THE SHORT AND LONG OF IT

Three Crystal Squadron pilots flew cross-country last Satuurday, all landing at Bishop, 'only' 200 miles out on a day that was marvelous here at home. Each one has provided a writeup of that flight, and it's interesting to compare their yarns. We bring you Barry McGarraugh's version first, followed by Peter Kovari's and then Karl Sommer's. BTW, Mike Koerner held his fire and flew Sunday, soaring 350 miles to Austin, NV. Mike's writeup is very brief, ending with a disclaimer that might seem puzzling to those who haven't heard tell of Mike's often wild and wacky retrieve adventures. His summation: "No drama on the return trip anyway."Barry BcGarraugh:On Friday, Dr Jack's Saturday forecast looked pretty good, but my enthusiasm waned when I saw the RAP Saturday morning. Conditions looked weak, but the winds were forecast to be “confused” and light so Karl and Peter and I all decided to head north anyway. I got off tow a little after noon and climbed up fairly easily to ~9K on Mt Lewis and Baden Powell to top out at ~10.7K. I headed out across the desert and found fairly kind air that kept me up between 7-9K between the Edwards airspace and Rosemond. Just south of Mojave I ran into a good thermal that topped out ~9.5K that got me on the barren ridge where Peter was reporting good lift. Between the Barren Ridge and Inyokern there was spotty lift, but the conditions on Boomer were not working and all three of us wound up scratching in the foothills in disorganized lift. Peter stayed out in the valley and nearly landed at Coso while Karl and I worked in closer to the ridge and managed to finally get up on top just to the south of Cinder cone. Thermals were topping out between 10-12K, and I finally bailed out at the switchbacks and crossed the valley to the Inyos. Lift on the south facing slopes was working fairly well and I got back on top just to the south of Mt Inyo. Karl and Peter were about 15 miles ahead of me by this time, and they were starting to report soft conditions in the Westguard pass area. I managed a small climb abeam of Waucoba and had just crossed Westguard pass when they both called Bishop as their final destination. About this time I stumbled into a good thermal that got me up to ~13K and on toward Schuman Grove. As I cruised north I encountered spotty lift, but Karl and Peter had both switched over to the Bishop frequency so I decided to join the party at Bishop and peeled off the Whites and into the valley. I decided to trade the extra altitude for OLC points and flew up the valley until I was just south of White Mtn. where I turned back to Bishop. Sue and her sister Loraine had just gotten into Bishop when I arrived over the airport, and I landed a little after 6PM for a flight time of 6:10. Karl and some other glider guys helped push the glider to the tie down area and we got the glider back into the trailer around 7PM. Sue got a room in town while I disassembled the glider, and all eight of us had a nice dinner at the Las Palmas Mexican along with the Cypress Club Members. Karl and Rose took off and headed south right after dinner, and we finally crawled into bed around 10PM and promptly fell asleep. The next morning we met Peter, Sean and Tom at Jacks restaurant and had a nice breakfast. Afterward we parted ways with Peter and company and Sue and Loraine and I decided to head up to Lake Sabrina for a little sightseeing. The lake was pretty, but the water level was VERY low, and it highlighted just how desperate the water situation is in California…Peter Kovari:Since it was my turn in the barrel, I eagerly kept an eye on the weather predictions for Saturday.Friday afternoon Dr. Jack showed a rather promising but not outstanding outlook for flying up the Owen’s so as I loaded up my van and I also added my two water containers filled with water for ballast optimistically .Next morning like I usually do before a planned flight, I turned on my computer to check weather one final time and promptly dumped the ballast.Nevertheless, out to Crystal and at the upcoming pilot’s meeting with Karl (C3) and Barry (01Q) the consensus was that a milk run this was not going to be.I launched right around noon and towed to the second ridge where the lift was very light to non existent. Finally contacted a nice thermal by Morning Mountain and than Mt. Williamson to 9.5K, going to Lewis and Baden Powel got me to around 10.7K and on my way north..Surprisingly the valley air was kind, my flight computer showing about a 7 kn wind from the east. I think the easterly flow was pushing the sheer line our way and with a couple of turns on the way soon was heading toward the Three Sisters west of Mojave where a nice thermal got me to 10.5K.And than this is where the fun began.As far as I could tell the wind now turned north easterly, with about a 5kt headwind component and the hills stopped working, at least for me.It was now a slow crawl once again (I’m getting tired of this) up the lowlands to Boomer Ridge near Inyokern. Thinking that the north side of the ridge should work with the northerly wind flow I soon find myself disappointed and getting washed off into the valley once again.Resigning to the fact that this is the way it is going to be, I continued the slow and low crawl toward Cinder Cone and than Coso dry lakes, taking a couple of stabs at the hills on the way only to be washed off again and again.By now the winds turned 180 degrees blowing about 8kt out of the usual southerly direction and find myself at 5000’MSL - 1500’ AGL over Coso dry lake.Gear down, checking wind, I stepped into a rough thermal which eventually took me back up to 8900’ plenty for continuing to Olancha.The valley around Olancha finally worked well and once over the Owens dry lake I managed to climb to about 12K. While in this nice thermal, from the corner of my eyes I saw a black object “falling” off the Sierra’s, diving to the floor of the dry lake, going like a bet out of Haiti’s; an FA18 fighter jet. Good thing I continuously run a transponder, hopefully he sees me.One more thermal over the lakebed and then on top of the Inyo’s north of Cerro Gordo, climbing to near 13K going north.Although the lift bend was not particularly high on the Inyo’s, I was able to cruise between 12-13K almost to Westgard Pass with only a few turns.Karl (C3) and I both arrived at the Whites together at Schulman Grove. Usually a very good source of thermals, only finding the air glassing off (now around 6 p.m.) and not finding anything.Barry (01Q) right behind us, all three coming off the Whites, more or less throwing in the towel and landing at Bishop.Nice dinner at Bishop with crew, spouses and friends.Yep, another character building day.Karl Sommer:This is supposedly the HIGH season; it sure did not behave that way. Had to change Ox bottle and glue a spacer that came off while Rose drummed up all the other things for assembly, “I can't find your flight bag”. It was all nicely packed Volksloger, Winpilot, Spot etc, but for some unexplainable reason it decided to stay at home (We should have done the same). How about the offer from my crew? “I will drive back and get it, should make it back in time”. I thankfully declined and decided to wing it like in the early days.I got a tow after Peter and had my share of difficulty to finally end up at 10.5K so I left the mountains after PK reported some lift S of Rosamond Dry Lake, 01Q who got to 10.7K over Baden Powel left about the same time. The desert had some thermals that went to about 9K so I pressed on towards Mojave and through a bunch of sink hanging around 5K at Jawbone looking for lift, thinking I have to get to Cantil where is it, never looked for it from this vantage point, probably could have made the Honda track.Just then I got a good kick, took it with my utmost concentration, being thankful and realizing how good it feels going up, 9K off we go Inyokern with Peter reporting lift over the wide spot.Next thermal over the Walker pass road enough to try Boomer even so PK had no luck got lift further N enough to ride along the ridge to abeam Cinder cone. Then a good one to 12K abeam Haiwee reservoir enough to stay on top, nearly getting to the top of Olancha Peek.OK lets go, time is running short, crossing to the Inyo’s connected with good lift up to 14K now we’re cooking. Not for long. Westguard pass, a week thermal and Shulman grove just as soft, so peeling off down a canyon into the open, reported on 123.5 “300.2 wind 150/13” switched to CT brakes out and landed in Bishop on Rwy12. Two Cypress members helped me push C3 to the transient parking. Thanks guys.Nice dinner at the Mexican Restaurant in good company.