Wilson and Back-Take 5
“Almost Wilson and sort of low too.�
Launched Towers and immediately got to 6700ft. Headed east to Big T. Climbed back to 6300ft at Midlle T and went straight to the towers at Lukens. It still before 2pm. Now all I’ve got to do is get over 7K. It took a little fishing around but by 2:04, I got to 7020ft and with a lump in my throat, I headed east. Gulp. I don’t feel so good about this. It’s still early, there’s no high clouds that the sun is about to go behind, or shady ground. So just go. I Commit to landing out. Yeah but. I continue east thinking I can still turn back. Yeah for a little while. I’m getting lower. Ok I’m past the Angeles Crest Hwy. I’m below the peaks. Ok I’m committed now.
I fly up the west end of Brown Mtn. Less sinky. A bit of lift. On the west end of the summit, I’m down to 5000ft. I find something and turn gaining 500ft. There’s a better thermal at the main summit and I work that for a while. The best altitude I get is about 6300ft. I continue east over Mt Lowe . I burble over the ridge line about 500ft over. I turn in some more lift and get to about 6K. The climbs seem to be getting lower each thermal.
I head to the east end of Echo Pk and there’s not much lift here. I was hoping for some good lift here so I could jump back and tag Wilson. I was a little too low to be diving back there. Since I was even with the large tower west of Wilson(about a half mile west of the Wilson launch) and things seemed to be getting weaker, I decided to call it a day and head back. I get up to 5600ft and fly back to Mt. Lowe. I find a thermal and get back to 5600ft. This puts me back at Brown at just under 5K.
Ok, now the hard part. The lowest I’ve gone back to Lukens from Brown is 6500ft. I don’t think I’m going to get that high again. I can sit here and wait for the best thermal I get and if I don’t get up, I’m positioned closest to the LZ at JPL. The best I get is 5600ft. OK go. The winds are light so I get to Lukens east ridge at about 4500ft. I’m going to clear the ridge line no problem. It’s a light 4-6mph out of the SW. I get up a bit and continue burbling up the ridge to another thermal. I’m still too low to get back to the towers at Lukens. I’m at 4900ft. Another spot of lift and I get up to 5400ft. Yee hah!!! I’m back at the towers and I continue
west over Big T wash. Hey! There’s a glider on the ground. And someone is low at Middle T. Hey, that means they’re sinking out(Duh). It might not be very good here. I find a decent thermal at Middle T and climb back to 5700ft while watching someone continue to struggle down low. Continuing west, I get back to Trash and decide I have to get to West Towers. No problem. Ring the bell and land.