Guads President's Day W/E

[Bill Cummings]

Steve C. PG thinks the forecast is looking good for the Guads and is
planning on being there Friday and Saturday. He’s hoping the
forecast will hold. So far I’ve heard about four to five pilots are
planning to be there. Probably more will be but many find it
difficult to commit.

[Nate]

We came, we saw, we flew!

Quite a turn out this year.

There were 5 HGs out there. 4 from CO and myself. The first day, one of them tried to get back to the ridge, impacted on the edge and broke a wrist. Another landed short of the camp LZ and one hooked a tree on landing. No damage to glide or pilots on the camp LZ incidents. They all left the following morning.

I landed at the old O-HG LZ up top -safe, like always. That camp LZ is good at producing stories of pilots using skill and luck. I prefer to not tap those and land a mile down the road.

It was a good fly in. I should have left with the HGs. The 2nd day I was completely alone over at HG land. Made me realize I can fly there alone anytime so I left. I do not come out there for the mostly captive ridge action, I come for the sunsets and pretty country - it was a success.

[Bill Cummings]

Good choice of landing one mile north of the camp Nate.
For landing hang gliders it’s the safe LZ.
A little more north is the second best LZ.
There are wide spots on a road. The road
is called LAWYER RD.
We have been chewed out by the Forest Ranger
for driving into the mile north LZ. Someone
Keeps taking down the, “ NO MOTORIZED VEHICLES,”
sign.
I like to think of LAWYER RD, as the legal LZ for
motorized retrieve.
I have watched a good PG pilot land a few feet behind
the HG launch. That is a rotor free area to land when
conditions are good for PG.

[Nate]

That place to the north is clearly the safest place to land. There is no sign to not drive in there though I did see the one years ago and understand that the FS forbidding entry is the reason activities moved closer to where camp is currently located.

I drove in the to get my wing. Someone has been driving in there routinely. Judging from the tracks and the salt/mineral blocks that were not hand carried in, it is the work of cowboys with the FS lease.

[Nate]

Have fun if you go to the Guads! Not in the cards for me this year. I saw them yesterday from 30,000 ft.

Please post if you go I love to hear reports. I'll likely head out there later in March or in April.

[Bill Cummings]

RGSA President Steve Crye this afternoon emailed that the Guad’s will be blown out. He didn’t go into detail but I’m thinking that this report also covers HG as well.

[Nate]

The Guads are so magical. Wish I could make it this year.

If someone else is going, please post up. It isn't in the plans but.........

[Nate]

It is looking like I'll have the weekend free to take in some sunsets and flying. If there is good wx and other HG pilots, I will make it out to the big nothing this year