9/29/05 Altitude: 7850ft Task: Out and Return to Mt. Wilson
Mileage 40miles Duration 3Hrs 59min
I could see that it would be a 10,000ft day. It might even turn around at Kagel but maybe a 20% chance that it wouldn't. Ron, Phil Rob and I were on for Ojai. Ron called at 7:15am. The winds are seeming light. I prefer to stay at Kagel. So we hemmed and hawed. Short story we went out to Denny's for breakfast and headed up the hill at 10:45. Our plan was to go east. There was a major fire going on in the Bell canyon area in the west San Fernando Valley. The smoke was rising up to about 12 to 15,000ft. Fortunately it was blowing NE and so the smoke was blowing away from us.
When we got to launch, it was blowing down pretty strongly. Lots of long faces. As we set up The NE was getting weaker. By the time we launched it was blowing SE at 15 to 20mph. After launching I immediately hit what I thought was strong lift. It was just strange sideways air. The entire day would have a strange turbulent quality to it. Phil and Rob were heading out toward Lance's relatively low. I was up to 4500ft in front of launch. Ron was just launching. We all got up and headed toward Big T at about 4500ft.
We all were searching around in front of Big T. Rob, Phil and Ron formed up in a thermal and I was on the bottom. I took one turn and there was no lift. I was pointed at the hill and I bailed out of that column. Rob and Phil got up and headed to Little Lukens. I finally found some decent lift and saw Ron coming out to join me. We headed to Little Lukens. Ron had about 400ft on me. We separated and I got up in white knuckler and continued east to Lukens.
It was still early but we were only seeing about 6800ft. Where was this 10K day? We milled around for awhile and then there started to be a lot of yacking about heading back. This ain't happening. We're only getting to 7200ft. It was only 1pm and were at Lukens. That's the earliest we've ever been there. I can't believe they want to turn around. And do what I think. They want Dana to drive back to the LZ to drop off the beer. I say I'm still thinking about going. I'm going to wait at least till 2:20pm before I head back. I got to 7200 once but I waited. Finally I got to 7800 and change and went. Gulp!
The sink out over the Arroyo Seco wasn't too bad. I crossed the Angeles Crest Highway. I started to feel lift before getting to Brown and hey, I've got 400 up. I'm turning. Hey This is all happy. I get back to 7100ft and continue to Echo Pk out in front of Wilson. The lift is even better but it does have a bumpy quality. OK, I'm feeling better about this plan. There seems to be more consistent lift than was at Lukens. It is later, about 2:45pm. It will be interesting to see how good Lukens is on the way back. I get up to 7400 and dive back to Wilson. I figure I'll tag it and come back to this thermal at Echo Pk. Unless of course there's just an awesome thermal.
The air back here is getting bumpier and I have a slight headwind. (NE) It's light but maybe I'm in some sort of rotor? It's getting more turbulent and now the 700fpm sink. I'm still OK altitude wise, but maybe I don't need to go and ring the bell I'm almost all the way there. No I think I've come this far what's another 1/4 mile? This air sucks. Looks like they've built more radio towers here. I tag the Wilson launch (It's still cleared) and head back to Echo Pk Looks like a 7mph headwind SW. That's a lot better than 20mph.
The Echo Pk thermal is still there but much weaker. I continue west and hit something Between Mt Lowe and Brown. I get back to 7600ft and continue to Brown and another thermal
I get back to 7800ft at Brown and it's a cakewalk back to Lukens.The thermals have been really consistent and good east of Lukens. I don't know if it's the air over here, it does look pretty clear down here. I can see that the smoke from the Chatsworth fire is blowing into Oat Mtn. I would hear about 20 min later that Ron, Phil and Rob were getting to 9400ft west of West Towers.
No real good lift at Lukens 6000ft. I head on to Little Lukens. I'm going to do a long out front glide back. I stop in good lift and get back to 7300ft I'm out over the foothills of Big T I glide to the 1500 with one turn at Trash. I fly to West Towers and the smoke is coming in from the west. It's almost up to the towers. It's too smoky to continue flying. OK that's all folks. I fly back to the LZ, find a sinkhole and have a good landing. Pretty good day.