Sonoma wing days: Thermaling at Potatoe Hill

What a great weekend ! Friday was bit hectic to finalize the work of the week, get some laundry done to have some underwear for the weekend and pull myself together after paying the taxes (who said that taxes were lower in US than in Europe ? Not in California Kof Kof ! :-)
So Christophe and I decided that we would leave very early Saturday morning to head to Potato Hill (2h45 north from SF) Timing as exactly right : We met Craig who left the day before to enjoy a quite night of sleep (it would have be if he had not chosen the camp ground with the hunter and their very numerous and noisy dogs :-(

Here we are, the three of us, listening to the briefing for the competition of the annual Sonoma wing event. Mixed paragliders and handgliders... But the conditions are strong so we head to the takeoff as soon as we can. Craig did a real good flight. Both Christophe and I confess that we were not too relax on that 1st day. But there goes the first day in spending the afternoon in the lake and at the great BBQ organized after the competition. We are then back in the campground (another one, with no dog, and very hunter)

We have our comfort :



In the morning, we need a good breakfast and this is the great thing to travel with Craig : he is the best organised camper I know.




The team work to make that omelet was pure art !




Day 2 of flying was much better for Christophe and me. We were getting the rhythm. But as I have been posting way too much paragliding pictures, here are some different views of our activities in the afternoon. Isn't that a great place ?

The method is simple:

1 : test the water:



2 investigate that there are no danger in the neighborhood




3: relax and enjoy even if it is pretty chilly.




On the way back, we decided to take the long way down, back to SF.



The full team


Thanks to the the two twins for the great time, great flying and great plans for the next weekends to come....