I'm guilty of a lot of rock polishing. It's not always easy to tell if the air is going to stay friendly.

Once transitioned too soon from figure 8s to circles at the Switchbacks near Lone Pine. It seemed like the thermal had broken off the hill. First turns were good, then the bottom fell out while facing the mountain. Accelerated towards the rocks. Turned low, out of there! Back to figure 8s somewhere else.
In 2011 we lost Jerry Snedden in pretty much the same spot.

A somewhat similar transition from smooth lift to AAAArgh recently occurred at Ely, with a good outcome for the pilot but not the glider.

Last year at Nephi, Uys showed us the trace from an experienced friend he lost in ZA. Figure 8s, circles, spin, the trace stopped moving at ground level.

Without knowledge of either accident, shortly after getting to the Inyos I turned for home the day Steve Fossett disappeared. Also gave up on the day we lost Geoff Loyns. The air both days was not friendly.

Keep this stuff in mind, keep the speed up and a way out.
Jim


On Friday, July 21, 2017 at 8:46:07 AM UTC-7, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Virtually all my glider time and heck fixed wing and rotary wing flight time has been in the mountains of the West. Was looking at multiple traces of a a well known pilot that anytime he was below the mountain tops he used figure 8's waiting to circle until he was several hundred feet higher than the mountain. I have certainly flown enough figure 8's but I also will circle low next to a mountain (Sierra's, Whites and Inyo's) to climb up. I was wondering if some other experienced mountain flyers could weigh in on the safety of thermaling next to a mountain vs using figure 8's until clear of the top. If I am flying along a range and hit lift, I all usually take a few figure eights until I know the local wind eddies and lift patterns, then I transition from figure 8's to circles, clearing each turn well before I am committed to completing the turn. thanks for your comments.