Why no posts from the Mexico trip????? I am dying to hear about it!!!!!!
Matt
Las Salinas???????????????????
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brandonpeterson
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:39 pm
- Location: northridge
honestly that is my thought as well... (not the lazy necessarily) but it will take someone some time to write up an account of the weekend. I have been hoping a couple folks who took great pics and video (Steve Murillo, Joe Greblo, Lynden vasques and oh yeah, Brandon come to mind) would be able to post some visuals and then fewer words would be needed...
I had a new camera and only managed to get my shortest flight at Horse and from a bad angle.
Totally missed the other two flights were we all got 1-3 hour flights...
Sorry Matt but I am not up to doing a write-up yet. Maybe we can do some partial accounts and others can add bits and pieces.....
I had a new camera and only managed to get my shortest flight at Horse and from a bad angle.
Totally missed the other two flights were we all got 1-3 hour flights...
Sorry Matt but I am not up to doing a write-up yet. Maybe we can do some partial accounts and others can add bits and pieces.....
Bill
Here's what I posted to hanggliding.org earlier this week:
We drove down Thursday night to the Baja Seasons Hotel. Friday morning we found out the restaurant at the hotel had been closed for three months due to lack of tourists. Not wanting to stay at a semi-abandoned hotel, we moved over to La Fonda hotel 2km north.
Friday afternoon, after dropping off several donations to the Door of Faith Orphanage, 15 HGs took to the air over the ridge, 12 of us all at the same time. Few of us had ever experienced ridge soaring with other people, but the flying was spectacular with most everyone in the air for well over 2 hours (3 of the pilots somehow managed to sink out for a quick landing).
Saturday we all managed to pull ourselves together for more flying after a night of tequila shots. Joined by 3 more pilots, flights were shorter (one to two hours), with cloudbase at 400 ft over the ridge.
Sunday the ridge was socked in and rather than wait all day for better conditions, we decided to cross the border early and go to Horse Canyon. Once through the border I called up Bob K and told him to meet us there. We got to the LZ by 1 to see a HG specked out in the clouds at 11-12k. Unfortunately, by the time we were set up and ready to launch the thermals had shut off we had to scratch around for the little lift that was left. It was my first day there, which is sad given I live is SD, but I'll definitely be heading there frequently this summer.
I, of course, forgot my camera for the trip so hopefully someone can post their pics.
Many thanks to Steve for organizing the trip, Joe for providing excellent instruction and guidance for new flying sites, Adam for carrying tons of gliders, and also Max and Ken for rides up the hills.
Cheers,
Jay[/quote]
We drove down Thursday night to the Baja Seasons Hotel. Friday morning we found out the restaurant at the hotel had been closed for three months due to lack of tourists. Not wanting to stay at a semi-abandoned hotel, we moved over to La Fonda hotel 2km north.
Friday afternoon, after dropping off several donations to the Door of Faith Orphanage, 15 HGs took to the air over the ridge, 12 of us all at the same time. Few of us had ever experienced ridge soaring with other people, but the flying was spectacular with most everyone in the air for well over 2 hours (3 of the pilots somehow managed to sink out for a quick landing).
Saturday we all managed to pull ourselves together for more flying after a night of tequila shots. Joined by 3 more pilots, flights were shorter (one to two hours), with cloudbase at 400 ft over the ridge.
Sunday the ridge was socked in and rather than wait all day for better conditions, we decided to cross the border early and go to Horse Canyon. Once through the border I called up Bob K and told him to meet us there. We got to the LZ by 1 to see a HG specked out in the clouds at 11-12k. Unfortunately, by the time we were set up and ready to launch the thermals had shut off we had to scratch around for the little lift that was left. It was my first day there, which is sad given I live is SD, but I'll definitely be heading there frequently this summer.
I, of course, forgot my camera for the trip so hopefully someone can post their pics.
Many thanks to Steve for organizing the trip, Joe for providing excellent instruction and guidance for new flying sites, Adam for carrying tons of gliders, and also Max and Ken for rides up the hills.
Cheers,
Jay[/quote]
OK. I posted a handful of photos to Facebook. This link should get you there: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1 ... 3443db643b
Tom
yess...here are some more photos. you shouldn't need a Facebook to see them I don't think...but let me know if it doesn't work. (:
Anyway, completely awesome trip...much thanks to everyone! : D
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 6792209f25
Anyway, completely awesome trip...much thanks to everyone! : D
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 6792209f25
La Salina Part I
OK, here's the first installment of what I can remember about the La Salina trip, before I forget all the details.
Thursday
Traffic heading north on the 405 to the LZ was horrible. There's a surprise. Eleven of us meet at the LZ and load up Joe's Suburban and Adam's Ford Behemoth. Steve and Pat are stuck in the traffic, and we decide to meet them in Irvine when we pick up Bill. We realize that Sony showed up without his driver,...er, girlfriend. This will cause some logistics problems later, but Lynden will save the day. We meet up with Steve, Pat and Bill in Irvine, grab burritos and chips at a convenience store, forget the burrito in the microwave and hit the road. We pick up Jay in San Diego and go looking for Mexican auto insurance and find that the drive thru insurance company is closed. Half a dozen smart phones are called into action. Another insurance company is located, and the crisis is averted. As we're passing through the border, Joe hits the gas to keep up with the lead vehicle just as a guy with a large machine gun is looking us over. I duck for cover. We make it into Mexico in one piece. The drive to La Salina is uneventful, and we arrive at the hotel at 11(?) pm. The hotel is nearly deserted and we check into our cabanas. Joe has a slide show in his room while a few people wander down the beach.
Friday
As the group starts to stir on Friday morning, we discover that the hotel restaurant and bar are both closed due to a lack of business. My dream of landing on the beach, next to the pool, and having the waiter come running with a margarita was dead. We drove a couple of miles north to La Fonda for breakfast. La Fonda had a working restaurant and bar, and the rooms were half the price. We moved. However, it was too far from the ridge to get there by glider. The original hotel wanted $14 per person for an access fee if we wanted to land on their beach. So, it didn't look there would bed any beach landings. Max arrived and joined us as we visited the Door of Faith orphanage and dropped off our modest contribution. After a brief visit we moved on to the launch. On the way to the launch we had to stop to pay a small fee to the group of farmers who own the land. After paying the gatekeeper we continued on to the launch.
The sky was overcast, and the wind was light. After setting up the gliders we waited for the wind to improve while Joe explained the Dos and Don'ts of ridge soaring. More waiting. Finally, Max decided to launch, and we had our wind dummy. It was clear that Max was doing pretty well, and the rush was on. Gliders launched one after another. There was soon an organized chaos as everyone tried to follow the rules that were not yet well practiced. We managed to avoid any collisions and almost everyone had flights over two hours. There were one or two unfortunate individuals who sank out and had to watch the rest of us boating around. Adam learned that his Sport 2 is faster than a Falcon. He kept passing everybody and spent much of his time down low, where he could zip by under everyone's feet.
Drivers were in short supply on this trip. Pat Murillo was a tremendous help and drove one of the huge trucks down to the LZ. There was talk of someone hiking back up to retrieve a second truck, but Lynden came to the rescue. He waited for everyone to launch, drove the truck to the LZ and launched his Doodlebug from there. That gave him a late start. In fact, several of us were on the ground in the LZ before he launched. He finally did launch and buzzed around for a short time, only to have his engine quit. He landed in some bushes toward the paraglider LZ. I think he just wanted to keep Erika company. It seems that she has started a tradition of picking her own LZ (bush) to land in.
After everyone landed, we headed back to the hotel for dinner. The margaritas were flowing freely and were quite potent. Many tequila shots were enjoyed. A good time was had by all who can remember. Those who were still awake gathered in Joe's room and watched The Big Blue Sky.
To be continued. (if I get around to it)...
Thursday
Traffic heading north on the 405 to the LZ was horrible. There's a surprise. Eleven of us meet at the LZ and load up Joe's Suburban and Adam's Ford Behemoth. Steve and Pat are stuck in the traffic, and we decide to meet them in Irvine when we pick up Bill. We realize that Sony showed up without his driver,...er, girlfriend. This will cause some logistics problems later, but Lynden will save the day. We meet up with Steve, Pat and Bill in Irvine, grab burritos and chips at a convenience store, forget the burrito in the microwave and hit the road. We pick up Jay in San Diego and go looking for Mexican auto insurance and find that the drive thru insurance company is closed. Half a dozen smart phones are called into action. Another insurance company is located, and the crisis is averted. As we're passing through the border, Joe hits the gas to keep up with the lead vehicle just as a guy with a large machine gun is looking us over. I duck for cover. We make it into Mexico in one piece. The drive to La Salina is uneventful, and we arrive at the hotel at 11(?) pm. The hotel is nearly deserted and we check into our cabanas. Joe has a slide show in his room while a few people wander down the beach.
Friday
As the group starts to stir on Friday morning, we discover that the hotel restaurant and bar are both closed due to a lack of business. My dream of landing on the beach, next to the pool, and having the waiter come running with a margarita was dead. We drove a couple of miles north to La Fonda for breakfast. La Fonda had a working restaurant and bar, and the rooms were half the price. We moved. However, it was too far from the ridge to get there by glider. The original hotel wanted $14 per person for an access fee if we wanted to land on their beach. So, it didn't look there would bed any beach landings. Max arrived and joined us as we visited the Door of Faith orphanage and dropped off our modest contribution. After a brief visit we moved on to the launch. On the way to the launch we had to stop to pay a small fee to the group of farmers who own the land. After paying the gatekeeper we continued on to the launch.
The sky was overcast, and the wind was light. After setting up the gliders we waited for the wind to improve while Joe explained the Dos and Don'ts of ridge soaring. More waiting. Finally, Max decided to launch, and we had our wind dummy. It was clear that Max was doing pretty well, and the rush was on. Gliders launched one after another. There was soon an organized chaos as everyone tried to follow the rules that were not yet well practiced. We managed to avoid any collisions and almost everyone had flights over two hours. There were one or two unfortunate individuals who sank out and had to watch the rest of us boating around. Adam learned that his Sport 2 is faster than a Falcon. He kept passing everybody and spent much of his time down low, where he could zip by under everyone's feet.
Drivers were in short supply on this trip. Pat Murillo was a tremendous help and drove one of the huge trucks down to the LZ. There was talk of someone hiking back up to retrieve a second truck, but Lynden came to the rescue. He waited for everyone to launch, drove the truck to the LZ and launched his Doodlebug from there. That gave him a late start. In fact, several of us were on the ground in the LZ before he launched. He finally did launch and buzzed around for a short time, only to have his engine quit. He landed in some bushes toward the paraglider LZ. I think he just wanted to keep Erika company. It seems that she has started a tradition of picking her own LZ (bush) to land in.
After everyone landed, we headed back to the hotel for dinner. The margaritas were flowing freely and were quite potent. Many tequila shots were enjoyed. A good time was had by all who can remember. Those who were still awake gathered in Joe's room and watched The Big Blue Sky.
To be continued. (if I get around to it)...
Tom
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gregangsten
- Posts: 502
- Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2005 11:22 am
- Location: Westchester
Mex.
Wish I could have made it, especially since you went to La Fonda, a favorite place of mine but I haven't been there for a few years. Still have a great Sunday brunch? Do the rooms by the driveway still smell?
Re: Mex.
gregangsten wrote:...La Fonda, a favorite place of mine... Do the rooms by the driveway still smell?
Is this one of the reasons you like La Fonda?
Based upon my limited and out-dated experiences with Mexican hotels - bad smelling rooms is always a possibility and concern.
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brandonpeterson
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:39 pm
- Location: northridge
Re: Mex.
That is a nice place and the Sunday brunch looked great as we left... We were up too early and wanting to get out of town so we missed the brunch. Maybe next time!gregangsten wrote:Wish I could have made it, especially since you went to La Fonda, a favorite place of mine but I haven't been there for a few years. Still have a great Sunday brunch?...
It was a nice place and inexpensive. Only minutes from the LZ as well.
Bill
Okay ladies and gentlemen here are two small video clips of La Selina. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC2pajo2API . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXNzwZHlgAk
Smile now Cry later
MAX
MAX
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Steve90266
- Posts: 488
- Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 6:05 pm
- Location: Manhattan Beach
- Contact:
La Salina!
Gang, what can I say? The La Salina trip was just plain SPECTACULAR. Picture this - soaring with a gaggle of 15 your friends, all in the air at once, laughing, cracking jokes, waiving to one another, calling out thermals, and basically playing together in the air for 2 hours. Then all safe landings, no broken down tubes, just a great day of flying. Afterward, we headed to our hotel "La Fonda", which featured charming rooms, all with balcony views to the beach and all the comforts a pilot could hope for. Down to the restaurant we went for a night of great food (including steak and fresh lobster), tequila, more laughing and telling stories. Three days of fun and then it was time to come home. All in all, the trip was better than expected, and I'm ready to head back any time anyone is ready!
Steve Murillo
La Salina Part 2
Saturday
The second day of flying got started as everyone slowly trickled into the restaurant for breakfast. The popular choice was the Famous Banana Pancakes. We were joined by Cludy and Hose B. After breakfast we drove up to launch to find it above cloud base. We waited some time for the clouds to lift. During this time we discussed the previous day's flying to see what we could learn. This day Lynden launched his doodlebug from the ridge. He was the first one in the air, and he buzzed off into the mist, his location revealed by the constant, insect-like buzzing of the weed whacker he uses for a motor. He buzzed by a couple of times before the next brave soul took to the air. Sony launched and turned north along the ridge. The lift carried him up, and he disappeared into the clouds. After a short stint of IFR flying he pointed himself toward the LZ and tried to escape the clouds. When he emerged he was low and out of the lift band. His flight came to a quick end.
The clouds eventually lifted to a few hundred feet above the ridge, and the rest of us poured off the into the air. This day the air traffic was much more coordinated. Most people were flying back and forth along the entire length of the ridge, rather that staying in one small area. For the most part we stayed below the clouds. But occasionally gliders would disappear from sight. Conversely, you had to keep you eyes open for gliders suddenly appearing out of nowhere. The radio chatter was helpful for keeping tabs on each other. However, warnings like “I'm in the clouds heading south� were not as helpful. This day most flights lasted for about an hour. The landings were the highlight for many of us. Adam got things started by heading out for the beach. A while later Scott also made it to the beach. I had made a couple of trial runs out to the main LZ and back with only a very small loss of altitude, and I decided that I would also aim for the beach. The air was very buoyant, and the goal was easily achieved. The next thing I knew the beach was littered with gliders being broken down. In the end ten or twelve of us landed at the beach. Ken finished off the beach landings by just squeaking by the dunes to land straight in on the flat sand. Given his lower starting altitude and his wrinkly, old Falcon 1, that was some good flying. When we left the beach, we had something like fourteen gliders stacked four high on Adam's truck. We had landed just north of the original hotel, and a single payment of $10 to the landowner got Adam's truck onto the beach to retrieve the gliders. I think I still owe someone $1 for this.
Meanwhile Joe had offered Brandon and Erika the chance to top land, relaunch and land at the beach. They both took the opportunity to top land, but decided that was enough. Erika discovered that there are bushes on top of the ridge too. Lynden had also landed on top. He drove one of the cars down while Joe flew off on the Doodlebug to meet us at the hotel. The crew from the beach had just gotten back to the hotel in time to see Joe buzzing along, and we ran down to the beach just in time to see him land. He parked the glider (for Lynden to retrieve later) and we climbed the steps to the restaurant for drinks and dinner.
Once again, that night the party moved to Joe's room where we watched whatever videos people had to share.
Sunday
We had breakfast again at La Fonda. The ridge was socked in and the prospects didn't look good for flying there that day. So, we decided to try to fly at Horse Canyon near San Diego. We loaded up the trucks and headed north. On the way to Tijuana we had to pass through a military road block. Several stern looking soldiers with very large guns looked us over while one of them reached up and probed the ends of the glider bags with his hand. I'm not sure what he could tell by doing that, and we didn't ask. The line at the border crossing only took forty minutes. Tourism is down, and the street vendors seemed particularly desperate. One young boy would stand by each car as it approached and juggle five balls for about ten seconds. Joe and I disagreed whether that was worth one dollar. As a fellow juggler I know how hard that is. I gave him a dollar. Judging by the number of people we saw give him money, he probably earns more than I do. Time to start practicing again.
We met up again at Horse Canyon and surveyed the LZ. When we arrived there were many well developed clouds behind launch, and we could make out one tiny speck of a hang glider among them. This looked promising. Then we headed up to launch to get ready to fly. The set up area is small. It was a challenge to get all the gliders set up at the same time. While we were setting up we were joined by Bob Kuczewski, who came to see Jay make his first mountain solo in his own neighborhood. Bob seemed impressed by the number of gliders infesting the launch.
As you stand on launch, the first thing you notice is that the LZ is just on the other side of a busy freeway. Also, if you don't find lift, it won't take long to sink too low to make it there. So, the decision to head to the LZ must be made quickly once you start losing altitude. There is a smaller, “postage stamp� LZ on the near side of the freeway that is used mainly by paragliders. This would be the bailout LZ. Lynden launched first and quickly sunk out. He got low and had to land in the postage stamp. My flight was notable for my downwind landing. My brain inexplicably misfired when reading the wind sock, and I totally spaced out and failed to consider the other indicators, such as the wind mill pointing the other way and the fact that I had been drifting the other way the whole time. I realized the mistake after I turned onto final, but was too low to fix it. With a highway on one side and power lines on the other it was time to see if my wheels were worth their price. I knew I had little chance of running it out and decided to do a belly landing. Other than some embarrassment, no harm was done.
In all the first half dozen pilots had sled rides. Several did manage respectable flights. Mike took the opportunity to try a RLF in the postage stamp. It is surrounded by low shrubs provides a relatively safe place to try it. Erika found herself low and had to bail out to the postage stamp. She found another bush.
We loaded up the trucks for the last time and headed home. Joe let Erika drive for the first stretch. It's nice to have a driver who keeps her hands on the wheel. We were cruising down the freeway when, suddenly, a glider bag appeared outside the left hand windows. Erika calmly slowed down and pulled off the side of the road. Good job. The back end of Brandon's glider had come loose. Fortunately, it had not touched the ground until the very end. There were just a couple of small holes in the bag and no obvious damage to the glider.
We arrived at the Sylmar LZ at about 11pm, tired but happy. I think everyone had a good time on this trip. I know I did.
Thanks again to those that made this happen, namely Steve and Joe.
Saturday
The second day of flying got started as everyone slowly trickled into the restaurant for breakfast. The popular choice was the Famous Banana Pancakes. We were joined by Cludy and Hose B. After breakfast we drove up to launch to find it above cloud base. We waited some time for the clouds to lift. During this time we discussed the previous day's flying to see what we could learn. This day Lynden launched his doodlebug from the ridge. He was the first one in the air, and he buzzed off into the mist, his location revealed by the constant, insect-like buzzing of the weed whacker he uses for a motor. He buzzed by a couple of times before the next brave soul took to the air. Sony launched and turned north along the ridge. The lift carried him up, and he disappeared into the clouds. After a short stint of IFR flying he pointed himself toward the LZ and tried to escape the clouds. When he emerged he was low and out of the lift band. His flight came to a quick end.
The clouds eventually lifted to a few hundred feet above the ridge, and the rest of us poured off the into the air. This day the air traffic was much more coordinated. Most people were flying back and forth along the entire length of the ridge, rather that staying in one small area. For the most part we stayed below the clouds. But occasionally gliders would disappear from sight. Conversely, you had to keep you eyes open for gliders suddenly appearing out of nowhere. The radio chatter was helpful for keeping tabs on each other. However, warnings like “I'm in the clouds heading south� were not as helpful. This day most flights lasted for about an hour. The landings were the highlight for many of us. Adam got things started by heading out for the beach. A while later Scott also made it to the beach. I had made a couple of trial runs out to the main LZ and back with only a very small loss of altitude, and I decided that I would also aim for the beach. The air was very buoyant, and the goal was easily achieved. The next thing I knew the beach was littered with gliders being broken down. In the end ten or twelve of us landed at the beach. Ken finished off the beach landings by just squeaking by the dunes to land straight in on the flat sand. Given his lower starting altitude and his wrinkly, old Falcon 1, that was some good flying. When we left the beach, we had something like fourteen gliders stacked four high on Adam's truck. We had landed just north of the original hotel, and a single payment of $10 to the landowner got Adam's truck onto the beach to retrieve the gliders. I think I still owe someone $1 for this.
Meanwhile Joe had offered Brandon and Erika the chance to top land, relaunch and land at the beach. They both took the opportunity to top land, but decided that was enough. Erika discovered that there are bushes on top of the ridge too. Lynden had also landed on top. He drove one of the cars down while Joe flew off on the Doodlebug to meet us at the hotel. The crew from the beach had just gotten back to the hotel in time to see Joe buzzing along, and we ran down to the beach just in time to see him land. He parked the glider (for Lynden to retrieve later) and we climbed the steps to the restaurant for drinks and dinner.
Once again, that night the party moved to Joe's room where we watched whatever videos people had to share.
Sunday
We had breakfast again at La Fonda. The ridge was socked in and the prospects didn't look good for flying there that day. So, we decided to try to fly at Horse Canyon near San Diego. We loaded up the trucks and headed north. On the way to Tijuana we had to pass through a military road block. Several stern looking soldiers with very large guns looked us over while one of them reached up and probed the ends of the glider bags with his hand. I'm not sure what he could tell by doing that, and we didn't ask. The line at the border crossing only took forty minutes. Tourism is down, and the street vendors seemed particularly desperate. One young boy would stand by each car as it approached and juggle five balls for about ten seconds. Joe and I disagreed whether that was worth one dollar. As a fellow juggler I know how hard that is. I gave him a dollar. Judging by the number of people we saw give him money, he probably earns more than I do. Time to start practicing again.
We met up again at Horse Canyon and surveyed the LZ. When we arrived there were many well developed clouds behind launch, and we could make out one tiny speck of a hang glider among them. This looked promising. Then we headed up to launch to get ready to fly. The set up area is small. It was a challenge to get all the gliders set up at the same time. While we were setting up we were joined by Bob Kuczewski, who came to see Jay make his first mountain solo in his own neighborhood. Bob seemed impressed by the number of gliders infesting the launch.
As you stand on launch, the first thing you notice is that the LZ is just on the other side of a busy freeway. Also, if you don't find lift, it won't take long to sink too low to make it there. So, the decision to head to the LZ must be made quickly once you start losing altitude. There is a smaller, “postage stamp� LZ on the near side of the freeway that is used mainly by paragliders. This would be the bailout LZ. Lynden launched first and quickly sunk out. He got low and had to land in the postage stamp. My flight was notable for my downwind landing. My brain inexplicably misfired when reading the wind sock, and I totally spaced out and failed to consider the other indicators, such as the wind mill pointing the other way and the fact that I had been drifting the other way the whole time. I realized the mistake after I turned onto final, but was too low to fix it. With a highway on one side and power lines on the other it was time to see if my wheels were worth their price. I knew I had little chance of running it out and decided to do a belly landing. Other than some embarrassment, no harm was done.
In all the first half dozen pilots had sled rides. Several did manage respectable flights. Mike took the opportunity to try a RLF in the postage stamp. It is surrounded by low shrubs provides a relatively safe place to try it. Erika found herself low and had to bail out to the postage stamp. She found another bush.
We loaded up the trucks for the last time and headed home. Joe let Erika drive for the first stretch. It's nice to have a driver who keeps her hands on the wheel. We were cruising down the freeway when, suddenly, a glider bag appeared outside the left hand windows. Erika calmly slowed down and pulled off the side of the road. Good job. The back end of Brandon's glider had come loose. Fortunately, it had not touched the ground until the very end. There were just a couple of small holes in the bag and no obvious damage to the glider.
We arrived at the Sylmar LZ at about 11pm, tired but happy. I think everyone had a good time on this trip. I know I did.
Thanks again to those that made this happen, namely Steve and Joe.
Last edited by Tom C on Sun Jun 14, 2009 7:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tom
