Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Bristol (Stid Hill)
I really needed a flight. The whole week I was reading about all these great long flights on my friend's blogs, and itching for some more air. I passed on Harris on Monday to attend a party. I got too busy at work to think much about it on Tuesday, and then Wednesday, it looked okay for Bristol. So I called the mountain, she said sure, she'd be there whenever I could get there, and to bring a friend, or come alone, whatever. She said she'd be open late, and maybe provide a wonderwind near sundown. She also said that if me or my friends didn't get a soaring flight on the first attempt, she'd wait right there and let us launch again. Which was a good thing because when I got there, my two friends, Bob and Doug F were in the LZ packing up. My daughter drove us up top, helped me with my gear to launch, and both PGers launched again while I set up. Attempt #2 was a sledder for Bob, and a short soaring flight for Doug. I called Mark, who was on his way from work, to make sure he checked the LZ in case the Sled Brothers wanted to come back up. I waited for a little while on launch, then seeing nothing really great except my boyfriend down in the LZ, launched. I maintained about 20 ft below launch for a pass to the north, just like last week's sledder, then headed south. Now 150 ft below and near the old launch, I got beepings. Just when I was about to give up, I cracked a tight 360 and got scared when I see how close to the trees the backside was. But I gained a little, so I tried again. I pushed into the valley and got a bigger bite and now I was going up GOOD! I got 800' and then 900' and then just over 1000' over launch and cruised around. It was very bouyant and I lost almost nothing just heading north and back. Once in a while I would get down to 700' over but get right back up by the tower. The lake was beautiful, a tiny cu out in the valley made me wish I had been here at noon. Soon Bob and Mark and Doug were at the launch again, but my flight was almost over when Bob launched. I was losing altitude pretty fast and I moved away from the ridge to give him every chance of staying up. Doug launched and I went to land. It was nice and stress free setting up a landing. I did drop the nose, but gently, and I was right at the break-down area. A guy stops in his convertable and asks a million questions. Doug landed and Bob top landed (!) I called Mark to see if he was going to fly. Bob had re-launched and was getting up in the wonderwind. But Mark was walking out and he came to get me. Bob was doing big ears to get down and had a sweet landing right next to this guy's car, and he was saying how he used to play for Marshall Tucker Band- can't you see?
Fun night! 45 minutes, 1013' over.