declared. The victor grants me a launch window and I waste no time getting up and away.
I quickly head north towards the rock face house thermal only to find it churned up and climbs demanding an increasing active flying payment. I can climb here, but wonder if the gap between launch and the south knoll might provide more consistent (and comfortable) lift.
Venturing south to find smoother lift, I climb and bump against what appears to be an inversion at 1330m. This would certainly help explain the lack of cumulus formation over Woodside while many of the higher mountains are already popping off clouds.
The patience battle begins, playing out with the ebb and flow of sink and lift. In due course I am joined by both a blue Niviuk (Claudia) and an orange one (Paddy). Guy on the green Maverick makes a brief appearance and begins to work back towards the peak of Woodside. Having not been much above 1400m at this site and zero experience working the back ridge towards Harrison, I wait rather than follow Guy - convinced the inversion will break.
Patience is eventually rewarded as stair stepping higher with the terrain behind launch, a 3 to 4 m/s climb breaks through and takes our mobile of gliders up and back towards a newly forming cloud.
At 1800 m an eagle joins my climb, but quickly flies off to the N/E. Continuing my circle, I keep an eye on the eagles progress as it flies to about one third of the distance between Woodside and Agassiz mountain.
And begins to circle.
A quote from a far too short lived sci-fi series of the 90's comes to mind: Take a chance.
Leaving everyone else behind, I hoof it to my new thermal marker to find a climb waiting.
Claudia and Paddy soon follow suit.
Eventually we glide our way to Agassiz Mountain, locate another climb and cross the valley book ended by Harrison and Agassiz to arrive at Bear Mountain.
Bear Mountain. The stepping off point for the big Fraser Valley crossing that links our two main flying sites - Woodside and Bridal Falls. Flying to Bear is akin putting your toe in the deep end of the pool. Once you fly there, you know at some point you are going to have to go on faith and dive in.
Take another chance?
The increasing wind has other ideas and turns Bear into a bit of a rock concert. Out of our trio, Paddy fares the best and is able to land on the windward side of Green Hill. Claudia ends up low, but through sheer tenacity manages to eek out enough of a climb to make the open fields to the south of Bear. I am in the wind shadow of Green and chance upon a potential low save about 50 m over what is a good LZ. Mind you working low, small, sharp edged thermals when one should be setting up to land is a sure fire way to spin a wing. Common sense invades my plan for flying glory and I set down.
A call on the radio from Paddy indicates that James is on his way with the truck if anyone needs a retrieve. Score!
A small step towards the rite of passage that is the Fraser Valley crossing, but as they say...
Apt understatement of the year when used to describe how the season is shaping up.
A particularly long and dry autumn of yesteryear found itself offset by an equally wet and long late winter/spring. The result: Three months giving up a grand total of two flights.
Under normal circumstances, this would not be of much concern - the flying season will start when it is good and ready. But these are not normal circumstances. The Chabre Open and the 100km XC course are just around the corner and I admit at the beginning of this week I was not feeling particularly optimistic about being prepared given the trend.
Strange how an opinion can change so much in a single day.
Tuesday's forecast? Promising. Lapse rate is unstable to launch height at 600m followed by varying degrees of conditional instability up to 2000m. Winds from the S/W @ 6 knots changing to W @ 14 kts late afternoon. All in all, a little rock and roll down low through out the day with climbs becoming wind torn as the day progresses - nothing I hadn't dealt with before.
There is little doubt that it will be flyable, so at the crack of dawn I email into the office and let folk know I will be taking a half and half. Half day of work from home (from 6 till 11) followed by a half day of vacation (11 onwards).
Fast forward to noon, the passing of logging trucks punctuate the serenity I enjoy while sitting at the base of Mt. Woodside. A SUV eventually pulls in and the driver, Gary, suggests sticking around as Kevin was on the radio and not more than five minutes out.
When we clear the final rise, Woodside launch unfolds to a flurry of activity. A dozen plus paragliding pilots in varying states of readiness mill about, soon joined by a quartet of hangglider pilots. An apparent hive mind, realizing with the weather as of late that today is an opportunity not to be wasted.
The first half score of pilots are quickly off and heading west towards Sasquatch while the remainder of us pause, an unexpected wind now blowing over the back.
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
Wonder if we will end up sitting here till nightfall, destined to become grue bait in the fading light.
The battle between wind and thermal continues for what feels like an hour before a victor is declared. The victor grants me a launch window and I waste no time getting up and away.
I quickly head north towards the rock face house thermal only to find it churned up and climbs demanding an increasing active flying payment. I can climb here, but wonder if the gap between launch and the south knoll might provide more consistent (and comfortable) lift.
Venturing south to find smoother lift, I climb and bump against what appears to be an inversion at 1330m. This would certainly help explain the lack of cumulus formation over Woodside while many of the higher mountains are already popping off clouds.
The patience battle begins, playing out with the ebb and flow of sink and lift. In due course I am joined by both a blue Niviuk (Claudia) and an orange one (Paddy). Guy on the green Maverick makes a brief appearance and begins to work back towards the peak of Woodside. Having not been much above 1400m at this site and zero experience working the back ridge towards Harrison, I wait rather than follow Guy - convinced the inversion will break.
Patience is eventually rewarded as stair stepping higher with the terrain behind launch, a 3 to 4 m/s climb breaks through and takes our mobile of gliders up and back towards a newly forming cloud.
At 1800 m an eagle joins my climb, but quickly flies off to the N/E. Continuing my circle, I keep an eye on the eagles progress as it flies to about one third of the distance between Woodside and Agassiz mountain.
And begins to circle.
A quote from a far too short lived sci-fi series of the 90's comes to mind: Take a chance.
Leaving everyone else behind, I hoof it to my new thermal marker to find a climb waiting.
Claudia and Paddy soon follow suit.
Eventually we glide our way to Agassiz Mountain, locate another climb and cross the valley book ended by Harrison and Agassiz to arrive at Bear Mountain.
Bear Mountain. The stepping off point for the big Fraser Valley crossing that links our two main flying sites - Woodside and Bridal Falls. Flying to Bear is akin putting your toe in the deep end of the pool. Once you fly there, you know at some point you are going to have to go on faith and dive in.
Take another chance?
The increasing wind has other ideas and turns Bear into a bit of a rock concert. Out of our trio, Paddy fares the best and is able to land on the windward side of Green Hill. Claudia ends up low, but through sheer tenacity manages to eek out enough of a climb to make the open fields to the south of Bear. I am in the wind shadow of Green and chance upon a potential low save about 50 m over what is a good LZ. Mind you working low, small, sharp edged thermals when one should be setting up to land is a sure fire way to spin a wing. Common sense invades my plan for flying glory and I set down.
A call on the radio from Paddy indicates that James is on his way with the truck if anyone needs a retrieve. Score!
A small step towards the rite of passage that is the Fraser Valley crossing, but as they say...
Sic parvis magna.
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