Out to Cucamonga Peak and Back
Today was the big September day we have been waiting for. Forecast was for 11,000 to 13,000 ft and with no XC partners and no driver I decided on an out and return to Cucamonga peak.
Cucamonga is a nice big ol' mountain (8800 ft.) that sits just a few miles to the north of my house. Everyday its up there saying "common Dave, get up here and fly me wink, wink." But alas, I always have to drive to San Bernardino to go flying.
I launched Crestline at about 2pm (delayed due to a small fire burning out in front of the mountain.) It was a scratch fest at first. No one skying out, lots of lift but nothing strong enough or organized enough to get up to that 11k that was promised. I scratched my way to about 6000 ft. at the "billboard" and decided to try Pine as it often works well on big days.
Pine was working. Caught a beautiful, big smooth thermal over there, constant 1000 - 1400 fpm all the way up to about 11,000 ft. With that, I headed out for Glen Helen. Constant 1000 fpm of sink all the way there coupled with a 20 mph tailwind convinced me that it wasn't the time or place, so I turned back and went for Cajon mountain. There I got another big one that topped back out above 11,000 ft and I found a better line across the pass.
Climbs at Pine Flats and Cajon Mountain.
I got across the Cajon pass just fine, but found sink again on the other side. A few turns in another thermal and I was flying in front of Cucamonga peak. It is really cool to see the big mountain up close for a change. I have been there before (when Jonathan and I flew to the Miller brewery, but we flew by pretty fast and I wasn't really able to take it all in.)
Looking down for my house from Cucamonga.
Getting back was a challenge. I definitely did not have the LZ on glide so it was going to take a few climbs. I was down to maybe 14:1 glide ratio from the LZ as low as about 4500 ft. I got the climbs I needed and was able to pull a 7:1 which is a pretty comfortable glide in my Sport 2.
The climbs that got me back.
It was a very fun and challenging flight, can't wait to do it again! Total out-and-back distance was about 30 miles.
Cucamonga is a nice big ol' mountain (8800 ft.) that sits just a few miles to the north of my house. Everyday its up there saying "common Dave, get up here and fly me wink, wink." But alas, I always have to drive to San Bernardino to go flying.
I launched Crestline at about 2pm (delayed due to a small fire burning out in front of the mountain.) It was a scratch fest at first. No one skying out, lots of lift but nothing strong enough or organized enough to get up to that 11k that was promised. I scratched my way to about 6000 ft. at the "billboard" and decided to try Pine as it often works well on big days.
Pine was working. Caught a beautiful, big smooth thermal over there, constant 1000 - 1400 fpm all the way up to about 11,000 ft. With that, I headed out for Glen Helen. Constant 1000 fpm of sink all the way there coupled with a 20 mph tailwind convinced me that it wasn't the time or place, so I turned back and went for Cajon mountain. There I got another big one that topped back out above 11,000 ft and I found a better line across the pass.
Climbs at Pine Flats and Cajon Mountain.
I got across the Cajon pass just fine, but found sink again on the other side. A few turns in another thermal and I was flying in front of Cucamonga peak. It is really cool to see the big mountain up close for a change. I have been there before (when Jonathan and I flew to the Miller brewery, but we flew by pretty fast and I wasn't really able to take it all in.)
Looking down for my house from Cucamonga.
Getting back was a challenge. I definitely did not have the LZ on glide so it was going to take a few climbs. I was down to maybe 14:1 glide ratio from the LZ as low as about 4500 ft. I got the climbs I needed and was able to pull a 7:1 which is a pretty comfortable glide in my Sport 2.
The climbs that got me back.
It was a very fun and challenging flight, can't wait to do it again! Total out-and-back distance was about 30 miles.
posted by David Aldrich at
8:19 PM
2 Comments:
What fun! I had to work today :-(
By
NMERider, at 10:59 PM
fun times, good flight.
I didn't have the cajones to go to cuco.
By
Knumb, at 8:09 AM
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