Garlock on the 21st & 22nd of April

[Steve90266]

OP, I agree. Due to the low probability of getting a campsite at RedRock if we leave Friday night, meeting at the Kagel LZ on Saturday morning makes a lot more sense.

Rich and Kat were considering going out ahead on Friday afternoon, but even if they succeed in getting a site, it will only fit them. By the time we would arrive, the other sites would probably be taken.

I will contact Joe G. today and see what his plans are.

I will contact Rich Shaw and advise him of the decision to meet Saturday morning at Kagel LZ. I still think we should meet at 6:30 AM for a 7:00 AM go, given the size of the group. I am open to debate on this.

[MikeI]

Saturday morning departure works fine for me.

I've already tweaked my plans for Friday, so I'll be meeting with the group Saturday morning either way.

[Ken Andrews]

Count me in for the weekend! I'm pretty flexible on just about everything, and generally have a spare vario and a spare GPS if necessary. Like usual, I've got a good hang-mobile with space for people and camping gear and gliders, but don't have a solution to the perpetual driver question.

As I dig through email from past Garlock trips, it looks like the Sylmar LZ meeting time is usually between 7:30 and 8:00 AM, for an 8:00 to 8:30 departure. Like usual, it's a trade-off between sleep, setup time on launch, and the possibility of missing an early launch window.

Code: Select all

Waypoint         Latitude    Longitude     Elevation    Distance
Garlock Launch   35.41844    -117.85124    4746 feet     0.0 mi
Garlock LZ       35.38508    -117.83748    1979 feet     2.4 mi
Trona Airport    35.81260    -117.3273     1716 feet    40.1 mi
Ballarat         36.04782    -117.22397    1079 feet    56.0 mi
Stovepipe Wells  36.60543    -117.14632      10 feet    91.1 mi

It's downhill all the way!

[Malury]

Most of you know by now that I can't go on this trip. I am the "Best Man" at a good friend's wedding. (If I am the best man, what does that say about the rest of them?)

I will just remind you of Larry C's admonition: "Fly with prudent passion"

[Steve90266]

MALURY, so sorry you won't be able to join us.

Taking Ken's suggestion, plan to meet at the Kagel LZ between 7:30 and 8 for a go no later than 8:30.

Everyone rally at the Garlock LZ at 10 AM. We'll go from there.

[BJ Strand]

Room for one more? I'll be coming from Tehachapi, so I can meet at the Garlock LZ at 10:00am. I'll need a ride up the hill though... Oh, and I'll definitely need a ride back from Trona.

[Steve90266]

BJ! I was wondering if we'd hear from you! Consider yourself IN and up the hill, if I have to carry you on my back! Seeing as you've done this before, you and Ken can show us the way.

Now maybe Max will be joining us and we'll have the power triad.

See you at the Garlock LZ!

[RichardShaw]

Kat And I plan on arriving at Red Rock early afternoon (Friday), we can get at least two sites maybe more depending on availability and interest. 1 camp site can have 8 people. Let me know if you have interest in staying at Red Rock.
I will call you after we arrive and let you know how things stand.

[Steve90266]

At Redrock Canyon Friday night:
Richard Shaw
Kat Shaw (driver)
Steve Murillo
Pat Murillo (driver)

All others meet in the LZ Saturday morning between 7:30 AM to 8:00 AM. Load trucks and go. See you at the Garlock LZ by 10 AM. Joe Greblo and Ken Andrews will be in charge. Here's a roster of who you can expect to see in the Kagel LZ:

Kris Greblo
Joe Greblo
Adam Newman
Orian Price
Mike Ivey
BJ Strand
Ken Andrews
Tom Casper
Will Ramsey (Driver)

Other possibles are
Max Wagner
Jonathan Dietch

Leave by 8:30 AM. We will meet at the Garlock LZ by 10 AM. From there we'll divide trucks and head up to launch.

[OP]

Weather report: Epic April Garlock conditions. The solar index, lapse rate, wind direction... We are all going to Trona or beyond. If anyone gets up on the panamint mountains and tries for either furnace creek or beaty NV, there will be no hating. However one may need to pay the difference in fuel beyond the intended goal.

Also if the "Best Man" you can find is a Maori named Mao-row-ri .... you need to encourage that man to fly the desert. He's going to need big air to solemnize the union. Garlock in April duing a La Nina only comes once every 15 years. Getting married can happen much more often.

[JD]

....Here's a roster of who you can expect to see in the Kagel LZ:

Other possibles are
Jonathan Dietch...

Alex Gagarin will be joining me (PG)
We both need to be back Saturday evening but it sounds like others will also be doing a day trip as well.
Thanks!
JD

[Steve90266]

OK, here's the transportation plan:

People going straight to Garlock LZ:
1. Rich & Kat Shaw (8 glider capable truck)
2. Joe & Kris Greblo
3. Steve & Pat Murillo (3 glider capable truck)
4. BJ Strand

Meeting at Kagel LZ:

Truck 1
Max Wagner (driving)
Orian Price
Mike Ivey
Jonathan Dietch
Alex Gregarian
Sony Stevan (possible)

Truck 2:
Ken Andrews (Driver)
Tom Casper
Lin O'Driscoll
Michael Lichtreman

If you don't see your name on this list, call me or shoot me an email.

Steve90266@gmail.com , 310-266-4154 cell

[OP]

The Shaw's have secured spots 34&35 at Red Rock. There is zero cell service in that area.

[Tom C]

I'm thinking that I may take my car as well. Between people, hang gliding gear and camping gear, it seems that those two vehicles will be awfully crowded. We can off load some of the gear into my car if people are so inclined.

[MikeL]

I'm thinking that I may take my car as well. Between people, hang gliding gear and camping gear, it seems that those two vehicles will be awfully crowded. We can off load some of the gear into my car if people are so inclined.

I may do the same myself. Between my harness bag, camping stuff, more camping stuff, food, diabetes stuff.........lots of shit for me!

Michael L

[PilotGuy]

So how did the flying at Garlock go? I wanted to join you guys but had a work commitment on Saturday. I was within site of Garlock the entire day though, and it looked like a mighty lifty day.

[OP]

It was so epic, it was epileptic. A few made it to Trona each day:

Day one: NME, Ken A, Frank, OP.
Day two: Greblo, Richard, OP, Adam.


About 40 straight miles line flight on earth.
About 50 miles in a car driving.
Climbed to 15,300 feet.
45,000 feet of climbing on route.
Saw a F-16 at the same altitude, about 13k feet. (thought it was a f-35 but later Wikipedia made it's bubble canopy obvious what it was)
The night in between flights was a moon-free meteor shower. One of them crashed in Nevada and started a fire. Google it.

White box is for the unlikely event I violated airspace. Pretty sure I didn't.


The Altitude is exaggerated in this shot. The glide on the SP2 isn't that rough. Looks the the gps wasn't lying about the 15.3k top out Sunday.

[PilotGuy]

Wow, that sounds great. I wish I could have joined you guys, like I said, it looked like it was going to be a great weekend. What kind of climb rates were you getting, and how ratty/smooth was it? It was a fine weekend to be camping, I'm sure. Did you actually see the one that hit Nevada?

[JD]

This was my first time joining the SHGA for the Garlock to Trona AP run and I'd gladly do it again but come prepared to camp overnight next time. Me Alex G, Frank H and Max all planned on coming back on Saturday. Sadly, that happened sooner than later for max whose van developed mechanical trouble. Luckily, Max was on radio w/ Ken and Tom who we caravaned with and they doubled back to pick up me, Alex and Frank.

The now, 2-vehicle caravan reached the LZ in time for everyone to throw on. There was a good turnout on launch including a few E-Teamers and (I heard) a group from Ridgecrest as well. At the Kagel LZ there was no OP and he did not answer his cell. OP was 'no esta aqui' all the way to Garlock LZ but later showed up w/ a 'tardy note' pinned to his shirt but no lunch bag.

Alex G launched first around 12:30 on his PG. Due to lack of streamers it was more like two launches in one from what he described later. I was off around 12:44 and the old XC team of Dizzy & NME were back in action. It took a solid 20 more minutes before things had turned on enough to head down range. Unfortunately, Alex (Dizzy) got on course a little too soon and too low and eventually decked it by the highway about 5 miles fro launch. I watched from a few miles North as I slowly sank out myself.

I was greeted w/ a fresh thermal around 450' AGL near the highway as I was unzipped and setting up my landing. Welcome to desert flying. This is when the best climbs often happen. Now I was on course and eventually got above 12K a few times near Ridgecrest. Unfortunately I was having hypoxia issues above 9K including blurring of my central vision in both eyes. I was warm enough but wasn't feeling too swift and the blurring didn't help matters.

Aside from this, the sky was a deep and space-like blue above me and the red and rust-colored mountain ranges were gorgeous and in every direction. I followed the reports on radio as much as I could and offered radio relay to help make sure everyone who landed out was accounted for. There were also radio reports of trucks caught on rocks and failed alternators. Then there were the pilots whose radios were transmitting and were still in the air.

I left a climb West of Trona AP at 11K then tagged the AP at 9K and tried to decide what to do next that would make it easier on the retrieve vehicles. Rather than flying back as far as I could to Garlock LZ as I originally planned I flew towards the North end of the valley then back toward the AP. Ken got on radio and stated that he'd landed safely at the AP so I came in and joined him in the shade of a hangar wall. About ten minutes or so later, Ken spotted Orian overhead.

OP made a long, low final glide and I though he was hotdogging until he landed on his wheels. Orian reported zipper trouble and couldn't lower his gear. Some minutes later Ken also spotted Frank coming in. Ken offered him assistance on radio but I don't think he was receiving. Frank came in slow and wobbly but ran it out in the brush for another safe touchdown.

The Shaw and Newman trucks showed up not long afterward and we were headed back to the campsite. Alex had gotten a ride from Aaron, another PG pilot who had flown the Owens on Saturday from Boomer Ridge to Lone Pine and landed going backwards in the mid day breeze. Orian took me and Frank to Mojave where we relaxed and dined on Fried Everything at Primo Burger as Alex got my car at Sylmar LZ and came to get us.

We went back to the campsite to get our gliders and then we drove home. I finally pulled in around 1AM. Later I learned that both Elsinore and Mt Laguna were epic but I did not mind. I had a great time w/ the SHGA club and would gladly do it again. Videos to follow.

[OP]

Wow, that sounds great. I wish I could have joined you guys, like I said, it looked like it was going to be a great weekend. What kind of climb rates were you getting, and how ratty/smooth was it? It was a fine weekend to be camping, I'm sure. Did you actually see the one that hit Nevada?

Sustained 600fpm when above 7000 feet. A climb from around 10 -> 15k didn't take long. Large smooth lifting areas.
When low, the lift was tightly cored and ratty. I had difficulty getting up at launch on Sunday. Falling out of the thermal 1000 above launch meant a near skydive to 1000 below launch on two occasions. The prolonged sensation of less than one G does get your attention.

The meteor shower was not as expected. I've seen them with very frequent "wisps." This one was less frequent but larger fireball style ones. I don't think I saw the Nevada one.