Brian Porter writes:

For the first time in nearly eight months, I had the chance to fly
in Pacifica near Mussel Rock (delayed due in part to my Texas detour, last
year). Typically, in the winter, with the off shore east winds and 5.30pm
sunsets, flying after work is not possible. This leaves only the weekends and
only before or just after a storm, when the winds turn on shore, to facilitate
coastal soaring conditions.

Bottom line, there’s not many fly days in the winter, until daylight savings and
spring comes around.

Yesterday with my forty pounds of gear and a sore lower back, I set out on the
half-mile+ walk up to “Walkers” launch site. I set up to fly, but unfortunately
mismanaged my launch (not too unusual) and turning south into sink. Having
launched from the highest point, about 300 feet above the beach, I lost more
height turning back to the north and hugged low, traveling along the Westlake
cliff (which tops out at approx 600ft).

In weak lift I noticed for the first time, surf was up and against the cliff.
The pending landing, which is where I was headed, was likely to be a “salt water
experience."! Guess I should’ve been clued-in when the pilot with me at launch,
told me he had gone down once already and now had salt water on his paraglider.
(I’m a slow learner, I guess and said pilot was happy to let me fly first.

I was contour flying (2 to 8 feet off the cliff, sometimes closer) and slowly
losing altitude, so a beach landing was eminent. I could see one mile to the
north, beyond the huge (un-lifty) gap in the Westlake cliff, the beach was
re-materializing. This area could make for a safer landing, I only had to make
it there (a questionable proposition).

Breaching the gap, the top of my flying machine was now below ”the old coastal
highway,” a ridge which slices along Westlake 100+ feet or so above the beach.
This highway is mostly gone, falling into the sea, but in some places the road
with its white centerline, can still be seen. To make matters worse the west
wind had turned tail wind, which mildly complicates a possible ‘soft landing’.

Normally in these fluctuating light wind conditions (8 to 11mph) it's not
possible to recover from this height. But for unknown reasons, having traveled
miles to the north end of the Westlake ridge, the lift improved slightly. Maybe
this happened because the wind speeds up as it races ‘around’ the terminating
higher cliff, rather than going over it.

This slight increase in lift allowed me to affect a turn without losing much
height. Now facing the stronger south wind, I could spend more time in the lift
(lower ground speed) and as a result, I was able crawl up the cliff face topping
out above Westlake (700 feet or so).

I flew for an hour between 2 and 3pm. Even at the top of Westlake, the spotty
lift seemed as thought it might quit at any moment, and after another close
encounter with the beach, I decided to call it a day and landed back near my
car.

Of course this was just in time to see the conditions improve (just after 3pm),
but I packed it up and made my way to Tams (in the Pacifica Manner Mall), one of
the best Chinese Restaurants on the peninsula (in my option) to have hot and
sour soup, fried wonton, and a beer. And I still can’t believe that I didn’t go
down!.

Over the gap, Westlake cliff looking south towards
Pacifica.