Five days in Utah

September 30, 2006

Went off to Utah for some flying with Mihir, Ron, and Som. Plan was to fly several P2-friendly sites around Salt lake city, including Point of the mountain, Inspiration, and the "B". The plans were made two months ago, but the situation got very dicey when my father-in-law became ill and Jo and Chinmay rushed off to India immediately. They left on 24th, and I made my plan to go on October 6th. We preponed my brother-in-law's wedding to October 11, and this helped my father-in-law improve. Hence, decided that might as well go ahead with the Utah trip!

In the past, my dad would forbid me from even playing tennis a week before any long journey. His reasoning was that you didn't want to sprain something or pull something before you were going on travel. Here I was, going paragliding in another STATE just before an India trip, that too one where I and my wife would be conducting my brother-in-law's wedding! Needless to say, I was determined to be 'cautious'.


We set off in two vehicles: me and Ron in one, and Mihir and Som in another. We left friday afternoon, stopped in Winnemucca Nevada for the night, and got to Draper, just south of Salt lake city around 5pm on saturday.

October 1 2006

Headed straight to the Point since there was plenty of light. After a little searching, we find the road to the south side and get there, to see several gliders in the air.

The south side of the Point is a fairly short ridge, and I feel quite disappointed at seeing it. But we have 5 days here, so there's no reason to not be optimistic. This is a good appetizer I think, as we drive up to the launch, get off, and start scoping out the place.

As I feared, a ridge like this requires fairly strong conditions to soar in. After talking to several guys, we decide to go for it. At the edge, my wind meter shows 15 mph; I have never kited in these conditions, or launched. I struggle for almost half-an-hour; I manage to pull it up fine, and even come within 5 feet of the edge several times when I am unable to penetrate properly and get dragged back. Anyway, I finally launch and manage to stay up for about 20 minutes before the wind dies, and I am forced to land. Not badd; my first flight in the lower 48 other than California!

With our Utah virginity lost, we are all ready to attend Som's "Zeke-a-palooza". Som's roomate Zeke, whose name is Zach, has flown all the way here to host a party for us, and to catch up with his old buddies since he grew up here. Mihir grabs Som's latest and greatest GPS gadget, and we reach the jazz bar somewhere in Salt Lake city downtown. The bar has a great selection of beer; this means that I volunteer to be the driver designate as I hate beer.

Mihir and Ron after 1 beer

Som, friend, and Zeke

The band plays a great version of "Take 5" before we decide to check out the chicks in some club not very far. The club has two stories, and most of the chicks are on the second floor. Mihir and I do a preliminary check, and on the way down, Mihir prompts me to take a picture of Som below who is ordering whiskey at the bar. All hell breaks loose, as some redneck jerk at the bar decides that he doesn't want to be in my picture. He forces me to delete it, and I comply since I don't want to ruin a flying trip by getting into a fight with guy twice as big as me in some bar. He is apologetic after that and gives some SOB story about going through a divorce and how his lawyer said he shouldn't be seen in public. Som, who has several beers in him by now, is in a fighting mood and disappointed that I deleted the shot.

Som minus jerk

We spend the rest of the night back in the hotel with Som breaking out the Chivas, and Ron and me taking turns on Ron's guitar. Ron is pretty good, I am pretty bad, but everyone is quite drunk so it all sounds the same.

October 2, 2006

The plan was to get up at 6am, and do a dawn flight at the Point, since we are told that it already turns on then. But given that everyone slept after 3, we even miss the free breakfast in the hotel, and get to the Point around noon. It's starting to blow there, so we decide to head to Inspo, one of the great mountain thermal sites here, less than 20 minutes away. It takes us 90 minutes to find it though, and when we do, we find noone there to give us a site intro. We don't even know where the LZ is.

On way to inspo

We come back to the Point and have pretty much a 5-10 minute flight after it calms down enough.

Keeping the development at bay (L), and a mini PG (R)

Godlight on the Point

October 3, 2006

Plans to do the dawn flight are nixed when we discover that yesterday nights storm has picked up. Instead, we have a leisurely breakfast, and go to the Timpanogos caves national monument nearby. It's a brisk 1160ft elevation gain 1.5 mile hike up to the cave; we act goofy along the way and take several pictures

American Fork creek

Cave entrance fortune rocks (rub for good luck-didn't work as far as flying)

Fall color

Som is fast, being a marathoner and all

Back at the Point, it is now blowing at 40 mph

Wind meter maxed out

Mihir and Ron practice launching

Mihir and Som

October 4, 2006

Today is our last day here, and it has sucked pretty badly. Not even flown the much longer and higher ridge that is the north side of the Point. Have had 3 flights off the south so far, with maybe 30-40 minutes total. We do one more sled ride and decide to explore the one they call the "V", about 30 minutes north of Salt Lake city. At inspo, at least we found the launch. Here, we know it's around 6100MSL somewhere, but turn back at 8300 MSL after failing to find it. Where the LZ is is anybody's guess. Again, more posing, no flying.

Great view; too bad not from the air. That's the great salt lake

Hills are alive with the sound of no flying

Rush back to the Point, to have a few last sled rides. Tommorrow we drive back the entire 13 hours.

Things learnt: (courtesy Ron) Bikers don't smile because they don't want to be hit by bugs in the teeth. Ron speaks from experience, having been hit by a large bumble bee right in the teeth, then not wanting to stop grinning even as bee innards dripped into his mouth, and he could see the hair, pulling over to remove it carefully, but still getting stung on the lip. Yikes!

Other things learnt: Plan for site intros BEFORE going on trips like this. Or better yet, stick to organized fly-ins in the future.