3 flights / 5.5 hrs Tiger and Dog Mtn (8/18 & 8/19)

Video from Tiger and Dog. 

Youtube version:

https://youtu.be/knjts8sqHro

Vimeo version:

https://vimeo.com/179614339

Aug 18th,2016 Thursday

Tiger Mtn report:

Tiger was good on Thursday.  I flew for 2.5 hrs with two hangs (Alfredo, Travis) and about six paragliders. Michael was nice enough to let us follow his shuttle to launch (6.2 miles). We left the LZ at 12 and I drove down Alfredo's rig.  I'd hiked up and launch around 3pm. Unlike the forecast said, there wasn't a strong north, but thermic with really light north wind cycles. It was either very light north or almost zero wind at the LZ for most of the day. The top of the thermals was about 800 ft above launch. 

Aug 19th, 2016 Friday 

Dog Mtn report:  

A lot of decision making on where to go; Saddle, Black Mtn, Tiger Mtn or Dog?? We voted for Dog because is closer although the forecast called for East winds at Glenoma (wrong direction) with 90+ degree.  It turns out that Alfredo, Larry, Travis and I had great flights at Dog. The east wind was starting to lighten around 1:30pm. I took off from the north launch on the 1st flight (at 3pm) and west launch on the 2nd flight (at 5:30pm).  It was pretty much dead calm at launch and with really light thermal cycles at the LZ.  Both flights combined was almost 3 hrs of air times. The 2nd flight was much better, topped out 1200 ft above launch over the microwave towers.  Larry went further east and I think he got 2k above launch. Travis went to Elk with his Falcon and made it further west to the Cliff. Hopefully, he will share more about his adventure. Another fun day at Dog. 

Aug 20th Saturday

Supposedly,l was going to either Rampart or Black Mtn today. But something came up so l came home last night. 

1.5 hrs/ 2 flights Dog Mt (Glenoma, Wash) 11/3/15

About today,  there were a lot of NE wind at Dog so we all launch from the north side. I took a AM sled ride before everyone showed up then catch the ride up with Gabe for the second flight. I launched again at 3:00pm followed by Gabe and Alfredo.  We all got over launch immediately.  Alfredo and I flew for 1.5 hrs, Gabe got about 40 mins.  We had several sweet, strong climbs with the peak altitude about 850ft over launch.  Elk was working too, but returning back to Dog patch with east head wind made me feel uncomfortable so I didn't stay there too long.  It turned out being a great day at Dog. 

11 hrs of air time at Dog and Rampart (4 flights)

https://youtu.be/OBfmIHzCFYY 

Friday 8-21-2015

Dog (Glenoma,WA)

5 hours / Topped 4500ft MSL

Saturday  8-22-2015

Dog (Glenoma,WA)

1st flight sledder 

2nd flight  2.5 hrs / 50ft above launch

Yeah it was really smoky at Dog all day (Saturday) ,poor air quality and visibility. Not much wind at launch and no big thermals unlike Friday conditions but enough lifts for few of us squeeze out few hours or so of soaring flights. 

Sunday 8-23-2015

Rampart (Snoqualmie Pass, WA)

3 hrs / Topped 7500ft MSL

Two bags and three hangs flew Rampart today. It started out really cross from the East and was light.The hang launched streamers that showed wind blowing the opposite direction so we went up to the Paraglider's launch. Paragliders took off first around 2:30pm and got 500ft over quickly so we decided to setup. When I was ready to launch around 3:15 pm, both Paragliders had already landed, so I thought it would be a sledder. I launched first at 3:20pm and the air was pretty rowdy. Finding stable lifts was difficult during the first 1.5hrs of my flight. Until Alfredo launch around 4:45pm is when things started to smooth out. We were able to connect with some big smooth thermals that took us to 7500 ft; we flew to Rampart's big cliff wall, Alta mountain and across the valley....etc. Got cold and tired after 3 hrs later so we landed around 6:30 pm in a pretty smooth NW wind at the LZ.  I didn't feel any rotors. 

Friday at Dog over Elk Mt

 Sunday at Rampart

 Alfredo launching

 Rampart skies still hazy on Sunday afternoon

8 hrs air time (4 flights) at Dog Mt on Aug 15th & 16th , 2015

Saturday Aug 15th, 2015

The conditions was really weak at Dog today. I had two flights. It was almost no wind at launch with 90% overcast sky it results there were a lot of short flights. I was very lucky on my first flight that I did a few low save at 500ft AGL and got back up to launch, caught a few strong good thermals over the north side after scratching below launch for a long time.

1st flight :
I launched at 12:45pm and had almost 3 hours of really fun air time. Topped out 2k above launch and made few trips to Elk , radio towers and Hwy 12.

2nd flight:
I've run out of patience after more than an hour of waiting at launch. So launched at 5:45pm and it turned out to be a sledder as I expected. Others who launch after 6:30pm was able to stayed up and flew till sunset. Larry and Marty went pass Elk and got really high.

Sunday Aug 16th, 2015

It was a very ice day of flying at Dog. When the north wind arrived it provided a lot of good flying for everyone.
1st flight:
2.5 hrs

2nd flight:
2.5 hrs

3 flights 10 hrs in 3 day at Rampart and Dog (Aug 7th to 9th, 2015)

It was another great weekend at Rampart and Dog Mt again, with a total of 10 hrs combined within those 3 days of flying.

Aug 7 & 8th at Rampart (Snoqualmie Pass, Wash)
Aug 9th at Dog Mt (Glenoma,Wash)

Day 1. Friday (1 flight)
There was six hangs (Ron B, Chris C, Jonas, Stas, Travis and myself) who flew Rampart on Friday. Not too windy at launch & pretty smooth at the landing "Carrier Deck"  too.  We were all able to get off launch without wire assistance. Thermals were everywhere and reached up to 7000ft.  I flew for 3.5 hrs while others at least got 2+ hours.

Day 2.  Saturday (1 flight)
Also six hangs (Alfredo, Shah, Dave L, Aaron R, Kurt, Cliff S and myself) who flew Rampart. The conditions was similar to the day before exception to more friendly clouds and better thermals.The cycles was a bit stronger and gusty at launch compared to yesterday. I flew from 1:55 to 5:10pm (over 3 hrs) and I think others flew for 2 hrs too. It was an easy trip
to the cliff wall and Alta Mt (The next Mt north of 2nd big
Rampart cliff wall). I cored up to 7800' at Alta Mt.


Day 3. Sunday (1 flight)
I launched around 1:30pm (landed around 5:00pm) after Scott C, Justin H, Larry (Tandem with Hazel) and Tina. It was almost no wind at launch, so I expected a sledder.  Flew down to the lower point and found a lot of small bubbles that consistently kept me at a couple hundred ft above the tree top for over an hr until the good soaring conditions arrived.  JJ and Stas joined me at first, then followed 10 hangs and 2 bags launching after seeing JJ , Stas and myself getting above launch. I went to the back bowl to avoid air traffic with Ron B, Stas, and JJ....  for a while and topped out 2000ft AGL over the back bowl. I made one trip to Elk but found nothing there.

2 flights 6 hours at Dog on Aug 1st 2015

I went down to Area 151 on Saturday morning after 3 epic days at Rampart, and then headed out to Dog with Travis and Paige.  First flight I launched at 1:00pm and flew for 3 hrs.   I went up again after lunch and launched at 6:00pm when wind turned north . The thermals just keep getting better, got 1000ft over the north ridge and went over to Elk and got really high  (4000ft AGL) until 9:00pm. The last group when up to launch around 7:00 and winds turn more NE so they didn't launch.

2 flights 5 hours air time at Dog (July 15)

2 flights that = 5 hours of air time at Dog on July 15, 2015

I flew for 3 hrs on the 1st flight with 6 hangs and than another 2 hrs in the evening with Peter. It was honking 25+mph gusty wind at launch all evening till sunset, I landed at 9:15pm on the 2nd flight.

5 flights 11 hrs / Flights Log from Jun 4th to Jun 7th 2015

Jun 4th 2015 (Thursday)

Dog Mtn.

Paige, Stas, Chris Tarnawski and myself flew Dog on Thursday (Jun 4th). I launched at 3:00pm with light SW wind. The first hour was just a typical soarable Dog Mtn conditions. Then it turned into a XC condition when the wind direction changed more to north. I found plenty of extremely good thermals between north field and school LZ that took me to 6,500. ft MSL and just a slowly drifted to the microwave towers. I can easily cross Hwy 12 and flew to the mountain behind Larry property. I made few trip to Elk and also found a lot of good thermals there. I was so happy with my flight and decided to landed at the school LZ after 2 1/2 hours of air time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO0ebGTRRoE

Jun 5th 2015 (Friday)
Tiger Mtn

Tim Cayward and I were the only hang pilots flew Tiger today. We took the 12:30pm shuttle to launch with a group of paragliders. The winds were too strong for paragliders (15 to 20mph) so we were the only hangs flew today. We had the whole sky to ourself and both of us flew for 3 plus hours. Topped 3300 to 3500ft AGL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1rO0uQXCEQ

Jun 6th (Saturday)
Dog Mtn:
First flight 1 hour and 15 mins (1:00-2:15pm)

I went up with Alfredo in the morning and flew for 1 hour and 15 mins, Gabe showed up later to join us. He was preparing to land at the Dog Patch to get wet. After about an hour of playing around over the ridge I headed to the school LZ. I topped out about 300ft above launch. Alfredo landed at the north field.

Second flight.
2.5 hours 6:00-8:30pm

Alfredo , Stas , Larry, Chris, Travis ,Tina and myself had a great late evening flight at Dog. Most of us reached 1300ft above launch. We went up to launch around 5:00pm and found wind were quite strong from the north side. I launched first and the vario just keep beeping and going up up up..... We played the north ridge for hours in the buoyant air until sunset. It was like magic. I landed at the north LZ first time this year.

------------------------------------------------

Jun 7th (Sunday)
1.5 hours 12:30pm to 2:00pm

Maybe the temperature reached 90 degree so it was kind of quiet at Dog today. It turned out only 8 hangs flew (Kory, Gabe, Stas, Jonathan, Travis , JJ, Tim and myself). We launch around 12:30pm and I flew for about 1.5 hrs. Since my van left it at Dog Patch parking lot so I decided to land at the berm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUXCDF7nciI

Gabe landing at Dog Patch