Seven Days of Sun!

 

Wow, what a welcome sight! Nothing but sun in the seven-day forecast. According to Cliff Mass (a great blog to check out for things related to northwest weather!) there is often a warm and sunny spell of days in early to mid-May, but its followed by dismal weather in June.

Well, maybe after the dismally cold and wet March and April this year June will be better than average? We certainly deserve it (but unfortunately the weather doesn’t care).

Sad Day in the Fraser Valley

On the last Saturday of April a tragic accident happened at one of our launch sites. A life ended, many others were changed for ever and our small community of flyers was shook up to the core. Odd circumstances kept the event in the news for a long time. Sadness, unanswered questions and thoughts remain, on the fragility of life, randomness of fate and on risks and rewards of our adventures.

„O Fortuna, wie der Mond bist du veränderlich, ständig wachsend oder schwindend; das schmähliche Leben schwindet bald, bald verwöhnt es spielerisch den wachen Sinn...“

Carrot on a 5-day Stick

That’s what the weather forecast has been looking like all spring!

After yet another rainy weekend, the forecast promises improvement for the next Saturday. Tuesday comes around. Now the sun will come out on Sunday. When it’s Wednesday, the weekend doesn’t look that great anymore, but clear skies on Monday.

A new initiative of our weather men (and women) to keep the population from falling into complete despair?

Revelstoke - Easter Fly and Ski

Easter trip with Andrei and Elena to Revelstoke. First time for us to fly here. What a nice place to fly! The chair lift to launch makes for a very European feel. We had not skied at the resort after the new Ripper chair lift was added and did some skiing too to explore the new runs in the North Bowl. The runs just kept going and going and going. Quite the vertical! Pleasant warm temperatures in town, but still rather chilly in the morning before the sun hit the slopes and up in the air.

Pete after launching

Waiting for snow squall to end

Top of Stoke chair left, launch in the center below Mt Mackenzie, Rogers Pass area behind

Two flights for us on both Saturday and Sunday, with thermals, lots of sun, and some parawaiting for snow squalls to end and for the cross winds to calm down. Almost 1300 meters vertical between launch and LZ. Plenty of lift to climb over the top of Mt. Mackenzie from where we could admire the panorama of snow-covered peaks of the Selkirk Mountains near Rogers Pass.

Apart from one short test flight these were our first launches with ski and there was lots of new stuff to discover: strong wind in the face doesn’t work well for forward launching, since moving back isn’t easy on skis (a slight back wind is actually helpful), landing with some back wind is no problem cause its much easier to ski fast than to run fast. Flying my lightweight harness without using the footrest makes it feel more wobbly. And I didn't really like the close proximity of sharp metal edges to my paraglider lines.

Sunday was the last day of operations for the ski resort and in the afternoon it felt much saver in the air – too many partying kids all over the hill!