Cuesta Today

Cuesta today didn't live up to my hype. In fact, it looked pretty bad when Patrick, Eric & Sharon, Jim Wells & I got to launch at noon. The wind was blowing over the back at 5-10 kts. . .

Everybody left & I hung out because I needed to fly & I'm an optimist who enjoys chillin' in the sun ;-) The wind died by 1:15, and by 2pm the cycles started coming up the ridge.

I laid out & waited for a good cycle at 2:15 - I brought the wing up in a bit too strong a cycle & got the wing and lines a bit tangled in high scrub and spent 30 min. getting it cleared with the care a new wing with comp lines deserves. I finally got everything inspected & was in the air by 3. The lift was very broken & seemed to top out at 2000' (200' over launch). I spent much of the day below launch but lift was everywhere I needed it.. I made 5 or 6 circuits of the basin out in front of launch at times down to 200' above landing in the fields down by the Eucalyptus grove. The most dependable lift of the day was over the spot where I eventually top-landed. I flew for 90 minutes before top landing. Because the height of lift was so limited, it was a constant battle the whole time with little time to sightsee. There was still lift when I landed around 4:45pm. My flight is HERE.

As I hiked up to my truck, I passed a young couple parked up by my truck, they asked about my flight. We talked for a bit & it turns out he had just asked her to marry him & she had accepted. I wished them well & wondered, as I hiked to my truck, how anybody could look happier than those two did. . .

A good day -

Tim