Milk Run

Wow, what a SLC day! After motoring I went sky sailing on my new wing, R10.3. Late to launch for the heat of the day I got into position and pulled up around 5:15. I remember checking the watch cause I was late for a tandem. Before I got into the sky Dave scored a soild climb out on an Avax XC he was testing out reaching the POM before anyone else. Jochen came in high from Grandeur and stayed deep all along the wasatch. Dave vanished right away, before I launched. Pete & Marshall had bad luck, rotten timing,... not sure why they dirted, but spring on Oly late in the afternoon can just shut down. After I got all laid out I looked around for those two and saw them on the ground. mmmm, ground suckers voodooi'in my mind. I grabbed the next lift that rolled up the mountain and gained good height, but had to search for the next cycle and hope it came quick because I was much to low for many passes above launch. Maybe those ground suckers kicked one off cause I climbed up to shoulder height and then found a valley oriended thermal that took me high enough to cruise around to the north face. I went looking for the heater being low enough to really want it I jumped on the first strong lift and tried to find the core. some fumbling before I got the one that carried me up to the same height as the summit but out over the shoulder. So I rolled south. The lea side thermals rocked the ship and punched and dropped me here and there, but never took any wing away from me. 1/4 bar proved to eat thru all the chop and provide a very nice glide. Ferguson Canyon boosted me up over the hounds tooth and I rolled south some more. With plenty of height I searched the Lil cottonwood ridge. finding nothing I kept moving south. Above the water tank below the rocky fingers I took one. a 50% loss of the right wing. It felt loose and I was hanging on one riser. The wing slide to the left, but didn't change directions. I looked up to see as I pulled a little breaks and as i did it all came back soft and clean. No direction change. How nice. I wonder what Ozone means when they told me that when it goes big it goes big. That seemed significant to me. I've lost 80+% in Mexico and found that wing did much the same that my R10.3 just did. So happy with the stablity I searched back and found that thermal rockin it to a decent height. I knew I had the POM on glide & then the lift off the hillside & valey thermals kept raising me above the valley. Playing with the speed bar again I cruised way out front and brought it home with a few spiral dives and some wingovers in a gentle way. It was very nice to put in such a good ride along the familiar terrain of the Wasatch. Becoming familiar with the wing I am impressed with its stability and its smooth handling. The climb rate on it sucks my guts into my heels anytime i grab onto lift, remembering to breath is often hard to do because of the force and speed of the elevator ride. After landing I though about the run and remembered the plucker launch handled with ease. the rock and roll feeling in control, the solid response to a big collapse and the ease of gliding into the grassy LZ. I am sure I have yet to find out what a handful she can be when twisted into a nasty sky spasm, but after a month of ownership and a dozen or so spring flights on it I am encouraged by the feel of pushing bar and the pull of the strings in the thermals. When the days get longer and the ceiling higher I am hopeful I will be able to hold it together long enough to push the envelope of this new wing I am flying. Praise be to OZONE! ahh, yeah like 45 minutes to the point, launch to land. Special Thanks to the crew who knows how to get it done. Marsh for delivering. Tomorrow we go higher!