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The forecast is for a sunny day but there are low clouds (about 3000' AGL) along the Warren Range to our east and cirrus over them. Towering cu's are embedded in the low clouds. The temperatures have dropped each day and it is quite cool this morning in the lower sixties.

The forecast is for twenty two knot winds out of the southwest and a cloud base at ten to eleven thousand feet, quite a bit lower than two days ago, but probably just as cold at cloud base.

Mike Haley, the meet organizer and meet director, has been driving the task each day checking on the weather. On the first day when there was considerable weather he kept checking on the cu-nimbs to the south and near the second turnpoint to make sure that they weren't posing a danger to us. The task was not stopped due to the fact that he was assured by what he saw that we could take the second turnpoint safely.

On the second day most of the pilots avoided the storms that came in later from the west, by getting ahead of them and flying toward more open air to the northeast. The conditions after the second turnpoint at Plush were quite strong and ground speeds over 100 mph as pilots race to try to get down by the goal. Bill Soderquist, who was ahead near the turnpoint, chose a bad line and basically fell out of the sky having to just drift at 1,500' AGL in the strong southwest cross wind, while the others couldn't go fast enough. He came in last to goal.

When we got to launch it was blowing 15 to 20 mph in and it was 63 degrees. The wind was cold. There was a huge lenticular cloud that stayed in place for about an  hour starting from launch and heading twenty to fifty miles to the south. There were plenty of lenticulars behind launch heading from Doherty's slide. Later more developed to the north. The wind continued to be cold.

There was a significant discussion among the task committee members, some wanting to go over the back down wind to the northeast, while others wanted to go cross wind and stay in front of the Warren Range given the apparently strong winds. The winds were rising at launch with gusts going to 28 mph. Cloud base didn't look all that high.

The third task that was announced was a run north up highway 395 in the valley and out in front of the range to the north end of the valley, then back to Hunter's. This looked like the safest task that could be called. Others still felt that we should go over the back to the northeast over two mountain ranges

The launch window was opened at 2:45 PM to let a local pilot who thought it was safe to fly at 35 mph winds on launch and was best to go over the back to Doherty's.

Mike Haley canceled the day on launch after the pilot on the task committee launched to show us what the air looked like. He told me that he canceled the task after he saw what happened to the pilot. Just out of curiosity, I was asking him what he had heard from the pilot on the radio, but he hadn't spoken with him. I think Mike thought I was questioning his judgment, when I was just interested in what the pilot had to say.

At least three pilots flew to Hunter's and had good flights. The winds at goal where much less than had been reported by the score keeper who was at Hunters.

Stacked lenis at 7:30 PM:

Sugar is the mountain to the right. This shot is taken from Hunters.