Since Paul K. has become an exemplary father of a toddler and a newborn, his PG outings have become (un)fairly infrequent. So after he copped a magnificent XC yesterday from Winthrop to Omak [geez it was nice to finally share this flight] as he reported yesterday, I felt that I might coax him a bit further this wknd. with another flight today, en route back to his "206"-land 'Masion Primiere'. A flight from Blue Pk.-Early Winters Spires col was the choice, with nice light westerlies predicted.

A pleasant stroll up the Blue Lake trail just NW of WA Pass brought us to ........Blue Lake, err, sorry Paul, I ignored the mountaineers' trail cut-off towards the Spires while engrossed in discussions about various metaphysical conundrums. Watching scrappy little rainbows leep out of their element to nab airborn prey was worth the detour to the lake.

:

From the Lake we scrambled back and up toward the Spires, to arrive in mellow somewhat cross upslope cycles. The "usual" TO site is on snowfields more substantial than we found. After I biffed several launch attempts on mal-oriented snow and rocks, we went a bit lower to find a reasonable spot. It worked on first try for me, but Paul had to work at at, doubtless more elegantly than I had previously. [Thanks for not asking if I had suddenly forgot to launch a glider, Paul, even tho that may have appeared so.]

At last I was boating around the Spires, the Bell, and Blue Lake cirque. The Cascade splendor here must enthrall even the most mountain-sated climber/hiker/skier. These moments of mellow flying belied the big air lurking around the W face of the Bell and across the Hwy. 20 valley on Cutthroat Pk's E ridge. Radio com with Paul back @ launch proved fairly useless. 1400 fpm sink crossing Hwy 20 hinted at good lift ahead.

Lift indeed. I got zinged up to ~9000 from ~5800' just W of WA Pass. Thermal/wind drift carried over to Snagtooth Ridge, enabling a crossing along and above Silver Star's W face. Flying right over the Vasiliki Ridge was dramatic. Countouring around S. Star led after a few miles to overflying Sandy Butte as I opted to not hop over Driveway Butte to Goat Pk and the usual familiar terrain, but rather to fly the S side of the Valley. Lucky Jim Bluff yielded some lift as did the ridges E of Wolf Creek, leading to Sun Mountain. The anticipated lively thermal there didn't happen, nor did Patterson Mt. give a boost, so passing S of Winthrop I crabbed on significant down-valley breeze with all thermals blown out, to set down 24.3 GPS mi. and 1hr 40min. after launch, next to the Methow River. Without blown out valley breezes the XC could easily have gone much further on the seldom flown S side of the valley.

I couldn't determine how Paul's flight went. Hours later, returning to the Blue Lk. trailhead, I was relieved to find the Paul had departed with his van, so a safe and enjoyable conclusion to his wknd of Methow flying can be assumed.

Even a sledder from this stunning launch counts as a completely satisfying mountain flying experience.

Thanks Paul, for the comraderie,

Bruce