Guadalupes this weekend

[RobinHastings]

Looks like the weather will be good and there are folks planning on flying at the Guads. I hope to be out there on Friday afternoon. Bill Lemon, Greg Clark and others from Sandia Soaring Association are planning to be there, and Mike Ellsworth just said that he wants to go. Let's make a weekend of it!
-Robin

[Bob Kuczewski]

I've got a commitment on Saturday night, but I could drive out Sunday and hopefully be able to fly on Monday.

My glider is a single surface Falcon 195. Do you think that would be suitable for the predicted conditions at the Guadalupes on Monday?

[RobinHastings]

Hey, Bob, the Guadalupes are an easy Hang 2 site. There is nothing but LZ down below, and if you get 300-500 feet over, it's OK to top land. But it is a LONG drive from San Diego - or even from Las Cruces (about 5 hours from my house). I wouldn't recommend it for a one-day flying expedition. Come out and fly with us at Dry Canyon and the Rim, instead. Keep in touch!
-Robin

[Bill Cummings]

Hey Bob,
I’ll leave the light on for ya! If you need a staging area that is within 5 hours of my place. (Robin are you sure it’s a whole 5 hours from each of our house’s to get to launch at the Guads? --That sounds like a lot of driving.)
Anyway, Bob, what was it to my place from San Diego? Eleven to thirteen hours? Then add 5 hours on to that. For one day of flying?
Bob I think you should make an appointment with a therapist.

Cancel your Saturday commitment and take the whole weekend. Other wise people out here will be looking at you funny.

Terry will be in AZ for the weekend so I get to mess the house with other boys if I want to. (She wouldn’t budge when I inquired about the girls.)

I’ve been struggling with a few issues and was thinking of staying home for the weekend but I did want to go.
What ever you decide my place is available for a stop over going or returning.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Hmmmm .... I'll have to consider all that good advice.

My plans for Saturday night include dinner with my boss, his wife, and some other long time friends. They're all great people, and we don't all get together that often, so I really can't miss it.

Sorry for not remembering ... is the flying site 5 hours east or west of Las Cruces? The drive from San Diego to Las Cruces is pretty much all day, so the east/west issue could make a big difference. Please let me know...

Cancel your Saturday commitment and take the whole weekend. Other wise people out here will be looking at you funny.

I'm from California. The people out there look at me funny anyway!!   

[Bill Cummings]

Bob,
It is an additional 5 hours.
Air miles would be less than half the distance to the launch at the Guadalupe Rim from Las Cruces, NM (USA).
To get around the high ground we have to go NE to Alamogordo then up the mountain pass past Cloudcroft then on to Artesia on the east side of the mountains, then south to Queen Rd then back SW to the town of Queen, NM then north along the rim for another 9 miles to get to launch.

OR

Go south to El Paso, TX, east around the pass in the mountain, NE almost to Carlsbad, NM then NW to Queen road then SW past Queen then north again on the nine miles of Rim Road.

Because of the terrain you have to go way past the place then come back to it on various roads none of which go in the direction that you want to.

Eventually if you don’t shoot yourself you find yourself at launch.

Now that I’ve just reviewed this I have just talked myself out of going.

My advice to anyone that intends on going would be to not read this post.

[SamKellner]

I hope the good forecast holds true.

Hey Bob,

With your top landing skills, like Robin said, you can save the drive time to the LZ.

The ridge is like Torrey on steroids.

Sure glad I made it out there a few years ago.. I landed below near the cattle pens.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Well, I did the prudent thing and stayed home this weekend. According to Murphy's law, that means that the flying must have been spectacular, and I'll have to cry in my beer watching all the fantastic pictures and videos from the weekend.

I think I'm ready for it, so let's see the show ...       

[RobinHastings]

It was one of the nicest times I've spent at the Guadalupes. Most of the time the winds were light, and the weather was amazingly warm for February. On Friday I picked up Greg Chastain of Dallas at the El Paso Airport and with two of my gliders on the rack we drove out to the Guads. We arrived just after sunset, in time to see Greg Clark of Albuquerque landing his PG in the camping area. We had a nice time visiting around the fire with folks from Sandia Soaring Association, grilling our dinner and dining in style. Bill Lemen arrived later that evening, as did Mario from near Santa Fe. (Bo Frazier showed up early next morning, in time to see Bill's sunrise flight and landing.) Scott Ernst, Jim Stelzer, and a new PG pilot, Trent, were all good to visit with. The full moon was bright and the skies were clear that night. Next day the PG's were out early and almost everyone got to fly, even if briefly. Greg Chastain and I set up our hang gliders. The winds picked up in the afternoon however, to 30+ mph on launch, and I went exploring with Greg and Jim. We saw some great flying sites south of the Queen Highway. We arrived back at the launch in time to meet up with Bo and Mario, setting up to fly, and Bud Melaney from Silver City, who was setting up his Icaro Laminar. About 5:15 Bo took off, with Bill Lemen on his nose wires, and went right up in smooth lift. I followed right after, then Greg, and finally Mario. Bud decided to wait until the next morning. It was easy to rise up to 1000 feet over launch, watching the sun sink to the horizon, and I headed to the LZ right by the campsite as it began to disappear. I had plenty of light to land by, and plenty of turbulence to punch through in the last 50 feet, with one of my poorer landings at the end - fortunately, nothing got bent or broken. Greg went 6 miles north to the end of the Rim, then back to a fine landing. Andy Embury, a potential pilot from Las Cruces, arrived just as I launched, and gave Greg and I a lot of help (and light) as we packed up the gliders. Another pilot from Abq, Chris, showed up then, ready to fly PG or HG. We had a great time again visiting around the fire, and Bill Lemen supplied us with elk and venison for a wild game feast. Everyone ate well. It was another beautiful, warm, moonlit evening. Next day (Sunday) the PG's got going early, and had some great airtime. Bud, Greg and I launched our HG's around 9:30 to 10:30 and worked the light lift around the ridge for almost an hour. Greg and Bud got up enough to land at the campground, but I finally sank out and landed in the huge empty valley, where Greg retrieved me after an hour or so. The winds started blasting as we packed up then, and made it back to El Paso Airport in time for the last Southwest Airlines flight back to Dallas. I got home in time for a much-needed bath, and a good dinner with my wife and daughter. A nice weekend indeed. I sure hope that other folks got some more airtime on Monday (Presidents Day). I'm looking forward to next year!
-Robin