At the Columbus Day gathering Mike and I were already looking forward to the following weekend for Gray Hill. The forecast looks way better than our last weekend. Check out next weekend. (With some browsers if you click on the Snipping Tool Picture it will expand the picture.)
Magdalena NM this weekend.JPG (36.5 KiB) Viewed 7799 times
Last October while we were camping there it got down near 32 degrees at night. Check out the highs and lows above. It should be warmer. I'll check with Mike tomorrow and if he is still good to go I'll alert the usual Gray people. I already informed Robin and he will look at his calendar to see if he is free.
The forecast for Gray Hill is still holding as real good. Mike Ellsworth and I plan to leave our homes and meet as soon as logistically possible Friday. Highs will be upper 70's and lows will be upper 40's. Winds westerly 8 to 12 mph. Taro will be busy and can't fly. I left a message with Max Montgomery. (Max, tell your locals in your area, okay?) Robin is still looking at his calendar with an eraser in his hand. I'll call Mike Reedy and let him know. I left a PM for Steve Crye and I'll see if I have a phone number for him. Lee Boone thinks he might not be able to fly. I'll give Hadley a call. I could stay for Monday but so far I haven't made up my mind. Look for directions to Gray Hill on earlier posts on this thread.
RGSA/Hawks, The last time we were at Gray Hill I asked RGSA Club President, Mike Ellsworth, for permission to add a link to the weather page. I was given the go ahead and added the link near the bottom of all the other weather links. Look for VLA Reporting Station. This reporting station is near the visitor center of the Very Large Array. The station is the closest one to Gray Hill that is to the west at ten miles distant. Once at the link be sure to look for the buttons that let's you look back into weather history. (Picture below.)
Check out the history feature at the VLA link..JPG (16.65 KiB) Viewed 7786 times
_______________________________________________________________________________ Back to packing the Xterra now so that I can leave my house (Staging Area #1) early tomorrow.
Early could end up being 11:59:59 but I'd like it to be much earlier. Robin loaded his glider onto my vehicle this afternoon and depending on some pet problems will be able to arrive at Gray Hill Friday afternoon. He will leave his truck at home and take the car for better gas mileage.
Mike and I will be setting up camp (Staging Area #2) at the base of the communication's tower. If we go elsewhere we will leave a post-it-note on the back of the stop sign at the turn off that leads SW to Gray Hill from Hwy # 60.
SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 15th: I made it to Gray Hill on Friday about 3:00 pm MDT. Bill Cummings and Mike Ellsworth were already established as Campers By The Tower, and when I pulled up beside them they were just ready to inspect their Wills Wing Falcon 195. A few adjustments were made, and around 6:00 pm Bill had a fine launch in it, trotting into a light southwest wind and easing off into a lovely, warm evening. I drove down to pick him up after his 2-minute sled run (with a good landing). That evening we analyzed the GoPro footage from the camera on his keel, while a pleasant campfire crackled near our feet. It got a little chilly, but nowhere near as cold as our October visit to the site last year. We got a few sunset pictures earlier on, with Mike flying his RC glider above the ridge as the clouds turned gold, then salmon pink before fading into darkness. I brought out my telescope when the flight critiquing was done, and got a look at Venus, Mars, Saturn and the Moon (which was almost full). We all visited around the fire, then got to bed in our separate vehicles (why bother with a tent?) about 10:00 pm. Next morning there was tea and coffee on Mike's stove, breakfast, and some trepidation about much higher winds. They calmed a bit around noon, from 25 mph to 18 mph, and at 1:00 pm I, too, committed aviation at Gray Hill, launching southwest as Bill had done. I had a gust take me sideways a bit, but I pulled it off and got into the air OK. I couldn't find much lift right there, though, and a bit rattled by the launch, just headed out to the flag down by the road, where I had a perfect landing after 2 minutes of airtime. That certainly improved my confidence! I left for home from there, but a later call to Bill (HIS cell phone works, up there) informed me that Mike did indeed get a flight in the Falcon when the winds had calmed a little more, with, this time, a very nice landing out by the road. (Again, 2 minutes in the air. We're nothing if not consistent...) What will tomorrow (Sunday) bring? Who knows? Only the sky gods and the weather deities... -Robin
RobinHastings wrote:SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 15th: I made it to Gray Hill on Friday about 3:00 pm MDT. Bill Cummings and Mike Ellsworth were already established as Campers By The Tower, and when I pulled up beside them they were just ready to inspect their Wills Wing Falcon 195. A few adjustments were made, and around 6:00 pm Bill had a fine launch in it, trotting into a light southwest wind and easing off into a lovely, warm evening. I drove down to pick him up after his 2-minute sled run (with a good landing). That evening we analyzed the GoPro footage from the camera on his keel, while a pleasant campfire crackled near our feet. It got a little chilly, but nowhere near as cold as our October visit to the site last year. We got a few sunset pictures earlier on, with Mike flying his RC glider above the ridge as the clouds turned gold, then salmon pink before fading into darkness. I brought out my telescope when the flight critiquing was done, and got a look at Venus, Mars, Saturn and the Moon (which was almost full). We all visited around the fire, then got to bed in our separate vehicles (why bother with a tent?) about 10:00 pm. Next morning there was tea and coffee on Mike's stove, breakfast, and some trepidation about much higher winds. They calmed a bit around noon, from 25 mph to 18 mph, and at 1:00 pm I, too, committed aviation at Gray Hill, launching southwest as Bill had done. I had a gust take me sideways a bit, but I pulled it off and got into the air OK. I couldn't find much lift right there, though, and a bit rattled by the launch, just headed out to the flag down by the road, where I had a perfect landing after 2 minutes of airtime. That certainly improved my confidence! I left for home from there, but a later call to Bill (HIS cell phone works, up there) informed me that Mike did indeed get a flight in the Falcon when the winds had calmed a little more, with, this time, a very nice landing out by the road. (Again, 2 minutes in the air. We're nothing if not consistent...) What will tomorrow (Sunday) bring? Who knows? Only the sky gods and the weather deities... -Robin
Here are some of the still pictures most of which were taken by Robin Hastings. For some browsers if you click on the pictures they will expand. On other browsers if you hold Ctrl and hit "-" or "+" (minus or plus key) you can enlarge or shrink pictures.
Bill & Mike on Gray Hill photo by Robin Hastings..JPG (53.19 KiB) Viewed 7769 times
Mike & RC @ sunset Gray Hill, NM #2.JPG (27.39 KiB) Viewed 7769 times
RC @ sunset Oct 2016.JPG (27.66 KiB) Viewed 7769 times
Robin in the LZ @ Gray Hill, NM Oct. 2016.JPG (21.46 KiB) Viewed 7769 times
Robin with eyes westward. Gray Hill, NM Oct. 2016.JPG (39.9 KiB) Viewed 7769 times
At our January meeting we discussed a get together for Gray Hill when the night and daytime temperatures are acceptable. Mothers day and Memorial Day are in May. Memorial Day we always meet at Dry Canyon. I'm open for a Gray Hill trip in May or June. If I don't show for my Granddaughter's Graduation which I'm thinking will be June 3rd I may be in deep do do.
May.JPG (69.41 KiB) Viewed 7670 times
June.JPG (64.72 KiB) Viewed 7670 times
May or June at Gray Hill..JPG (56.1 KiB) Viewed 7670 times
Link below to moon rise and moon set: https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/usa/las-cruces?month=5&year=2017 I'm leaning for Friday May 5, to Sunday May 8, 2017 for my first choice for a camping/flying weekend. Check your own calendars and make a suggestion for a get together that best fits with your plans.
I'd also put in a vote for late September for an autumn campout at Gray Hill. It's a little warmer then, around the equinox, and wouldn't be crowding the October events schedule. -Robin
