Wetcoast Week (part 2, April 17): Sunday Flying... First Valley Crossing

All sorts of weather today: hail, snowstorm and sunshine. The morning flight from Woodside was in good and honest winter conditions. Not ideal flying conditions, but totally launch- and flyable… and I was last on launch and no ride down. Getting hit in the face by snowflakes is not the most pleasant feeling, so we landed soon. Just early enough to get the wing packed away before a good downpour. The Bridal side of the valley looked sunny and much more inviting, but by the time we got up to launch it was snowing here too and wind was very cross (and gave a tandem pilot some problems resulting in a botched launch and some team work to extract his wing and passenger from the bushes below launch). But as soon as it stopped snowing and the sun came out thermals started to build.

It was better to wait just a bit longer, as Pete demonstrated when he launched first and after long scratching sunk out. I had a bit more luck, but still had to be very patient and work the weak thermals for over an hour. I was already getting bored flying around launch, but finally patience paid off. A strong thermal took me high enough to where I felt I could venture east.

Ever since I watched videos of flying over wintry mountains and snow-covered trees, I wanted to fly there too – and now I was doing it! White ridges, trees loaded with snow and the snow-filled avalanche gullies of Mt Cheam. What an amazing view. I turned around just below where the peak of Cheam was hiding in the clouds. Same game as on the two other flights a did along the ridge; first I thought, I would make it to the Cloverleaf LZ, then a thermal and Bridal LZ was within glide, and the next thermal got me on glide back above launch.

Next I flew west, peeked over the pass into Chipmunk Valley, glided with little sink to Gloria. Back at launch again, a thermal took me up to over 1200 meters. I didn’t feel like landing already and flew out towards the river to see how far I could glide. Arrived over the river at a comfortable 800 meters, pushed on, flew over the town of Agassiz and finally arrived at the gas station, where I had landed before coming from Mt Woodside. My second longest flight so far for both distance and time (27.7 km and 3 hrs), and my first valley crossing! Leonardo track here.



After snow and hail finally sun!


Lots of traffic at Bridal Launch


Flying east along Mt Cheam


Flying west to Gloria


Flying across the Fraser River


And Agassiz (landing where my feet point)