This was the best day at King for me...
I was pretty much last to launch around 4:15...I was in no hurry today and was more interested in having fun, maybe going over the back.
The conditions felt like a combination of glass-off, thermals, and ridge lift all packed into one. In no time I was above the upper launch working my way up to the other pilots who were flying along the ridge. My oxygen kicked in at 10k and I concentrated this time on breathing through my nose rather than my mouth like on Monday.
I slowly worked my way up to about 11k and seemed unable to get above that altitude for some time. The flying conditions started to feel more like ridge lift and glass-off, and it all seem so strange to be working those conditions at the peak. I could hear Ben Dunn, Joe Jackson, and Brian Foster on the radio as they were making their way over the Lemhi Ridge. I was still patiently working whatever lift I could, hoping to get over the back of King.
Ben Rogers then got on the radio and said, "Chris Valley...you still in the air?" I radioed back that I was and still trying to get over the back. He said he, Heather, and Carsten (awesome driver and all around great guy) would wait in the Howe Valley for me. That was the motivation I needed to continue working my way higher. Soon after that I figured out that it was simple crabbing mixed with some linked 180's right above the ridge that would get me high enough to get over the back. That got me up to a little under 12k and I made the leap. The conditions had backed off considerably as it was nearing 6pm. I had been working the ridge for almost an hour and a half and finally was on my way to the Howe Valley.
Entering the Howe Valley, I found a nice glide with no where near the rowdiness of Monday's flight. I made my way over the Howe Airport where I thought I was going to land. Instead I found a nice little thermal and worked that for another 2 miles which was all it had to offer. I then found a triangle in between a couple crop circles, radioed my intent to land, and had my best landing of the meet...I broke my glider down in no wind conditions, hanging out with Ben, Heather, and Carsten.
15.3 miles in 2 hours, 4 minutes...
The end of a great week...