First Flight, North Side, The Point, Utah

I regret I didn't have my hacked up digital camera with me, but it was an overcast late afternoon yesterday and the sunset was totally blocked by stratus clouds. So no images to accompany this post, nor would they have done justice to exhilaration of a first flight.

At the parking lot launch, the ridge lift was medium strength (about 12-15mph) outta the North. When I rolled up there were quite a few other gliders out and so, (being uncomfortable in close quarters with other flying monkeys), I hung back. I hate launching into the gaggle.

Needless to say after three pilots lucked out (skilled out?) in the lift and benched up and back to the higher ridge behind launch and a few others landed out, I took flight into less crowded conditions. Unfortunately I picked a light cycle and scratched the ridge crest for about 7 mins before slowly sinking out. Bummer. After a non-eventful landing, (the best kind), I packed the wing up and climbed the hike of shame back to the parking lot.

At this point I ran into a local instructor Johnathan who was going out on a solo flight. I dropped my stuff sack and watched him scratch around for a bit before top landing. We both decided it was too light to fly the lower ridge without sinking out. And I didn't relish another short sled ride.

However, still jonesing for some airtime, we both invested effort in hiking up the big ridge behind the main launch, (benching up with the two-leg method, as you will). After getting high enough to feel a steady breeze Jonathan set up and took off. The wind was a bit cross but still had a lifting component to it, so after watching Jonathan get some altitude, I set up in the same area, careful to lay out the wing away from the clutching desert weeds.

I did a reverse wing inflation and spun and launched into a decent cycle. It was still quite a bit cross, so I had a few seconds of kiting and side-stepping down slope before feeling the reassuring support of my canopy.

I scratched only a little bit this time before finding sufficient and constant butter-smooth lift. Spent about 15 mins boating around with excellent views of the city spreading out below and the Great Salt Lake far to the north, bathed in late afternoon hazy sunlight. I rose well above the high ridge crest without worry in the light winds. It was the highest AGL I've been in some time, since the high launch back home was shut down due to the fire.

It felt good to get high again!