A Rookie goes to Chelan

Flew into Wenatchee on Sunday and found out that the bus to Chelan doesn't run on Sundays! Bob Cunningham was there too, so we split a $60 taxi ride to the Apple Inn. We took an evening sled ride from Chelan Butte to the Chelan Falls LZ, and another the next morning to the Junkyard LZ, Kind of a sightseeing tour. Then we waited for the Butte to heat up.

Monday and Tuesday were practice days for me, having never flown Chelan. Monday I got up to 8K and jumped across the Colombia River Gorge and hooked a thermal in the wheat fields just beyond the rim of the canyon. The wheat was swirling like nothing I'd ever seen, it looked alive, like a whirlpool spread out over a quarter mile! This disturbance drifted me up and over the power lines, getting me established on the flatlands. I went on to fly to Sim's Corner, then back to the squiggle in the road for a total of 47 miles (a personal best!).

Tuesday I wound into a screamer of a thermal lifting me skyward at 1900 ft/min straight up over the Butte! I crossed the river, went to Sim's Corner again, then flew back to land at the river for 57 miles! Another personal best, and most of the flight I spent at 10-12K over the dust devils. OK, I'm ready for the Nat's!!

Wednesday was Day 1 of the competition, and we had a late pilot's meeting, since the day was slow to heat up. The launch window was opened at 1pm and start tarp at 2pm. Everybody seemed to launch at ten minutes to two, and some pretty wild scenarios were to be seen!

Like lemmings, we all jumped into the house thermal and wound it up over the Butte a few thousand feet, then jumped for the start tarp photo at Chelan Falls Park. A few early departures seemed too far across the gorge before the tarp opened, and as it turned out, only four pilots took accurate FAI sector photos! There were lots of low saves and lots of low not so saved!

I sank out below the rim and finally worked a weak bubble way back in the canyon, working it back up to 6K. But as I left the "weak" lift to five other pilots that were with me, I thought I was established on the flatties. Maybe I was, but the dusty I used over the powerlines to ascend in had different plans for me. After about 12 seconds trying to pump out an 80% deflation, I had lost all of my buffer. At last my wing inflated and I landed uneventfully, having to walk 2 miles to the nearest road in 95 degree heat.

I had succeeded in racing myself to the ground as I watched gaggle after gaggle climb and trek onward to Sim's Corner - today's goal. About 60% made goal on day 1, but none had the start tarp photo right, so as of Thursday, all were ZERO!!

Thursday starts with lengthy discussions of the finer aspects of turnpoint photography. It seems some were told the sector was to be straight at Sim's, not like a turnpiont photo taken from the south (only four pilots did that!). We'll see what comes of that...

The day looks better, but it turns out that we can't get higher than 8K, with many trying to cross and sinking out. The flats were not working much better, and I watched as many landed while I worked 0-100 ft/min lift for over an hour all the way to 11K! I landed 25.4 miles later, after getting the first turnpoint photo at Mansfield, trying to take pictures in 1000 ft/min sink! Much better flight, maybe I'll just relax and enjoy my flights from now on.

Friday, day 3 of the comp has Leahy as goal, but the day was pretty flat and I ended my first flight flushing from the rim to Chelan Falls Park. I jumped back in a shuttle and got back to the Butte in time for a relight. Scratched my way back to 8400 ft and jumped the river again, coming in with "Ball Boy" Paul Furgeson on the rim and working 100 ft/min lift until I set off to land. At about 200 feet off the deck, I hit a bump and nursed it for the next hour and a half to over 9K! The lift was so weak, but I was patient and relaxed as I kept working it past Mansfield, eventually going on glide to land 1 mile short of goal at 8 pm, a few hours late! Only four pilots made goal, and three more landed near me with a headwind. Turns out they're going to give everyone credit for day 1 turnpoint photos (my rating drops! oh well.).

Saturday seemed stable like prior days, but the light cycles at launch were deceiving. The heat got me off early, since I'd rather boat around a few thousand feet over the Butte rather than baking in the 100 degree heat on it. Climbing to almost 10 grand, I finally headed off with Robbie Whittall to photo the start tarp and cross toward Winthrow, our first turnpoint. Robbie smoked me on the glide, but found nothing in the first brown field, eventually running back down a canyon toward the river. The last I saw of him, he was way below the rim as I scratched and clawed a broken thermal until it coagulated and got me established.

Meanwhile, the pack had arrived at my turning call and we were now many pilots circling to around 10K. Heading for Winthrow was pure lift and the air was cold up there! But the sector I needed to be in to take my photo was sinking at 1200 ft/min, and in less than five minutes I was down grovelling in the broken lift that made me retrace my steps as 20 or so pilots flew over me at 10K. Rats!

Zach, Josh and I scratched our way back into the game and headed out for Mansfield across No-Man's Landing Zone, but all there was out there was sink. I finally made a play for a dusty at about 1K and managed to connect. Topping out, I went on final at about 8500 ft, making goal at 5:25 pm. As I approached goal, Robbie appeared from behind and blew right past me to goal just seconds ahead of me. His glider just screams, but with a squiggle factor doing the "worm dance". We were somewhere in the top 20 or so pilots to make goal, and it felt good to finally make goal!

The party and BBQ sponsored by NAP/Flight Design was really great, held at Beebe Bridge park along the river. Pesto BBQ chicken, salad, brown rice, rolls, beer, desserts - WOW! We partied as the sun set and the moon rose...

Sunday, an out-and-return was called from Chelan Falls to Mansfield and back. The day started with high cirrus clouds and light, hot conditions at launch, VERY HOT! Pilots meeting was moved back to 11:30 and launch window opened at 1:30, start tarp at 2:30. I launched a few minutes after the window opened as usual, and wound it up to 12K within an hour. Leaving the Butte that high felt like I had insurance, but the rim was really punchy and rough, with spotty lift. At least I had thermal markers as I had let a gaggle cross before me. It felt good to get back to 10K before pushing on to Mansfield, only to lose most of it by the squiggle in the road. But there were more markers and as I looked ahead, they stretched all the way to Mansfield. So I pushed the speed bar in solid lift all the way to the turnpoint, blowing by pilots still circling for altitude. Making a wide turn to take my photos, I listened to my vario scream at 1000 ft/min as I snapped my pic's - at eleven thousand feet!

Finishing my turnpoint photos, I looked up at the building and fast approaching cumulus and stomped on the bar! From Mansfield I flew straight to goal, making not a single turn, yet I got to over 13K along the way! The day had changed from bright to grey and ominous, with a very dark area towards Wenatchee in the southwest. I squeaked over the rim and into goal ten minutes before a gust front hit and drilled some pilots, unfortunately hurting one.

Monday morning had rain lingering, so they called a rest day. Paul & Mark Fergusen, The "Ball Boys," Bob, Alan and I set off for Airplay Flight Park, near Wenatchee. This place is way cool, with multiple launches, huge LZ's, well stocked pro shop, climbing wall, accommodations and a great staff. We got a ride, then hiked the hill to the upper launch. The cycles were good, so we set up to fly, but the air sharks were lurking. After about half an hour in the air is when the first one bit me. Ate half my wing, spit it out, then ate the other half! Enough already! As we landed, the shark was still swishing its tail through the LZ, making for some interesting landings! Airpay has put windsocks up on all the hills and valleys, and today you could see where the shark was swimming. Turns out it was pretty windy all over eastern Washington, and relatively unflyable. Hope tomorrow settles down!

On Tuesday, everything seemed so mild, like last week. Task was set for Leahy, 33 miles away. Short launch window, since they wanted everyone done early so they can wrap it up. I launched as soon as it opened, as the wind dummies had been soaring for the late two hours. But right after I launched, I could tell that the air sharks were still lurking. The west wind was breaking the thermals apart, and we were all taking a beating left and right. Robbie looked as if he was taming the White Serpent as his wing did the worm dance skyward. Kiwi threw his laundry and landed on the ridge behind the towers. Someone else threw their laundry out front and low, landing in the field below launch. Wild day!

I finally crossed the gorge late, trying to get back to 7K but leaving with less than 5K, and I got drilled in Farnham Canyon only 1 1/2 miles from the start tarp along with many of the best pilots. The flatlands looked really awesome, if you could only get established - and 13 pilots did, reaching goal with a good downwind push.