2006 March (529kB) - Pacific Soaring Council

have reached cloud base at 12,000’ and we go our
separate ways.
Still thrilled by the unexpected lift strength and by
the encounter with the eagles, I continue south,
having decided to come back at three o’ clock. With
this time limitation I can only reach up to the Desert
Creek Peak, then with a large turn to the left I do
my 180 0 and direct towards the Pine Nuts. This
takes me near to the spot where I found that terrific
lift before and again I find 9 knots lift! Back to
12,000’ I direct straight to Truckee, pass over
Minden and cross Spooner pass entering the Lake
Tahoe basin, but just above it at 8,000’ and go back
to the Minden valley.
The clouds in the Minden Valley are based 10,000’
to 11,000’, and they are far enough from the Tahoe
ridge that I cannot use that altitude to get back.
There are clouds on top of the Tahoe ridge, but I
estimate that they are generated by the ridge and I
am below the ridge and downwind of it. I decide to
go to Carson City, to land there and get a tow. They
have already called me from Truckee and I have
answered to please wait, I may still be able to make
it back.
Going toward Carson City on the lee of the
mountain, and on the edge of a band of clouds very
high above, I am down to 7,000’ but then find some
weak lift on the back of Spooner Summit. I take it
and get to 9,300’. Interesting. Study the clouds,
move ahead, find some more lift, this time a 4
knotter to over 10,300’. Now this is really
interesting, but I cannot make it back yet. I need
some more. Move along the clouds edge, more lift!
5 knots to 11,300! This is plenty, and once more, I
make it back to Truckee, after a 5 hours and 217
(OLC) miles flight. The same itinerary, made at
15,000’, would be senseless and boring. There is
nothing more satisfying in a glider than earning your
way back in the face of the difficulties posed by the
weather and the circumstances. Why do we need
the challenge of a demanding enterprise to feel
alive? It seems it is our nature to seek for the new,
the different, the unknown. To explore. Try. Learn.
Test ourselves and our ability to cope with novel
situations. There are people that like to see an
adventure in a movie, we like to live it in our
weekends. In addition, we live it in a wonderful
environment, which intensity no movie can
reproduce, and at times, we may happen to have
great encounters in the sky. I never was a
particularly lucky guy in anything, but I feel I am so
lucky to have found this wonderful way to exist.
Back to Truckee. On a day that looked like a local day, I flew more than 7 hours.
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