A much better-looking sky today! The task committee gave us a 162 km task to Davenport, via a TP to the south of Dry Falls. Cloudbase was around 2800m on the Butte, and with the WNW wind it was an easy crossing.
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| Today's task to Davenport. |
Flying south was initially easy, but as we kept heading SE the wind direction changed to a strong SE, 25 kph, so our progress slowed to a crawl. Single digits on ¾ bar!
As we neared the TP there were 2 reserve depliyments. The first glider was in a spin when he tossed, and he landed safely under reserve in a moon dust field. But it was so windy he was getting dragged by his reserve and couldn't pull it in. The second reserve ended much the same way, except the pilot managed to cut his reserve away after a shorter dragging session.
Meanwhile we had finally gotten the TP and it was time to turnaround for Coulee City. Unfortunately it was still a crosswind flight, and I was kinda low. Another pilot and myself were forced to ridge soar the cliffs at Dry Falls until a thermal came through...at one point I was below the ridgetop and fully inside the Coulee!
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| Yummy skies! |
I finally got out of there and was flying over Coulee City but couldn't find enough lift low down in the wind-swept thermals, and landed just outside Coulee City. Many other pilots landed on the way to Davenport, and I believe there were about 6 pilots in goal.
I think the strong SE was unexpected to the task committee, we certainly didn't expect it in the air!
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