Saturday April7th
Temperatures of 25(!) degrees Celsius and blue skies had us hiking yet again for a chance to fly. Jeff, Pete, Tyko and I made the ascent, hoping to catch some thermals (and seeing plenty of encouraging activity on the walk).
By the time we reached launch a high bank of cirrus clouds had just begun to eclipse the sun: robbing the mountain of critical soarable energy. We waited and watched, drinking in the beautiful day and hoping for the sun to reappear so we could have a chance at some extended flights.
After an hour and a half the sun was unobstructed again: beating down on us and charging the mountain. Mellow northwest winds of 5-7km were now evident between weak thermic cycles of 3-5km west - this wasn't going to be a afternoon of typical Dundee conditions.
After a few inflations that he wasn't happy with, Jeff was first to launch. Choosing a flight path along the southwest side of the mountain, he searched for thermals unsuccessfully and landed after an extended sledder. On launch we now knew that soaring was going to be tough if it were to happen at all.
Tyko was next off. After a well-tweaked inflation and launch he chose a flight path down the northwest side of the mountain. We watch from launch as he slowly lost altitude, making his way to the west facing point and final chance at soaring before heading to LZ. Our spirits lifted as we watched Tyko hook in and skillfully work some light lift on the point. Smooth efficient turns and patience kept him soaring: even while Pete launched and made his way down the northwest side to join him. Soon the two students were doing a good job of soaring the tender thermals together. I watched for a while, impressed at their ability to maintain while sharing a relatively small area.
As I was laying out in preparation to fly, the cycles shut down completely and a light northeast 1-2km started to blow over the back. I stood there sweating in my down jacket, snow pants and mitts: hooked in and quietly trying to coax "one last cycle" up the mountain's face. After a long five minutes everything went calm and I seized the opportunity and pounded off: saving myself from the long walk down. Following Tyko and Pete's lead I flew the northwest side: finding the occasional little bump but nothing workable. Arriving at the point, I met a red-tail hawk who wasn't soaring either. The hawk flapped away up the mountain as I made two short passes back and forth on the northwest side of the point - nothing. The exciting part of the flight came when I flew into some unrelenting sink on the way to LZ. After 5 or 6 seconds of continued sinking, I got on bar hoping to make the most penetration possible against the north wind and through the continuing sink. Priorities were changing rapidly as I saw I wasn't going to make our normal LZ, or the edge of the clearing our LZ adjoins, or the cut-block 300 yards closer than that! Still sinking I had to make a quick turn and pull in to land at another cut-block closer still: a mere 1:1 glide from the point I was flying less than a minute before. Luckily, the clearing was large enough to accommodate a conservative aircraft approach and I landed without incident (over half a kilometer from the LZ!).
All in all, Tyko and Pete had nice soaring flights while Jeff and I suffered poor luck with shorter flights. Happy after all having landed safely, we made our way back to town exchanging details of our flights and learning from each other's experiences. Good weather and another chance at soaring is in the forecast for tomorrow...
------------------------------------
Thursday April5th
Today's forecast called for sun and 17 degrees celsius: ideal for a hike and fly! Luckily, the beautiful flying weather coincided with the arrival of my friend and origional PG instructor Jayson Biggins of VIParagliding.
Jayson, Tyko, and I started the hike to launch at almost 2pm. There was still almost 3 feet of compacted snow on parts of the road: making snowmobile or 4x4 travel impossible, and walking mandatory. However, we were not discouraged as we were convinced of the high probability for soaring flights.
Arriving on launch sweaty and tired at 3pm, we were happy to see launch cycles of 10-12 blowing straight in. As we changed clothes, hydrated and snacked on trail-mix, we noticed a layer of fairly thick cirrus moving in to block the sun. Quickening the pace of setup just a little, we were soon kitted up and all ready to go.
I was first off as "wind technician", and soon discovered that once again thermic conditions were amazingly smooth and organized - right on! After a quick climb of 500ft or so I swung back over launch, dropped down, and signaled to the boys that conditions were A-OK. As I started to climb back out, I watched Tyko make a beautifully controlled inflation and launch: finding his way into a thermal soon afterward. In the next 15 minutes I watched Tyko get up and down, and eventually hook into the largest thermal of his 23 flight career, a little farther down the mountain. I abandoned the lift I was working to try and join Tyko's skyward helix. Luckily, I was able to hook in and slowly catch up to his ascending red glider. Soon enough I was in easy shouting distance, and then we were circling within the same turning radius directly across from each other. I could easily see that Tyko was happy and doing a great job of active piloting as we climbed out together. It was an epic experience to climb with my student who had known nothing of paragliding just last summer!
Soon enough we had more than enough altitude to bench back to launch and see why Jayson was still on the ground. I got over launch and dropped down to see that launch cycles were more sporadic than before. Jay was waiting through the light and variables in order to catch something more usable. Luckily, at 150ft over the thermals were still smooth and organized. I didn't have to hang around for very long before Jayson finally took to the sky. He hunted around efficiently and soon found the lift he was searching for. As with Tyko, I again left the lift I was working to join in: this time with my old instructor. Soon enough, we were synchroniously turning in mutiple cores of the same thermal. Again, as with Tyko we were able to alter our courses enough to fly at the same altitude while sharing a single core - a truly amazing feeling!
By the end of it all we each landed safely in the valley, with approximately 190 minutes of soaring and 3 top-landings between us. What an epic day for a student, his instructor, and his instructor's instructor! This weekend is also looking good. We're hoping for the best...
------------------------------------
Thursday March29th
Another beautiful blue sky day today! This time only Joaquin and Tyko were able to take advantage of conditions that were identical to yesterday's.
The two hiked up the mountain, and both logged flights in excess of 45 minutes. Joaquin launched first to test conditions as no other pilots had flown that day. After concluding that conditions were smooth and organized, Joaq top-landed and supervised Tyko's launch. Tyko demonstrated his characteristic poise with a smooth inflation and launch, and was soon soaring around as easily as he had been the previous day: but this time with his other instructor Joaquin.
Both instructor and student had great flights (well, actually Joaq had 2... ) with smooth launches and well-calculated landings. Myself, Andy, and our friend Paul were lucky enough to pass by the LZ in time to watch both Joaq and Tyko land safely. We gave them a ride back to town (about 1 km), and talked about the details of their latest adventure. Great work guys!
Sunny again tomorrow?
------------------------------------
Wednesday March28th
The skies were finally clear blue today, after what felt like a month and a half of solid precipitation. The temperature on the ground was a balmy 14 celsius. Even though the access road to our local launch site has too much snow for a 4x4, and too little for a snowmobile, pilots were not deterred at all.
Chris, Jeff and Rob happily made the 50 minute hike to launch and took advantage of midday conditions. As we watched from the valley floor, it became obvious that conditions were organized and easily soarable.
With Chris, Jeff and Rob still airborne, Tyko and I motivated ourselves to make the slog up the mountain and join them. By the time we reached launch at 4:15pm we were tired, wet with perspiration, and there was no sign of our pilot friends anywhere. However, launch cycles were blowing 8-10 smoothly! After resting, hydrating, and a little snack we decided to fly.
Tyko was first off with a beautifully controlled inflation and launch. It was Tyko's first real thermalling flight, and all that theory seemed to be paying off! He played in and out of thermals: gaining altitude here and there, but easily maintaining out in front of launch. As I spoke with him on the radio, he showed me that he was happy and comfortable by kicking his feet. "I'm coming out then!" I told him, and quickly set up to launch. Tyko and I soared around together for about 45 minutes: hooting back and fourth while taking advantage of the smooth easy thermals. After a while, Tyko went adventuring on his own to get a feeling for the different house thermals our mountain regularly generates. I took advantage of the conditions, stayed near launch, and made some top-landings.
There was much rejoicing in the LZ with Tyko logging just over an hour of unassisted thermalling airtime, and me with 3 flights in one hike! After packing up and heading home we learned that Chris and Jeff had flown for over an hour each, and Rob had landed safely in the next town after a 10km XC!
What a day! The hikes paid off big-time with surprisingly smooth thermalling conditions and comfortable temperatures. Everyone had great flights and got a chance to overcome the rainy-day blues. Tomorrow looks like it could be another good one...
------------------------------------
Sunday March13th
So, the ides of March brought only 1 day of flyable weather... and we took full advantage of the opportunity!
Joaquin, Tyko, Chris and I made the snowmobile ride up to find the South launch blowing up nicely. We all launched in relatively close succession and tried to capitalize on some weak ridge and thermal mix. It was extended sledders for everyone, but we were all so happy to get up for some sun and fresh air wilst each logging yet another safe launch, flight and landing in wintery conditions.
The rain and snow storms haven't allowed for too much flying this winter, but spring is approaching fast and deep powder skiing and riding all season wasn't exactly horrible ;-)
I'll keep updating the site with news of every flight, we just have to pray for this incessant rain to stop...
------------------------------------
Saturday March3rd
A late update to mention that Chris and I were lucky enough to log a pair of extended flights in light, organized thermals last saturday the 3rd.
Blue skies with scattered cloud motivated us to check launch conditions at around 1:30 in the afternoon. After arriving on top and dismounting the snowmobile, it was easy to feel long and strong thermic cycles rolling up the southwest side of the mountain. Chris and I felt the conditions were comparable to those normally found midday in mid-summer, so we cautiously waited before launching to see how things would develop. Spring thermals can be a little disorganized here, and when coupled with midday power, flying in them can be quite harrowing.
After patiently waiting for almost an hour, launch cycles had changed to a confidence-inspiring 5-7kph. Chris was first off and quickly found workable organized lift quite close to launch. Watching him thermal and hearing his happy hoots, I became clear that conditions were not only soarable, but vey smooth aswell! Just after I launched, Chris moved further down the mountain: soaring a section closer to LZ. I quickly found the lift he had been exploiting earlier and worked it as smoothly as possible: gaining altitude slowly but surely.
Throughout the next half hour I watched Chris maintain, and I did my best to do the same. Bouncing between two sources of smooth weak thermals, I was able to play between 500ft below and 500ft above launch for about 45 minutes. My flight ended when a perfect top-landing opportunity presented itself, and I set down gently beside the snowmobile.
Chris and I transmitted our safety status and excitement over the radio before I drove the sled back down the mountain. Once we reunited in the valley, we exchanged flight details and each basked in the afterglow that follows a great flight. Though our flights weren't very long, having the opportunity to work smooth organized thermals on a sunny day at the beginning of march was extremely satisfying.
The stoke is building as we move toward summer. The anticipation of 2007's first XC flight is keeping us in good spirits as we prepare to brave the march and april showers to come.
------------------------------------
Monday February26th
So, three more flights today!
It looked good for some possible ridge soaring in light conditions today. Joaquin and I headed up to find Rob already at launch. After waiting for straight launch conditions for over half and hour, all three of us launched in relatively close succession.
Joaquin was first off: doing an excellent job of sizing up where any potential lift might be. I happily made use of his observations as I heard them on the radio, and got to the right place at the right time shortly after launching. Flying closely with Rob, we able to make quite a few passes on the north side of Mt. Dundee's "point".
About an hour after Joaquin launched, all three of us had landed safely in downtown Ymir. We were happy to have had the opportunity for a little winter soaring - some of which was in light flurries! Overall, I think this session made us all the more eager for the summer flying season to arrive. On that note: Joaquin, Jeff, and Pete are all heading down to Mexico for a 10 day flying trip - can't say that I'm not a little jealous! Have fun guys!
------------------------------------
Friday January12th
Ok, we're back and flying again! 2 days ago Joaquin, Chris and Tyko all had nice bouyant flights in smooth winter conditions. They ended the day excited to have flown and happy to break the cycle of grounded days caused by so many snowstorms.
Today we got 6 pilots in the air, 5 of which flew twice. Joaquin, Pete, Jeff, Tyko, Pat and Isabelle all took advantage of clear skies and calm winds to log successful flights. I was very proud of everybody's inflations, launches and landings - well done everyone!
We are hoping to get out again on sunday if the weather turns out to be as forecasted.
I have just recently heard that local pilot Rob has logged 8-10 flights since the first snows fell. Nice (although very sneaky) work Rob!
------------------------------------
Tuesday November21st
Well, it's been another week of rain/snow with the occassional brief period of sun. It's quite soggy down at the bottom of the valley, but the snow is piling up quickly at higher elevations. The temperatures are pleasent with the average being 4-6 degrees celsius.
We did get in some kiting practice thursday for about 90 minutes. It felt great to play with the wings energy again, after so long.
More of the same weather in the forecast for the next week. We are still hoping for a slight drop in temperature, so we can benefit from the access that more snowfall will bring.
------------------------------------
Tuesday November14th
Wow, I have been away for a while! No flying to report in the last 10(!) days. The weather in our valley has been positively inclement. We've been hit by what some are calling the "pineapple express": yielding heavy rains, causing the river that runs through town to swell by 4 feet. When it's not raining, it's generally snowing: with deposits totalling nearly 2 feet over the last 10 days.
Our satellite internet connection has often been blocked by the harsh weather systems - 7 of 10 days with no connection.
Happily, it seems the snow is winning the battle: even though the rains try to wash it away periodically, there is always just enough remaining snow to keep our valley looking somewhat wintery. Of course, we are rooting for slightly cooler temperatures and weather conducive to snowfall. If enough snow falls, the road to our launch site will once again be accessible: only now by snowmobile instead of 4X4.
------------------------------------
Sunday and Monday November5th,6th
It appears as though we are stuck under some big systems that are creating rain, fog, and snow at higher elevations. It's not too cold at 8-10 degrees celsius, just really wet and grey. Soggy weather is here to stay until the mercury plunges below zero and we get our winter wonderland back.
------------------------------------
Saturday November4th
Fog and rain enveloped the slushy and mushy day today. We are trying to think of things other that flying, but I can't help but think that another roadtrip is in order...
------------------------------------
Thursday and Friday November2nd,3rd
More snow and rain in the valley both days. The higher elevations are getting big dumps, showing frosty peaks when the skies clear. For the most part the visibility is very poor with cloudbase below launch height, and fog rolling in and out periodically throughout the daylight hours.
It's obvious that winter is here to stay.
------------------------------------
Wednesday November1st
The sun came out today, making it a beautiful day for spending time outdoors. Alas, the we couldn't fly as the wind was "over the back" making it impossible to launch. The temperature is rising slowly which may melt the snow on our access road. The rain in the forecast would be perfect to wash our road clean of anything too slippery.
Until the snow leaves we are remanded to doing chores and spending more time with our loved ones: not too bad at all.
------------------------------------
Tuesday October31st
The snow is showing no signs of leaving. Cold tempertures (it must have been close to -10 celsius this morning) and clearer skies make it feel just like winter. Snow by Halloween seems indicative of a precipitous winter.
There is some rain in the near forecast that might wash the snow off our road to launch. We're hoping for the best, as a few more flights before the snow really sets in would be quite nice.
------------------------------------
Monday October30th
Snow came to the Ymir valley this morning, and stayed! The sticky snow has covered everything, making a winter wonderland effect. Beautiful though it may be, the snow renders us unable to travel safely up the mountain using a 4X4. Instead, we may have to wait for sufficient snow allowing us to use snowmobiles to get to launch.
Sunny skies in the forecast, but with the temperatures rise enough to melt the snow?
------------------------------------
Saturday and Sunday October28,29th
A double entry for this weekend as both days were remarkably similar. Grey, cloudy skies with rain and snow at higher elevations. Not so much flying these days, but it's clear that winter is here. Lucky for us, the winter flying in Ymir is fairly good with ridge lift and smooth conditions perfect for training students.
I'll keep updating the site to maintain a record of this transition from autumn to winter. Clocks went back today and it's already far too dark for 2pm!
------------------------------------
Friday October27th
Another dark and windy day, with a steady SSE 20km/h wind. It wasn't as cold today as it has been over the last week. It was nice to not have to bundle up quite so much.
Good chance of some sun tomorrow so we're hoping for the best.
------------------------------------
Thursday October26th
Today was dark, cold and windy. It's starting to feel more like Halloween. Needless to say, there was no flying today. I'm quite sure we'll stay on the ground again tomorrow, but I'd love to be proven wrong.
------------------------------------
Wednesday October25th
Well, the forecast was right again. We were able to see the snowline even lower than yesterday's, during this afternoon's clearing skies. High winds aloft and disorganized conditions persuaded us to stay on the ground. Ah well, the end of autumn is truly here with winter at the doorstep.
More rain in the forecast for tomorrow...
------------------------------------
Tuesday October24th
Well, rain was in the forecast and the forecast was right. It's starting to get colder here with a new snowline that has worked its way down to launch - hopefully it's just an anomoly and we won't have to deal with driving through the snow to get to our Mt. Dundee launch area.
More rain in the forecast for tomorrow...
------------------------------------
Monday October23rd
A great day for flying again today. This afternoon Andrew, Chris, and Jeff accompanied Joaquin's dad Rick and I to the launch on Mt. Dundee. Rick and I watched the boys launch before taking the tandem out for some soaring. Everyone had nice flights in the sedated autumn thermic conditions. After soaring for about 45 minutes, Rick and I landed safely in a sinky LZ: congratulations Rick, now you know why your son loves this sport so much!
At 3 pm we took another truck load of pilots up to launch. There were 8 of us altogether: Andrew, Chris, Jeff, Joaquin, myself, and students Tyko, Pete and Pat. As launch master, I watched the veterans launch first: all making the most of the light thermal/ridge mix for some extended flights. After the first of three students launched, it became apparent that the soaring conditions were improving and Tyko, Pat and Pete all reaped the benefits. Soaring in thermals, ridge lift, and even magic air the boys all stayed up for a while, honing their skills and flying until dusk. All pilots landed safely in LZ, with the students landing themselves in a controlled and precise manner - well done guys!
Poor weather in the forecast for tomorrow, but I will keep the updates going nonetheless.
------------------------------------
Sunday October22nd
A beautiful afternoon for flying with 3 pilots taking advantage of the gentle thermals and smooth autumn air. Andrew was first to launch at 3pm, and maintained nicely, repeatedly climbing above launch and making low passes calling out the conditions to us. Jerry was next up with a good launch and a great thermalling effort: extending his flight by a few minutes. Last off was Pat, with a very strong launch and some thermal hunting of his own.
All pilots landed safely in LZ happy for the opportunity to get some exciting, fresh autumn air on this clear afternoon. More clear weather in store for tomorrow, so were going to try it again.
------------------------------------
Saturday October21st
Well, after a week of poor weather and no updates (sorry), we finally had some nice flying. This afternoon Rob, Jeff and Chris all flew in slightly punchy conditions under blue skies, enjoying being back in the sky after so long away. At around 3:30pm Andrew launched off Dundee, followed by Pat, Tyko, Isabelle, Pete, Jeff (again), and Chris(again).
Though there were lots of flights, the skies never got too bsy due to small, technical thermals that were hard to work. Everyone did well on their launches and landings, and were happy to get airborne again. Well done you guys!
More blue skies in the forecast for tomorrow.
------------------------------------
Sunday October15th
Rain, rain, rain. 'Tis the season for wetter weather, and that's just what we're getting. Rain is in the forecast up until Tuesday, when we hope that skies will clear and we'll be able to get at least a few more days in before the snow hits.
------------------------------------
Saturday October14th
Though it was a bit turbulent today, the conditions looked suitable for flying. Unfortunately, I have the flu and am currently unable to give instruction. Hopefully, the flu will pass and flying will resume.
------------------------------------
Friday October13th
More clear weather today, but too many chores to be done. None of us flew as we used the day to do other things. Some rainy weather on the way, that may turn to snow so we're all hunkering down.
------------------------------------
Thursday October12th
We woke up to another clear day with sunny skies this morning: once again, a great day for flying. After a leisurely morning I met up with Lisa at 12:30 for a Day-Tayster.
To kick the day off, Lisa learned all about how paragliders work during a hands-on glider orientation in our Ymir LZ. She came to understand how the wing is put together and how it works while her mom looked on. While still in the LZ, I demonsrated how to inflate the glider before a launch. Lisa clipped in to try it herself, and consequently felt the great power of the wing. Learning quickly, she got it to fly over her head by her second attempt. Well done Lisa!
After over an hour of playing around in the LZ, Lisa, her mom, and I went to find Jeff to fly with, and Tyko to drive us up to Dundee launch. We arrived at launch afer the scenic drive, and stood in amazement at the incredibly beautiful day. Jeff was the first to fly, confiming our belief in the gentle thermic conditions. After a few inflations that we didn't want to commit to, Lisa and I made the perfect one happen, and ran off the mountain together. Lisa helped me weight-shift the glider and took it all in as we soared around Dundee for 30 minutes or so. Landing safely in the LZ, we all talked excitedly about the flight and even got to view our tandem approach and landing on video shot by passer-by and friend Dieter!
All in all the day could not have worked out better. Congratulations to Lisa who was brave enough to run off a mountain! Thank you to Jeff for "wind-teching" and providing the truck to get to launch. Tyko, thanks for driving and helping out on launch. To Lisa's mom Vern, thanks for putting your trust in me and cheering on your daughter as she flew away!
Some potentially good flying weather tomorrow, but we may have to pass in lieu of househould chores that need to be done: thought it was 19 degrees celsius today, winter is nevertheless on its way.
------------------------------------
Wedesday October11th
Today started as an incredibly clear october morning, and stayed just as clear all day long! Temperatures rose to 20 degress celsius and there were many flights in subtly varying conditions. This morning Joaquin opened up the flying day by launching into glassy air. Tyko and Pete followed, taking advantage of this ideal time for practicing pitch control, "big ears", and speed-bar use. They were all followed by Jeff who posted his 75th flight this year at Dundee!
Not to stop at 75, Jeff joined me for a mid afternoon flight and his 76th. Conditions required technical soaring in small thermals- great fun! Thanks to Pete for driving and making sure we got off safely.
As if 76 weren't enough, Jeff joined Tyko, Pete, and Isabelle for some late afternoon flying, and his 77th. Volunteering as wind technician Jeff stepped up and showed us that conditions were a little bumpy, but fine for everyone up there. After a few well aborted inflation attempts, all the students launched safetly into steady 10km/h winds: perfect for crabbing practice. Tyko, Pete and Isabelle: you're all getting it down nicely - well done! Everyone landed safely down below, including Jeff's two landings... yes two (he managed to ride a four-wheeler back up to launch in time to fly just after Isabelle pushed off ). So the launch order this evening went: Jeff, Pete, Tyko, Isabelle, Jeff! Incredible and true. Congrats to everyone! Happy 78th Jeff!
Tomorrow looks clear - a great day for a few tandems:-)
------------------------------------
Tuesday October10th
Plenty of great flying today! This afternoon tandem passenger Stu and I had a great flight. Congratulations Stu on a great launch and landing! Joining us were Joaquin, Chris and Jeff who all had short soaring flights of their own.
This evening Jeff, Chris and Joaquin came up for another flight with student Tyko. Everyone had safe launches and landings with smooth soaring in between. Tyko's skills are coming along nicely: now using speed-bar and practicing pitch and roll dampening.
Tomorrow's weather promises to be flyable, so we're eagerly anticipating some more fun in autumn conditions.
------------------------------------
Monday October9th
This morning presented a heavy frost and switchy conditions on launch until noon or so - no flying. Calm valley winds and improving conditions at launch spurred us to try and fly at 3pm. Our efforts were finally rewarded with Chris, Jeff and myself all getting soaring flights in the suprisingly warm autumn air. Jeff and Chris soared around for about 20-25 minutes each before heading to LZ, while I had the good fortune to catch a nice thermal and soar over launch for about 45 minutes or so before top-landing and driving down.
We all celebrated our rewarding thanksgiving day flights with some great food and ale. Happy thanksgiving everyone!
Tomorrow we have another tandem passenger scheduled for the afternoon and a few keen students ready for evening flights. The weather forecast looks good. We are all hoping for the best as we enjoy an incredible thanksgiving dinner.
------------------------------------
Sunday October8th
Well, we tried. This morning everything looked good on launch from our valley perspective: blowing in, good strength, and so on. When we arrived at launch with 3 students and a tandem passenger we found that winds on launch were indeed what we saw from the valley: seemingly good for flying. After sendind out our "wind technician" (Joaquin) we soon saw that though conditions were smooth and soarable near launch, there was a layer of strong, disorganized air around 1000ft over LZ. Needless to say, we drove down with the remaining hopeful pilots and scrapped the rest of the day.
Better luck tomorrow? Hopefully...
------------------------------------
Saturday October7th
Woke up this morning to see low fog being burned off by brilliant sun, turning to clear blue skies. Even though the weather seemed so perfect, it was blowing "over the back" making it impossible to launch. This afternoon had more of the same in store, so we busied ourselves with other work and enjoying the fall weather in other ways.
We are hoping for better luck tomorrow...
------------------------------------
Friday October6th
Some poor weather kept us all on the ground today. Better weather is promised for tomorrow, and if we get it the day promises to be quite busy.
------------------------------------
Thursday October5th
Another great day for flying today. This morning we had Joaquin fly out to help land students Pete, Tyko and Pat: who all enjoyed short flights of their own.
This aftenoon I met with tandem passenger Bradley who brought his grandmother Judith, and parents Donna and Rob for moral support. 10 year old Bradley shared his excitement over the flight with me while we soared around in smooth ridge/thermal mix air for over half an hour. Upon landing Bradley was super-happy, sharing the details of his flight with his chaperones.
Students Pat, Tyko and Pete all had extended soaring flights in the kind conditions. It was a personal best for Pete who had a flight lasting around 30 minutes. Congratulations all of you! Your skills are building nicely - keep at it!
Questionable weather tomorrow, but we plan to make the most of what we get.
------------------------------------
Wednesday October4th
Wow, what an afternoon for KPG Team member Chris and our friend Jeff who both landed "in town" after soaring closely for almost 2 hours! Aparently, the lift was a mix of gentle ridge and large, agreeable thermals. Working their way all around the north aspect of Mt. Dundee, they stuck together: calling to each other often, and sharing the same wide thermals. The boys were all smiles apres vol, excitedly recounting the hours' events.
Tomorrow there is more flyable weather in the forecast. Students Tyko, Pete and Pat are ready to make the most of any flyable conditions.
------------------------------------
Tuesday October3rd
Today was a grey day that threated rain and actually provided it a few times. We were quite productive in realms aside from paragliding, but many thoughts turned to flying throughout the day regardless.
A 50/50 forecast for tomorrow though it is our other official day off. Well, maybe we can sneak a few students off in the evening if the opportunity presents itself. Old habits die hard.
------------------------------------
Monday October2nd
Monday and Wednesday are our new days off at KPG. While seven days a week has provided everyone with great service, it is tough to alot family time on poor weather days alone.
The weather was spectacular today, but our resolve to maintain official days off stayed strong.
------------------------------------
Sunday October1st
A beautiful, still day today. The flying would have been excellent had we been anywhere near the mountains. Instead, we were all on a fishing trip. The weather was gorgeous, the fishing: mediocre.
Nice weather in the forecast yet again. Maybe I'll sneak out during a break from tomorrow's construction agenda...
------------------------------------
Saturday September30th
Clear skies again today with flyable conditions in the morning and late afternoon. Other work had to be done, and birthdays celebrated, so we all settled for enjoying friends and the fair weather.
------------------------------------
Friday September29th
Well the good weather showed up today and so did the students - en force! This morning students Tyko and Pete had nice flights in smooth conditions, showing that they are really starting to connect with their gliders well. Strong launches, flying and landings made their instructors happy as usual.
The only person to fly in the midday conditions was Jeff, who soared for a while before landing to join the students for their evening flights - and what an evening it was! I got to launch at around 4:50 pm with Jeff, Jerry, and students Tyko, Pete, Pat and Isabelle: all keen to take advantage of the steady winds and dynamic lift. Jerry launched first and started soaring immediately, showing all of us on the ground that the conditions were smooth and forgiving. Jeff was the next to launch, into what would turn out to be the longest flight: landing at dusk in the LZ after conservatively attempting some inaugural top-landing efforts.
After Jeff's launch came the rock-scissors-paper match to decide which student was to fly first. Tyko won the 2 out of 3: set up, and had a beautifully controlled inflation and launch. Once airborne the lift wasn't hard for him to find, and I talked him through about 25 minutes of soaring passes, 360s, and linked 360s with turn reversals. Despite looking very comfortable in the air, Pat and Isabelle were waiting patiently, so it was off to the LZ for Tyko with a nice setup and touchdown - congratulations Tyko!
With another beautiful inflation and launch, Pat was next in the air for some soaring of his own: performing some smooth and precise passes and 360s for another 25 minutes or so before heading to the LZ. Joaquin, who was landing students today informed me that Pat's touchdown was more of a spot-landing than a student-style one. Congratulations Pat, not too far to go now!
Last, but not least, came Isabelle's third high flight ever. And what a flight it was! Starting off with a well controlled inflation, Isabelle took a few steps and was airborne! Pulling out in front of the mountain she found the ridge lift that the boys had been previously exploiting. I talked her through many passes and a few 360s, an epic Kootenay sunset provided the background. After showing me some super-smooth technique, she traded soaring for a trip to the LZ where Joaquin guided her in for a soft landing. Congratulations Isabelle, you are doing great: you'll be at the top of the stack in no time!
Whew! What a day. More clear skies in the forecast yet again, but I think we may just take a day off as there is other work to be done and multiple birthdays to celebrate... happy birthday in advance to KL and Kaska!
------------------------------------
Thursday September28th
What started as a clear morning turned into an afternoon of large cumulus clouds and strong north wind. Luckily, we were able to take advantage of the morning conditions getting Chris, Jeff, and student Pat a flight each.
Hopes for afternoon flying where squashed as higher winds and an dropping pressure started to manifest. Sadly, evening flights were also cancelled as the winds remained strong until dusk.
We all have high hopes for tomorrow as good weather seems inevitable, and the Kootenay flying season is soon to become more sporadic.
------------------------------------
Wednesday September27th
Today was clear and sunny: the perfect day for flying. We had a huge day. This morning, we had students Tyko and Pat launching with Jeff into smooth conditions, and KPG team members Joaquin, Chris also enjoying the gentle air.
This afternoon saw Rob, Chris, Andrew, Jeff, and Dieter on tandem with me, soaring in beautiful thermic conditions as Dieter's son Peter and wife Jen looked on. We were all elated in the LZ after landing from flights ranging from 40 minutes to an hour 15.
After all the day's previous flying, we managed to make it up to launch again for some smooth evening airtime. Four students including Pat, Tyko, Isabelle and Pete all had great flights: Tyko, we are glad your arm is feeling better! Joining the students were Jeff, Andrew and Chris who couldn't help but round out the day in search of some magic air.
It was an unbelievable day with Jeff and Chris both getting 3 flights each, and all other pilots enjoying themselves immensely.
We have more great weather in the forcast, with plans to take advantage of it!
------------------------------------
Tuesday September26th
What started out as a grey day turned out to be fairly productive. Joaquin and I took students Pat, Isabelle, and Tyko to the training hill this morning. We were joined by KPG Team members Andrew and Chris for some fun and educational flights. All the students did very well despite spending a week or so away from "the fabric".
The skies started to clear around noon and soaring would have been ideal if it had not been for a water-bomber training in our airspace. Luckily, this is only the second time this has happened all season.
All the students were excited to get in an evening flight, but conditions shut down and turned north: making it dangerous to launch here, at Mt. Dundee.
Good news for tomorrow as the forcast is for clear skies, with student flights and tandems solidly booking the day.
------------------------------------
Monday September25th
Just back from the road-trip to the coast. How is it that "vacations" seem to often make you more tired? Well, we rejoiced with many friends and prayed for wind. There was alot of laughing and good times, but sadly no flying apart from some kiting one aftrenoon.
Upon our arrival back in Ymir late last night, the skies were clear and filled with stars. This morning skies were blue and launch conditions were setting up nicely. By noon, a few pilots have already flown and I'm hearing stories of how great the flying has been since we left.
Maybe we'll get some flights in this afternoon/evening in these blue thermal conditions. I know of a few students that are pretty keen to get airborne again. More great weather in the forcast as we seem to be experiencing an extra bit of summer.
------------------------------------
Tuesday September19th
The weather forcast promised some clearer skies for today, but alas, none came.
Snow is falling at the higher elevations, making for some beautiful scenery.
We are planning a roadtrip to the coast this Thursday. We'll return on Sunday night, and give a full report of any flying we may or may not have done. Stay tuned.
------------------------------------
Monday September18th
Another rainy day... ahhh fall: generally rainy and cold punctuated with some great flying days. We are all waiting paitiently for the sun, or doing a good job of pretending to be patient.
------------------------------------
Sunday September17th
An extended entry today includes Isabelle's first solo flight! Congratulations Isabelle! Smooth laminar evening conditions allowed Isabelle to safetly launch at about 6:15pm. A beautiful inflation and strong run had Izzy airborne in no time. Smooth turns punctuated every aspect of her first big air experience. Beautifully entering and exiting turns, Isabelle showed us a side of her to watch for in the future. Following Joaquin's instructions to the letter, Isabelle landed safely in Mt.Dundee's huge LZ to a large crowd cheering on her arrival.
Congratulations again Isabelle! All your patience and hard work is paying off! Welcome to the sky. Your exciting new experiences are just beginning.
In other news: Chris, Jeff, Rob and Joaquin all flew twice today. good times were had by all on this sunny fall day.
------------------------------------
Sunday September17th
Finally, we get a beautiful sunny morning with usable conditions. It's the second post-frontal day after quite a bit of rain, and monstrous storm cells passing through our valley. An excited Isabelle is getting ready for her first high flight this morning - more on that later.
This past week has some less-than-perfect weather, and not very much flying as a direct result. I have neglected my daily update duties for four days now, and in doing so realized that more people read them than I thought. So, I pledge daily updates, flying or otherwise, from now on with the exception of time spent travelling.
These past days have been filled with hiking and house-work. Fall is definately here: with frosty evenings and changing foliage. Extended thermic flights will have to happen on more unstable days than the summer's big blue thermic ones. So, here's to neatly-formed small cumulus clouds forming in streets down the valley in either direction - may they happen daily until the heavy snows come in December!
------------------------------------
Tuesday September12th
More morning flights today with Pete, Joaquin, and Isabelle flying tandem. Everyone did very well, including Isabelle who flew the tandem for most of our flight.
Rockus pre-frontal weather and some high smoke kept us from flying in the afternoon or evening. Some rainy weather is also on the way.
------------------------------------
Monday September11th
Pete had another high flight this morning, joining Jeff and Chris in the smooth morning air. The turbulent air of midday kept everyone waiting until evening. Particularly, after watching a bold foray by the wind-technichian: yours truly.
Jeff and Chris finally flew at around 4:45pm, landing with no wind in downtown Ymir.
2 tandems booked for tomorrow, and a promising forecast!
------------------------------------
Saturday and Sunday September9/10th
Some inclement weather has grounded us for the weekend. High winds, smoke and some much needed thundershowers, ensured a non-flying weekend.
Some clears skies are forecasted for tomorrow.
------------------------------------
Friday September8th
No flying at all to report today. Weather was very hot and smokey with thundershowers in the afternoon. The forcast calls for clear skies and we're all hoping it's right.
------------------------------------
Thursday September7th
Student Pete had his 2nd high flight ever this morning! Well done Pete! A smooth launch, flight and landing made cause for celebration in the LZ. KPG's own Joaquin and Chris also got to fly in the glassy conditions. Sadly, no flying this afternoon or evening thanks to high-altitude smoke creeping in, creating chaotic winds.
As the fire-fighting effort seems to be increasing, hopefully so will the flying in the near future.
------------------------------------
Wednesday September6th
Some midday kiting at Lakeside Park got students Isabellle and Pete honing their no-wind forward inflation skills. Smoke moving in high over the Ymir valley ensured no flying in the afternoon.
Sunny skies in the forcast yet again. Go fire-fighters, go!
------------------------------------
Tuesday September5th
More beautiful weather was marred today by forest fire smoke. Luckily, the warm and sunny conditons were conducive to other activities: allowing us to keep busy and not fret too much about the weather.
Sunny skies in the forcast again. Go fire-fighters, go!
------------------------------------
Monday September4th
Woke up to beautiful blue skies this morning. Jeff, Chris, Andy, tandem passenger Troy, and I headed up for some midday flights. Our patience paid off with nice upslope wind and useful cycles starting at about 12:30. We were lucky to all get flights in before the smoke from forest fires in the distance started to negatively influence conditions.
Sadly, no afternoon flights as the smoke moved in.
More clear skies on the way for tomorrow again!
------------------------------------
Sunday September3rd
A beautiful looking day turned out to be strangely over-the-back. Sadly, no tandems, students or flights of any kind to report. Nevertheless it was a great day for swimming, sunning, and relaxing.
More clear skies on the way!
------------------------------------
Saturday September2nd
This morning was crystal clear with relatively high pressure - a perfect day to fly. Isabelle did some more work at the training hill and will be ready for a high flight any day now. Hang in there Isabelle, all your hard work will pay off soon!
This afternoon saw Chris and Rob with a flight each on Dundee, starting at around 1:30. At about 3pm Jeff, Chris, Rob and I with tandem passenger Jesse, made our way to launch for nice soaring flights over-looking Ymir. After driving up for a vehicle retrieve, Jeff launched again into ultra-smooth evening air for a beautiful "sledder", eventually landing in downtown Ymir. Nice work Jeff!
More beautiful clear skies on the way for the next few days so we're all excited about some end of the summer sessions.
------------------------------------
Friday September1st
Well, I've been home for a week now and am sorry for no updates until now. To make up for lost time, here's a synopsis of some of the great flying we've been having:
Friday August 25th saw 6 pilots from Vancouver Island, 2 pilots from Revelstoke and 6 pilots from the Kootenay Paragliding crew joining together in Ymir for an epic weekend of flying.
Saturday had no less than 14 pilots on Dundee launch flying out into smooth, organized August thermals. We almost all got 4 flights each throughout the day with some small xc journeys, lots of site flying and Jayson Biggins of VIparagliding making it most of the way to Salmo. At the end of the day we were all satiated and safe celebrating with plenty of food and beer. Some of us even made it out for some live music courtesy of the Koots Roots festival. Koots Roots grooved on through the weekend as did most of the resident and visiting pilots.
Sunday saw the miniature fly-in continuing at Dundee for morning flights, and then the pilots split ranks for the afternoon: the gang from Vancouver Island made their way to Slocan Ridge to catch some great evening glass-off flights, while Chris and I stayed at Dundee for some fantastic midday soaring. Visiting pilot and Koots Roots participant P'Tor from Golden, hiked up and had a sweet evening flight in smooth conditions.
On Monday, Chris, Tyko and I joined the Vancouver Island pilots for a trip to beautiful Idaho Peak in New Denver. Upon arrival the conditions were too strong, but the incredible views held our attention while we waited for more suitable cycles to launch in. By the end of the day only 2 pilots were able to launch from the peak for epic flights. Sadly the rest of us had to hike and drive down in the dark. Alas, the trip was still worth it for the chance to fly at such an awe-inspiring venue.
Tuesday, and Thursday had students Pat and Isabelle tuning their skills at the training hill. Wednesday we had stormy weather. Friday had Isabelle at the training hill in the a.m., followed by Chris, Andy, Jeff, and Rob flying Dundee in the strong thermic conditions of midday. Jeff and Andy had nice thermic flights. Chris had a personal best 3 hours airtime, while Rob flew to Salmo and beyond! Congratulations guys! I was lucky enough to get up Dundee with Joaquin and Jerry for some later afternoon soaring. Conditions were still 4m/s up and down which made for some fun flying.
Sorry about the lack of updates, but I'm back on it now that the excitement and fever of so many visiting pilots has passed.
------------------------------------
Saturday August5th
Today is the last day of flying before we go on vacation for two weeks. Most of the high pressure day passed as we organized to return east for some time with our families. Luckily, Jeff and I got a 5:30pm flight in (suprisingly) strong and organized thermals. After a 35 minute flight each, I top-landed to retrieve our vehicle, making for a quick end to a short evening flying session.
I'll be back in 2 weeks with more updates. Fly safe everyone, and I hope you take advantage of the clear weather on the way.
------------------------------------
Friday August4th
A fine morning that had Joaquin takin Jeff on a tandem, while I flew solo. Conditions got steadily stronger into the afternoon and evening keeping us on the ground for the rest of the day.
Forcast for tomorrow is sunny and clear.
------------------------------------
Thursday August3rd
Another great day today. Jerry came to visit and sharpen his skills. He flew in the morning with Andrew and Jeff, as Joaquin made his first tandem high-flight. Congratulations Joaquin! We all waited out some strong midday conditions and took to the sky at around 4:30pm. I took Dieter on tandem (well done Dieter), while Chris, Andrew, Jeff and Jerry all flew solo. All in all, a really good day for flying.
Our good friend Terry has left on a cross-Canada driving adventure with his girlfriend Jesse. Good luck you guys, and have fun! We'll miss you but hopefully see you on the east coast soon enough.
Tomorrow, new student Tyko will likely have his second high-flight in the morning.
------------------------------------
Wednesday August2nd
A phenomenal day today! This morning Pete and Tyko perfected their launches and landings while Isabelle, Joaquin and I looked on. At around 6:30pm Pete and Tyko had controlled launches into smooth conditions off Mt. Dundee! The boys landed safely after their first high flights, to find Joaquin, Jeff, Terry, Andrew, Chris, Jesse and Jody eagerly anticipating their arrival. We celebrated in the LZ, discussing flights for a while before heading home with big grins. Congratulations, Tyko and Pete!
Isabelle, you're next!
Tomorrow we are expecting similar weather, with plans to make use of it.
------------------------------------
Tuesday August1st
Another cool morning with a large gang arriving to perfect conditions at the training hill. Students Tyko, Pete, and Isabelle were joined by Terry, Andrew, Joaquin, and me for 3 hours of fun. Everyone did very well and all three students are very close to their first mountain flights. Now, if only the weather would cooperate...
This afternoon was the same as yesterday's. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of some higher pressure and more stable flying conditions.
------------------------------------
Monday July31st
A cold Sunday night and high Monday UV made for active conditions at the trainig hill that built until noon. Tyko and Pete were sharpening their skills and should be ready for their first high flights very soon. Joined by Jeff, Joaquin and I had to merely supervise the boys as they are becoming very apt.
Too much development kept us on the ground this afternoon, but a high pressure system moving in promises clear skies for Tuesday and Wednesday. We are all excited to get back in the air for some more site flying and XC.
------------------------------------
Sunday July30th
Winds were strong starting early this morning and building throughout the day. It is unseasonable cold and we're all seeking out the sun, instead of hiding from it. There are fire-fighting helicopters flying through the valley all day.
Worked on our fishing skills this afternoon. Got a chance to see the mobile refuelling station for the helis.
Less wind forcasted for tomorrow. Looking forward to getiing in more training time.
------------------------------------
Saturday July29th
No flying at all on friday as winds were strong, keeping us ground-bound.
Saturday saw Tyko, Pete, Isabelle, Chris, Joaquin and myself at the training hill for a productive morning of honing our skills.
Please check the newly updated photo and video sections of the website found on the Team and Media page.
Strong winds in the forcast for tomorrow will surely keep us on the ground, save for an early morning training hill session.
------------------------------------
Thursday July27th
No flying of any kind to report on Wednesday. Conditions were explosive with tall cumulus building around the valley and thunderstorms threatening. Some forest fires have started in the outlying regions of the area and an ever-thickening haze is establishing at higher altitudes.
Thursday saw a record 9 people at the training hill! Though the flying isn't so good due to forest fire haze, the training hill seems to still work quite well. Well done to new students Tyko and Pete who are doing very well: getting ever-smoother with their inflations, piloting and flare timing. Chris, Terry, Andrew, Joaquin, Jeff and I were joined by our friend Phil who came by to test his own skills.
We've also finally gotten some of the many pictures we've been taken posted. Take a look here
Also some new Videos are up including the first four Chapters of 'Sessions:Roadtrip', Team KPG's adventure on the East Coast.
------------------------------------
Tuesday July25th
A good morning at the training hill saw students Isabelle, Tyko, and Pete honing their skills once again. I am very proud of all of you. Your skills are coming along nicely!
Unfortunately, conditions conspired against any afternoon flying, so we turned our attentions to keeping cool any way we could.
------------------------------------
Sunday + Monday, July 23rd+24th
40 degree sweltering heat kept us on the ground for most of both days. Jeff, Joaquin, Will, Andrew, Chris, tandem passenger Ben and myself had soaring flights in the slightly cooler, higher altitudes. A music festival in Ymir set the mood for a party that lasted long into the night. We managed to keep cool with periodic dips in the river across the road.
Monday seemed to be even hotter than the previous day with pressure dropping and towering cumulus developing all around the valley - the perfect excuse to have a restful recovery day (in the shade!).
KPG team member Terry is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, so we're hoping for good flying conditions to suit the reunion.
------------------------------------
Saturday, July 22nd
Very high temperatures were forcasted for today, and that's precisely what we got .
As it had been high pressure for a while, we planned to fly in the middle of the day to take advantage of the strongest thermals. We made Mt.Dundee launch by 2:30, and it was sweltering!
Joaquin, Chris, Jeff, Wil, and Andrew launched into thermic conditions and flew together for a while. Wil probably had the longest flight: working hard over one of the Dundee gullys. I launched with my friend Ben on tandem and we flew around for about 35 minutes - nice work Ben!
More sun on the way for tomorrow. The pressure is droping a little, so we'll see what we get.
------------------------------------
Friday, July 21st
A really hot day with clear skies and plenty of flying.
This morning Andrew and Jeff flew just before noon, and could really feel it shaping up to be a day of big, smooth thermals. In the late afternoon Chris, Joaquin, Jeff and Will all had long flights into the early evening.
Temperatures came close to 40 today! It was the right day to be as high as possible: with a nice, steady 37kph in the face! Well done to all the pilots who came to Dundee today.
More sun on the way for tomorrow. Very high temperatures are expected - again.
------------------------------------
Thursday, July 20th
What a beautiful day to fly! While I was busy doing some overdue housework, blue thermals were setting up over Dundee. Jeff had 2 flights, Joaquin had 1, and Chris had a "personal best" 2 hour soaring flight. Way to go Chris, you were a machine up there!
More sun on the way for tomorrow. Very high temperatures are expected.
------------------------------------
Wednesday, July 19th
Great kiting at Lakeside in Nelson today. Both Pete and Isabelle did very well perfecting their reverse inflations and launch runs. Andrew and I also got an opportunity to play around during the students' breaks.
Jeff and I met Tom at twenty past four this afternoon to take him for his long awaited tandem flight. Upon arrival at Dundee launch we found smooth, steady conditions blowing 7-10kph. Both Jeff on his solo and Tom and I on tandem had beautiful smooth flights. Well done Tom! I'm so happy that your patience paid off.
Sunny and hot forecasted for the next 3-4 days.
------------------------------------
Tuesday, July 18th
Today Tyko and Pete did some great kiting training using modern gliders. They were joined by Andrew, Jeff and myself. A few hours of 10-15km winds helped us all practice our reverse inflations and killing techniques.
Late afternoon, a patient Tom was ready for another tandem opportunity that was sadly posponed by unfavourably turbulent conditions. Don't worry Tom, we'll fly soon!
More great weather on the way for tomorrow.
------------------------------------
Monday, July 17th
Two new students started today. Welcome Tyko and Pete! Starting with a kiting session at Nelson's Lakeside park, the boys got a paragliding history lesson when we layed out two really old gliders: a Spoutnik and a Prima. Starting their courses with a "trial by fire", the boys did very well kiting the ancient gear: it's only going to get easier guys as we switch to some new generation gear.
This afternoon Chris, Andrew, Pat and I went to help the Beetstras load some hay bales from a newly cut field. Anything we can do to help you out Harry and Sandy: your generosity of spirit in letting us use one of your fields for training and landing is tremendously appreciated!
------------------------------------
Sunday, July 16th
Great conditions for training this morning with Isabelle and Pat having many flights each. Isabelle is almost ready for her first "high flights" and Pat has refined his inflation, launch, piloting and landing skills to a very high level. Congratulations to you both!
This evening had Andrew, Jeff, Chris, Joaquin, Pat, tandem passenger Tom and myself all going up to dundee launch. Conditions were strong and thermic as Jeff and Joaquin experienced some active flying. I decided to take Tom another day and opted for a solo flight instead. Indeed the conditions were challenging, but had calmed nicely by the time I arrived at the LZ.
More sunny days ahead!
------------------------------------
Saturday, July 15th
Here we go, good flying weather has finally arrived:
Pat and Chris went to the training hill this morning and got in some great kiting practice. The lift was too strong for students midday, so we relaxed and waited for some smoother evening air. Our patience was rewarded with Pat, Chris, and Jeff flying solo while I took Mark for his first tandem. we all enjoyed the sunset as we flew in beautiful glassy conditions. Nice launches and landings everyone! Congratulations Mark!
------------------------------------
Friday, July 14th
Finally, the sunny skies that we've been waiting for!
Rapidly alternating rising and falling pressures caused disorganized "gusty" conditions difficult to fly in.
More sunny skies on the horizon and a steadily rising barometer.
------------------------------------
Thursday, July 13th
More of the same today, I'm afraid. On the upside, the trout fishing has been fantastic!
We took Isabelle to the training hill this evening, but alas, it was blowing down.
Sunny skies on the horizon - hopefully...
------------------------------------
Wednesday, July 12th
Patience seems to be the name of the game as we're waiting out the erratic weather.
It all came to thunderstorms and heavy rain by 7p.m. Apparently, clear weather on the way...
------------------------------------
Tuesday, July 11th
What looked like a pleasent morning turned out to be a new front still stabilizing. Thanks to Andrew's "wind technician" skills, we got a great illustration of the disorganized lift out in front of launch. Andy managed the turbulaent air very well and landed shortly after his launch. Unfortunately for novice student Pat, conditions were not stable enough for his 11th flight.
We watched the pressure rise and skies clear throughout the day as we flogged the water at our favorite fishing holes. Even though showers are forcasted for tomorrow, we remain optimistic about a nice flying window opening soon.
------------------------------------
Monday, July 10th
Today started with towering cumulus and thunder. Showers and gust fronts ensured no flying for the entire day.
Better weather forcasted for tomorrow and beyond. We are excited for this week's potential: many pilots coming together and lots of flying, instruction and tandems.
------------------------------------
Sunday, July 9th
Another beautiful day with the same 8 pilots flying as yesterday: Joaquin, Drew, Nikki, Andrew, and Will all had nice flights. Jeff had two soaring flights and J took two more passengers on tandems. Congratulations to Pete for his first, and a big thank you for all the driving help on Saturday. Jesse had an excellent third tandem, soaring with me for about two hours!
It was a beautiful day for flying with steady winds at 4500 ASL building to 15 km/h by 5 pm. An evening tandem flight for Joaquin was unfortunately foiled by winds building to 20km... most likely caused by the approach of new front.
------------------------------------
Saturday, July 8th
The day we've all been waiting for finally arrived and what a day it was! 8 pilots flew Dundee today, most had multiple flights. Joaquin and Pat had one each in the genlte thermals of the morning. Andrew had two soaring flights. Local pilot Wil had a nice flight. Visiting Pilots Drew and Nikki had two flights each and Jeff had four flights over the course of the day.
J flew four soaring tandem flights today. Congratulations to Tyco, Ivy, PJ and Scott. You all did very well on your launches and landings. You we're all a pleasure to fly with: helping to weight-shift the tandem nicely, and sharing your experiences with me as we flew together. I'm happy to have met you all and hope we see each other again in the future.
All pilots and passengers were a little sun-kissed, wind-blown, and smiling hard by the end of the day.
We are anticipating that the weather forcast for Sunday will be just as good, with the same 8 pilots returning for another day of great flying!
------------------------------------
Friday, July 7th
Finally, the pressure is rising! We were all excited about flying, but high winds prevented any flights - ARGH! We are very optimistic about the next few days as clear skies are forcasted.
Four of us went on a fishing trip this afternoon that exceeded all expectations. J hooked and landed a 2lb rainbow trout in a secret fishing hole. Everyone had tight lines all evening and we're all excited about tomorrow.
------------------------------------
Thursday, July 6th
Despite another day of high lapse rates and building cu-nimbs, 6 of us were able to sneak in a good 5 hours at the training hill. Present were KPG Team members J, Joaquin, Chris, and Andrew. We were joined by friends and students Isabelle and Pat.
Isabelle and Pat both benefited tremendously from the practice. Pat is now ready to log some more high flights to add to his previous 9. Isabelle is becoming more comfortable with the transition between running and flying - and very excited about it at that! Keep up the good work Isabelle!
------------------------------------
Wednesday, July 5th
We are able to sneak a few flights off in light thermals this morning. Both Andrew and Chris fly in "boaty" air, while student Pat has a few aborts and resigns himself to more training hill practice.
Another super-hot afternoon: great for doing anything in the shade or water. Unfortunately, very dangerous for flying of any kind as large storm cells form again. Late in the afternoon we saw beautiful mamata clouds all around the valley
------------------------------------
Tuesday, July 4th
Beautiful weather for sunbathing - hot! Much too much development leads to thundershowers once again.
------------------------------------
Monday, July 3rd
Yet another day with a high lapse rate and towering cumulus clouds all around the valley! Thunderstorms punctuated the afternoon after a sweltering morning.
We resigned ourselves to correspondence with other pilots and some video editing. Still hoping for better weather.
------------------------------------
Sunday, July 2nd
Another day with a high lapse rate and towering cumulus all around the valley.
We took Isabelle to the training hill again this morning, while conditions were still flyable. She got her feet off the ground, and is starting to get a feel for the wing in flight. Congratulations Isabelle: you are progresssing nicely!
------------------------------------
Saturday, July 1st
Happy Canada Day! No flying today as most of us are spending time with our families. The sky looks angry today: the lapse rate is very high and storm cells are developing all around Ymir valley. The weather is very impressive to watch from the ground, but would be obscenely dangerous to fly near.
A huge thank-you to Sean and Terry who spent hours tuning the Kootenay Paragliding website. It was a huge help, and alot of fun to have you both in Ymir. Looking forward to seeing you both again in late July!
Hopefully, better weather tomorrow.
------------------------------------
Friday, June 30th
This morning we started early giving Sean a tandem flight from Mt. Dundee at 8:45. Terry joined us in light thermic conditions for a memorable session. We were happy to return to the skies after a few days of "blown-out" conditions.
Isabelle had her first training-hill flight at around 11:00. Congratulations Isabelle!
The day was completed with Sean on another tandem, joined by Andrew, Terry, and Joaquin all flying solo. The conditions could not have been smoother (Dundee setting up as a giant ridge) allowing us to all fly close together for a good 40 minutes. Everyone landed on main street - some of us more eventfully than others!
------------------------------------
Tuesday, June 27th
Today was a high pressure day with sunny skies and heat!
J, Jeff and Joaq launched at about 3:45pm with only Joaq climbing out while J and Jeff got "flushed".
Joaq did some good site reconaissance: finding lift as far as 5kms south. After retrieving Joaq we resigned ourselves to some website work and investing our hopes in this week's great weather forecast.
------------------------------------
Sunday, June 25th
A great day for flying with 2 excited passengers.
This morning Sandy had a great first tandem from the site directly above her home. Congratulations Sandy! A great launch and soft touchdown in the cow pasture across the street from her house.
.jpg)
Click for images
This afternoon had Jody as a passenger flying from Mt. Dundee (for her second tandem ever, 1st in thermic conditions) with a flight that lasted almost an hour. We were both smiling after a nice touchdown in the Ymir LZ.
Jody's husband Jeff, and KPG's own Terry John Myers had great flights of their own getting high over Dundee and making nice out and returns to Jubilee
------------------------------------
Saturday, June 24th
KPG's Chris Riehl went for a tandem today that turned into a substantial cross-country flight. We made our way from
Mt. Dundee 10kms south to Salmo, then just over halfway back to Ymir before setting down gently in one of the many large fields that punctuate the valley.
This evening had Bonnie on tandem with her first paragliding experience ever. She was elated in the sky and on the ground after a flight that lasted almost an hour in smooth thermals. Congratulations Bonnie!
------------------------------------
Friday, June 23rd
Finally getting the site together and functioning. Still lots of work to do, but it's coming along nicely.
We haven't had very much flying in the past week but finally some nice weather is moving into the Kootenay Area.
------------------------------------
