Cloud Base addict

The previous day brought in a much cooler airmass (10 degree temp drop) from a NW cold front push.  I launched at 12:15pm thinking I was late for a chance to make Wyoming and back, but still optimistic.  I left launch relatively low and headed North hoping Galbraith was pushing all that South wind up. 

***Lucas Ridley of http://lucasridley.com/ showed up on launch to see what was up.  He’s a Tennessee hg pilot who has some amazing flying videos… One of my favorites:  http://www.vimeo.com/7593357 *** 

I didn’t like being this low right out of the start gate but after working a weak thermal, it turned on and shot me up in 600fpm to my highest climb of the day (10.8kft).

Boulder had gotten a long soaking rain 12hrs ago and I tried to get as high as possible before jumping across town.  This long glide with a quiet vario was worrisome, but the thermal on the other side of the training hill in N. Boulder put money in the bank again while I watched PG students practice kiting below.  Got to cruise over a metal sailplane and a lime-green helicopter with red/white blades during this glide too. 

The last part of the barogram shows a rewarding save from 400ft that I thought would be the ticket back to the game.  It was good for 1200ft but wasn’t enough to be comfortable crossing the few miles of tiger country ahead so I hung out in a lifty spot with several keep-alive climbs.  Landed just North of the Putre River (near Ted’s Place).  See below:

Just had 22 miles to go until the Wyoming border.  Since the South wind was 14-17mph and it wasn’t turning more East as forecasted, getting back to Lookout was looking bad.  Luckily, Mark D. hopped in my truck and came to get me.  Half the fun of the day was sharing the famous Rio Grande Margaritas with him in Ft. Collins.

-2 thermals didn’t drift with the strong wind at all.  One even seemed to bend into the wind over Galbraith mtn, drifting me back South towards Lookout.  I’ve never seen them insult the wind this badly.  Kinda cool, the mass of these things. 

-Bald Eagle and I got very close on one converging turn over Coal Creek Peak and he then out-climbed me like I was a potato sack.

Wing:  Atos VR

XC:  62 miles

Airtime:  4 hrs

Cloudbase:  Once!

Margaritas:  One