Use Google Maps or Google Earth to zoom in on the coordinates above and you will actually see Cowboy Up in operation near the Palisades by the airport at Alpine, Wyoming. The FAA has designated their "strips" out on the flats behind the dam as an actual official ultralight landing and take off area (near the Alpine airport). So they have as much right to flight there (and often have busier operations) as the nearby airport.

I went out to Alpine on Wednesday to hook up with Bart and Tiki who were going about their regular business of giving very high tows to tourists who wanted a bird's eye view of the Tetons. They were also instructing a new student and giving a tandem flight to his girl friend. Walt (a local hang glider pilot) and I were there to tow up when conditions got too thermally for the tourists and student.

The winds were really light and came in all directions during the day, so I was more than happy to be there hoping to thermal out from the flats around the reservoir and not have to take the shots from the Teton hill sides to the east. The winds directions were mostly south or north up and down the valley so that was perfect.

The tourists had an adventure as did Pat, the student, and then Walt got towed up over the Tetons where he stayed high for the next three hours in turbulent conditions. I, on the other hand, pinned off at 2,000' AGL as we came over the hills and Tiki got dumped bad in the Dragonfly. I didn't find any lift on the way back so I came in for a monkey bar type landing (so easy with the Wills Wing Sport 2) to give it another try when the turbulence calmed down.

Tiki took a test flight as the winds changed and then she towed me back up again. I always like to get off early while towing preferably  before 1,000' AGL unless I'm in Zapata. But here you are really supposed to hold on until Tiki takes you over the Tetons, which can make for a long ride, something I'm not all that happy about. I'd rather climb out on my own, thank you.

At 1,000' AGL right over the flats I smell a thermal and pin off in a light thermal that's drifting out of the northeast. Ah, finally I'm comfortable flying here. The lift is light but consistent, no sharp edges, even though we are within a mile of the mountains. The other day when we were at the launch over Heise Hotsprings the lift was smooth as could be and the thermals were enjoyable there also, even in the strong winds (credit the 100's of miles of flatlands upwind).

I thoroughly enjoyed working the light lift and then when this thermal gave out searched around for others, feeling for the lift and centering in the cores. This is the kind of flying that most interests me, low, light lift, the need to have all my senses open to find the lift, the ever present chance of landing, the excitement of doing everything possible to stay up no matter what.

This is what I enjoy most about flying out of Zapata. You get going early when the lift is really light, you have to stay up or you will likely have a long walk out, you hang onto anything that you can, you heighten your senses and search every where for lift, you work everything, you drift down wind, you stay in the air no matter what. This is what hang gliding means to me. Stronger conditions are wasted on me.

I'm looking forward to more light wind days in Alpine, and flying the valley floors.

Discuss Alpine at the Oz Report forum
   
 
 
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