Don Herres and I, Jerry and Jean Schaefer, left Jerry and Jean's about 4pm and headed into Blackjack via Weigles Road, the "back door" way in. Now saying it's a 4 wheel drive road is a stretch, Quads, certainly, a new RAV4, well, when you popped out the other side it would no longer have that new look OR new feel! An older Landcruiser, hell, MUCH older LC and you just wouldn't care. As it was we left bits along the way, so this is a little preamble to make it clear we want to use the gate system.

I stopped by the gate on my way down, chatted the keeper up, and learned the gate is now open Saturday and Sunday from 7am - 8pm. That said, it may close at anytime due to forest fire closures. He stated they had pulled the loggers and the firewood crews out and I think the thinning crews (lots of that going on in various places along our route). These guys seem to do a damn fine job of managing their resource.

So the plan is to get in next weekend via the gates, as ordinary cars and trucks can easily travel the mains and the road up to launch. I'll be down at the gates next Saturday if the forest is still open, and weather permitting. Hoping others will come and check it out. I think you'll catch the buzz when standing on launch, she's a beaut!

It would be nice if we had more bodies to help do more clearing of the fireweed, branches, and rocks. Those that do wish to help and fly, bring work gloves and OFF. The bugs are fierce, even during the cycles.

Here are some pictures BUT my camera really did some strange things as all the shots were weird and yellow/red, not sepia , but close. As well some of the upper frames are just black. It's been getting progressively worse so I'm pretty sure it's on it's way out. I photoshopped them as best I could and cropped out the wasted black spaces.

 The valley and First Lake

 Very nice cycles

Jerry and Don checking their gear! Our gliders were flaked out here in the foreground facing to the left.

Jean working clearing launch as we get ready to fly. Jean kept a travelling diary as well, with times and klicks between roads, turnoffs, and features...a must, as it's really easy to get lost on all the various roads.

After about an hour of labouring we had a roughed out launch. Jean is standing about where a pilot would be, with the glider flaked out roughly in the region where that littl fir is on the left. The cycles were pretty good while we were working, but as it got closer to 7pm they definitely were weakening. As well it was still overcast, with the upper clouds drifting from the NE towards First Lake (SW).

Prior to coming up to launch we spent about an hour reccing LZ's and found a pretty good one. A nice open graded gravel road straight out from launch. The trouble now is, you have to circumnavigate the valley to get to it. There is a short cut, but there are a number of small trees down blocking access, eventually It will open up I'm sure.

Back to Launch. I set up and it seemed a natural for a forward launch. Well, seemed liked is not a good choice as I finally got airborne on my third attempt. Not a pretty sight that one either, but getting away from launch was a thrill. The hillside drops damn fast and there are two little humps. I managed to get some retaining height over the first one, but soon fell out after boating the ridge there. The second and lower bump had some lift as well but I soon decided to get my butt away and head out. The valley floor slopes away from the powerlines towards De Cosmos, so being that low wasn't an issue and I arrived over the LZ at about 800'AGL. I set up and boated around getting little bumps here and there and worked myself down to tree top level, then went on final. There is a nice big clearing on both sides of the road but it's logging slash, so pilot beware. Still, if we can get permission, the lower west side clearing would make a perfect LZ, just need it bulldozed a bit.

Both Don and I figured the old concrete sorting yard down at First Lake might not be that unattainable, just need a little thermal to top up with and it's a place to go land. The trouble is, it's a good 1 mile+ hike back onto IT's property where one could then be picked up.

Both Don and I got little bumps in the overcast, so if it was a sunny day, it might be a basher, we'll have to wait and try next Saturday (July 12th). As we sat down at the LZ waiting to be picked up (1/2 hour from launch), the sky cleared and little cummi's formed, one nice one popping off "Second Launch" (we haven't scouted that one yet, think it will be good in NW).

Thanks to Jerry and Jean for the ride in and retrieve, come join us next weekend, whatta place!