The theme was Myths and Legends, so I came as Thermal Man after a crash from not hooking in.
The crash was real but the injuries are only to make a point. HOOK IN!!!
Leo as Robin Hood and Charlie as some mythic bird??
Matt, Lisa, Donna, Lori, and Greg.
Sugar Hill launch, getting ready
Sugar with Goose Lake in background. Mostly dry
Launch line, Sugar
Black Cap tandem flight, Dave Beardsley. Pilots waiting for it to turn on.
Lisa Tate getting it started
Moore town park , pilots and drivers ready for the day to begin.
Girls do it too!! Go get em Heather!! Upper launch at King.
Driver Sharon making a sandwich which Lil is hoping to get.
Standing on launch looking SW. Beautiful area.
Chris Mckeon (The Big Guy) setting up the predator. He drove yesterday, I'm driving today.
Ken Muscio (KM) This is the spot from which he and Shannon Raby made The Crossing. First and only flight across the Sierras.
KM off launch, Pickle Meadow (LZ) under left wing.
Easy glide to Pickle if you sink out. Sweetwater Range in distance with SW facing launch for when Wolf is blowing down.
This flight was from Wolf launch in Sonora Pass, off Hwy 108, 30miles north of Yosemite Park. The winds were predicted to be light NE so I figured a flight down the Sierras was possible. Ken Muscio and Chris(The Big Guy) Mckeon were with me. Chris offered to drive. Yahoo!! There were fires burning in the southern Sierra spreading smoke throughout the region. You can see the smoke below the clouds in most of these photos. This is looking South from just west of launch after climbing up.
Looking west from same area.
This is looking NE from 14726'. You can see the marine base (the light spot behind my flying wires) and Pickle Meadow the bailout LZ in front of it. I'm heading SE toward Twin Lakes.
Twin Lakes. The day is looking good, with cloudbase rising to around 17000' before it was through. I stayed between 13 and 16 for most of the flight. I did have oxygen.
Looking NE toward Bridgeport valley and reservoir. Twin Lakes below. I continued on flying the east boundary of Yosemite Park over Tioga Pass down to Mammoth Mt. No problems, staying high and deep the whole time. I could see Yosemite Valley, Halfdome, Touloume Meadows, the Ritter Range, Devils Postpile. I flew over the top of Mammoth Mt. and could see people getting off the tram to site see. I'll have to do this flight again on a clearer day and get more photos . Truly glorious country!!
Looking south toward Tioga Pass, the NE winds are indicated in the cloudtops
Looking west from over Twin Lakes
Looking down at Walts Point and the road to Horseshoe meadows, the shadows are growing long.
Owens Dry Lake at the south end of the Owens Valley. I go on final glide from here and make it to Haiwee Reservoir, landing along Hwy 395 in a light south wind. The Big Guy was there holding a streamer. 174.4 miles My longest flight to date. Thanks Chris for chasing.
