Last Friday the winds were predicted to be light in the morning and not too strong in the afternoon. Koos de Keijzer, Daphne (a pilot at the women's worlds in Greifenburg) and I went up the south east facing Phillips launch to try to get off before the northwest winds came over from the back. I had been up Phillips on two previous occasions and had not been able to climb up, so I was hoping for better conditions on this day.

When we got there the streamers where pointing up the hill and there were light thermals coming through. It looked better than the past two times, where previously I had to launch in no wind conditions. We quickly setup as I watched the thin cu's overhead coming over the back.

Phillips is protected from most of the north and west winds by much higher mountains (the Tetons) to the west, so the winds can be higher up above and still not affect the launch. At least that is the story that I hear. You are supposed to get there early and get off just as the winds begin to come over the back.

I was off first into a light trickle coming in and found a small thermal at the ridge line to the east. I quickly climbed up over launch for the first time in the ratty little lee side thermal. The winds were not coming over the back, and the drift out front was still out of the southeast as I drifted back over the north south ridge line.

The thermals were light but sharp and not all that pleasant. It was no problem staying up and I found plenty of thermals up and down the ridge line over Wilson and back over Tiki and Bart's house (Cowboy Up Hang Gliding). There were only a few cu's but none near me.

After a while I decided that I wasn't enjoying the air that much and went out over the valley to see if I could find a flatland thermal but there were none. I landed near Tiki and Bart's on Fish Creek road.

Daphne had a great time working the lift down low near the LZ for almost an hour. She really hung in there. Koos found a thermal right where I did at first and climbed out finally getting quite high and flew around for a few hours without suffering from the west winds. He landed back right at Tiki and Bart's house.

It was great getting up at Phillips launch and flying next to the mountains in light conditions. I really only want to fly in the Jackson Hole area when the winds are light.

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