Like the others I struggled, but I eventually got up and turned N from just below 9,000 ft - much lower than I would have liked. Overall, conditions seemed weak - maybe I was just flying too early. There was a nice cloud street over the second range of the hills but I never got high enough to get onto it. I made the first transition and then flew the front range (there were no clouds above it) and struggled to get high - climbs were slow but fortunately there were enough thermals to make progress. Maybe I should have slowed down and waited for conditions to strengthen, but I ended up sinking out after 14 miles or so - enough to get back into Oregon.
I slowly packed up my wing and waited under a tree as clouds started to form over the front range of the hills. I was looking enviously up at the clouds when I saw movement in the distance. Dan had relaunched and was flying the clouds! He sailed over my head and landed another 5 miles to the N.
Later, Tom and I headed to Abert's Rim hoping to fly it before driving home. It was hot and smelly (the lake is alkaline) and there was no wind; we resolved to wait an hour. Some Bend pilots arrived; Tim immediately headed up the hill. After an hour we got ready to leave - but then Tim launched and slowly benched up. Amazing - there was almost no wind down on the road! Our enthusiasm wasn't strong enough and we headed home. Really, flying in the desert is full of surprises - it seemed impossible that conditions were soarable only a few hunder feet higher.On the way home I got a text message from Dan that I had won the cumulative distance comp; over 3 days I had flown 2 miles more than he had! The prize is a gas card to use for more flying.
Leonardo -> http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/223836
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