Task 5
The climbs started out slow again, but I was certain they would get better. I got to the edge of the start and tried to get higher but couldn’t. A few of us waffled at the edge of the town of Casa Grande, and I stayed there for what seemed like forever, then I finally left to find something better. I was only getting to 3 or 4 K and it felt really low. Bobbling over town, taking what I could – a preview of the entire flight. I stayed south along the scrub like section, and it was reliable, although 4K was about it before I would lose it. Just before the first TP, I got a decent climb from a very low 1000’ and Jeff and Conrad joined me. I was so far south of the courseline but hadn’t tagged the TP so when we topped out, they went south and I went north to get it. Then Mark Dowsett and I got together again and had a decent climb- now I am getting to 4700’ and then he ditches me while I get more conservative. Then my Mark hooks up with me and we tag the 2nd TP pretty much together. A slow climb after that for him and he went on glide and landed just past a town. I had a lot more altitude but my glide was fruitless and I went down at a golf course next to the highway. The whole flight was so frustrating- the slow low climbs, the long glides to next to no altitude, dust devil diving… Well, my ride was there so fast and Denise (the driver) had ice cold water and the Canadians got the rest of my stuff packed up (gotta love it when the ride is there before a total glider breakdown!). And then we got Mark and now I think my Honorary Canadianship is official. Mark Dowsett was blowing straw papers in the restaurant and Jim Scoles was trailing his tampon string and it was just general mayhem in the Mexican place. So it turned into a good day if not a great flight. Lots of people went down earlier so I guess my tenacity paid off. I am beat. I want a rest day to go tubing down the Salt River… please! It is HOT out here (Laura said it is a hundred-and-fuck ).