First landing at the vineyard

Day 1: Task 1. The weather was gorgeous and clear, with nice unstable air below an inversion of about 7k. It was pretty exciting to be up in the air with 159 other pilots. This picture is from launch just before people started flying.

I launched with JK an hour before the Sprint start gate opened, and we dodged gliders together for most of that time. I was feeling pretty good up there, often finding myself at the top of the stack just above 6k.

Then, 5 minutes before the start, I hit a sinkhole of epic proportions and fell to launch height, 3.8k, as everyone else flew off in a glorious armada to cross the valley. I got a nibble on a decent thermal and rushed up to a meager 4.5k, and impatiently began to limp my way across, but I soon came to my senses and returned to launch, to tank up properly and patiently.

I was rewarded with a very potent thermal that blasted me to 5.5k. Surely that would get me across! I blazed out and set my sights on the first turnpoint at Rabies Ridge. I thought I had a lifty line but it turned out to be quite sinky, and I was fighting a strong headwind from the west just to pull in low over China Gulch.

There I found one thermal that seemed like my lifeline out of there, but I just couldn't stay in it for long enough. I wish I'd had some company down there - it might have helped. Finally I was getting too low and had to decide what line to take out over the valley for a last chance at a low save. The bombout LZ or the Vineyard were about equidistant. You guessed it.

I cruised low over the terrain and barely made it across a horrible unlandable tree filled neighborhood, to set down near the X at the Vineyard. An exciting but inauspicious beginning to my week. I didn't make the first turnpoint, and I was scored with minimum distance to be tied for last place.

Nick and JK both had great flights, vastly more successful than mine - I hope they will get a chance to write up a quick summary. I'm riding up in the bus for day 2 now. Stay tuned and wish me luck getting a bit further down the course line!