Yesterday morning I got myself all out of the Airbnb before 8am and stopped at Feed Cafe for my morning cup of green tea latte. It was early but I decided to just head for the hill. This is heading south from four corners looking towards Big Sky MT.
So we got to the top of the hill and the winds were at about 12mph, on the upper side of where we wanted them. I got hooked into my new harness and then into the wing. It took a bit of ground handling to figure out the high winds and Andy helped pull me back towards the edge of the hill and the main lift band. I finally got the wing stable overhead then turned around to face forward and the wing lifted me straight up off the ground and into the air where I rose up above the height of the launch before flying out away from the hill but staying in the lift of the winds against the hill face. It is the BEST feeling and exactly what I am doing this for, the feeling of soaring without falling.
My 40th flight happened faster than I could remember to get my watch going and the camera going for. With the winds I wanted to launch before they blew us out. All 4 of us got 2 flights in before Andy called it due to the winds just being too high. We all got ridge soaring in on both flights with Seth getting the longest flight of us all as he was last. This was us standing on top as he decided to call it. The wind wants to just take the wing away in the winds and I had to stand with my body downwind of the wing so I was the stop for the wing to be held against.
Then we had to get the wings folded in the high winds which was nice and manageable with all of us on the wing. One by one we got them all folded and into the packs before the last hike out. I managed to get my fastest time to the truck from the top of the hill, only 22.5 minutes for the 1.2 miles largely downhill snowshoe then hike.
I waited for everyone else at the truck then after saying my goodbyes I jumped in my truck and headed for home.
I got gas and then was on the I90 by noon home time, 1 pm mountain time. Being Easter it was a quite enjoyable dive home due to the very thin traffic.
Coming over the grade between Bozeman and Butte there was this killer little lenticular cloud stacked up over the mountains.
Homestake pass is just to the east of Butte and is where the Continental Divide is crossed. I have always liked to cross this line as I know I am back on the west side of the country where I am born and raised.
Just west of Butte I hooked up with another vehicle that was booking it and I let them lead and kept them in my sights the whole time until they turned off in Missoula. We made GREAT time and I was getting gas at the truck stop 3 hours from home.
I got to drive the way I like coming up Lookout pass and crossing into Idaho. The corners are so much fun at speed and my truck handles like a dream at speed in the corners. Let off the gas as you come into the corner then accelerate through and out of the corner while making sure to hit the apex of the turn.
I got to CDA and the traffic began. It is the Inland NW populated area. Then once I hit Spokane Valley the rain began and it kept up all night last night.
I made it home before 5pm for a 5 hour drive. Everyone helped me get unpacked out of the truck before the rains really started. The evening was spent unpacking, washing my clothes, talking about my trip, dinner, then we watched Battlebots before bed. It was SOOOOO nice to shower in my shower and sleep in my own bed again.
Today I have a load of stuff to do. The most important thing today is buying then installing the new leaf springs on the trailer after the one broke before my trip. North 40 has them in stock 7 miles away so I will get them this morning and hopefully be able to get them changed out. I am watching the weather as well as I hope to not have to do it in the rain.
The snow is gone and now I have to get the tiller out and going as soon as the ground is not soaking wet. So much to do in 20 days if I want seeds in the ground, I still have all the plastic to cut holes in rows which is going to be a major project.
This was my week of hiking and flying. Almost 3000 minutes of intense activity, or just shy of 50 hours in 7 days.
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