Bob is correct. Best soaring I have ever experienced. According to the
locals, the weather was a bit off, but this made the tactical
challenge of terrain even more interesting. Biggest problem, keeping
your mind on racing while enjoying the scenery or savoring the
intimidation of big mountains and long glides to landable fields. I
would gladly return for another nationals... all the better if no more
than one or two dozen others are willing to come. This Std Nats was
just plain fun, and not just for the extraordinary flying.

During the regionals the week before, like Bob, I found myself on the
side of Mt. Shasta, with 4,000 feet of mountain below me and 7,000
feet above. A slow climb took me off the south face lava beds, over
the NE saddle, and up the East face glacier, always within several
hundred feet of trees, rocks, and the glacier's house-sized seracs,
trimmed in emerald and blue. That one climb was worth the entire round
trip. A memory I will treasure. I could fill a novella with the images
and impressions I caught during three weeks of flying.

There are better "pure" racing sites... Hobbs, Uvalde, Tonopah.
Perhaps this disuaded some. But since only one guy gets to win, isn't
it worthwhile to come away with your own set of trophies, regardless
of where you place? Strong lift, dependable cloud streets... those are
nice, but watching the world unfold as you climb your way out of a box
canyon, revealing snowcapped peaks, cinder cones, stoney monoliths
projecting hundreds of feet above the pines, snow-fed lakes improbably
perched on steep slopes, lush valleys...

An extraordinary place.

OC

junk (RWEpp) wrote in message ...
For the record: Standard class Nationals have had 40+ pilots every year for the
last five that I can recall. Last time they were at Uvalde, I believe that
there were 65. The number at Mifflin was restricted. As far as being
competetive is concerned; the top 15 meter pilots usually fly in the Standard
Class Nationals and vice versa. I generally fly both Nationals and don't
detect any difference in the level of competition. (It's funny that some of
the people who believe that there is a difference don't fly in both and some of
you don't fly in either Nationals).
As for the contest this year at Montague: It was really a great experience
in part because it was small contest. We had no pre-start gaggles. The
largest gaggles on course that I encountered was two other gliders (seperated
by 500 ft +) and these gaggles were rare. The flying site was spectactular
with tasks over the mountains, valleys and high deserts. We used ridge, wave,
thermal and shear line lift. Flew the sides of Mt Shasta and over the top of
Crater lake. I appologize if I mis quote Doug Jacobs, but I believe that he
said it was the most enjoyable contest he has ever flown. Ditto for me, again
in part because of the small group and the regional contest atmoshpere. You
should have been there.