Stepping off the tram, the day looked perfect! Winds aloft were forecasted to be higher today, but the wind at the top was 2mph, so we were optimistic. Soon the dusties were firing off the top of launch, and a cloud began to develop. As we prepared for launch, the cloud built fast. By the time we were ready, the top of the mountain was completley shaded.
     I launched anyway and went looking for lift on the sunny side of the canyon. No such luck, and a few minutes later I was packing up in the LZ with Dale. Catching the next tram back to the top, I noticed it was now raining at launch, and a load of pilots passed us on their way down. Ken moved the comp to Inspo for the day, and flew down in the clearing skies (read: getting good again).
     Inspiration Point was going off good, and soon we were filling the skies with our colorful wings again. I grovelled around launch for way too long before finding a good thermal, but this one took me and four others to 11K behind launch. Heading for Timpanogos, I could see the lead gaggle out in front.
     Working across the massive rock face of Timp was slow, but we were only racing against time, since we launched at 3 pm. Dale and I got real high at the north end before crossing Spanish Fork, and I let him go first, holding onto the lift for a few hundred more.
     Crossing over to the next ridge, the canyon below looked rather intense! As I approached the ridge, I started taking a beating. Since I still had plenty of altitude, I chose to bail out of that raspy lift, and I headed for Lone Peak.
     Lone is the peak behind Point Of The Mountain, about 15 miles from Inspo, and it is kind of an obstacle as it sticks way out from the front range. I came in low and dove for a rock face, which worked well. Approaching Lone Peak, I snapped a photo of the newly forming cloud over the top. Now, it had developed into a dark mass, feeding the major thunderstorm off to the east, over Heber. Lift was everywhere, and I snapped another photo of the incredible rock garden on the ridge as I ascended.
     Soon I was at cloudbase, and after a few more pics, set out up the range towards SLC. Snowbird was now sunny, but just behind it was darkness and rain. I briefly considered jumping over the back towards Park City, but kept going up the front range. Mount Olympus was really firing, and four of us climbed to 14K where we hit some kind of shear and we went on glide again.
     This turned out to be final glide for most of the pilots that got up on Olympus, since most of us landed at the University of Utah. The National Weather Service reported that we would have the 'Remnants of Flossie' today, but this sounds more like something I get just before I brush my teeth!
     There was certainly a lot of moisture in the air, but even with virga seemingly all around us, the flying was magnificent - smooth and sweet, except for a few sharp edges.
     I especially like Todd's response when asked about his strategy for cross country flying: "When the vario beeps, I turn. When the vario keeps beeping, I keep turning. When the vario slows down, I go on glide." Perhaps not exactly what the inquiring pilot wanted to hear, but sound advice nonetheless.