Okay, time to see if I can actually do this.
Here's the gentle spiral that happened right after we released from the tow plane:
And here's the acrobatics that Jon, my pilot, performed towards the end of the flight. Don't watch if you get vertigo easily.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
A SERIOUSLY AWESOME DAY!
What can I say? COOL!!!!!
So my birthday rolled around and my Dad asked what I wanted. I'd been thinking about Amtrekker and admiring his resolve to just do the things he's always wanted to. Well, I think I'm going to start living like that.
I've grown up here, I know the fun things to do here (even if I haven't done them), and I know what I'd like to do... one day.
One of which is soaring high above the Sierras in a glider. So enough of One Day... Let's do it Today!
And I did.
We arrived at the Minden Airport at 10:30a, a half hour too early, so we grabbed a quick bite at the Taildragger Cafe - a restaurant we were entirely clueless about until just then, and then headed over to the office of Soar Minden and checked in.
Outside, we watched some skydivers and other gliders take off and land around the valley. Then, my turn. I get strapped into the glider, waited as we were pushed into position and latched onto the tow plane. The line grew tighter and soon we were rolling faster and faster down the runway.
Take off!
The ride was absolutely incredible and the views were breathtaking! I've never seen the mountains nor the Lake look so remarkable. Words failed me about halfway through the flight as I could only sit dumbfounded and staring out the canopy.
Course, I ended up with the stunt pilot. As we released and hung 13K above sea level and a mile above the lake, we did a slow spin to get the full panorama of the lake. Then, as we smoothly glided over to Spooner Lake, Jon asked if I was ready (silly me said Yes) and we nose dived straight towards Spooner, pulling up into a tight turn and headed back to Freel Peak. WAHOO!
Then we did it again, providing a sweeping view of all of Lake Tahoe!
Then again as we skated along the ridge of Genoa Peak to head back out into the valley and make our approach towards Hot Springs Mountain.
I'd been warned. I knew this, but I'm a glutton for punishment.
Jon asked if I was ready for some whoop-di-dos. OF COURSE!
Dive, dive, and pull up into a steep turn, before plunging down again into a spiral, nose up, and dive again into another turn. Brief level off as we're both cheering and laughing, then do it again, DIVE! Whoo hooo!
Third time - then all of a sudden my brain and my stomach got into an argument. I felt it coming on and refused to get sick in the cockpit. I froze in the seat, closing my eyes, and eliminating the twisting ground beneath me until I regained control of my reactions. It was close, but I found my limit (course, knowing me, that'll only provide me reason to find a way to push past it).
We swung around towards the runway and brought the glider in for a smooth landing that felt WAY to close to the ground. That's the difference of being only a foot or so off the ground rather than in a seat high above the tarmac in a commerical flight.
We finished off the day by heading out to b0neZ parents where hotdogs, cake, and ice cream awaited us. I passed on most of it as my stomach was still rather grumpy with me, but all in all, I don't care.
I had a BLAST!
10/25/2008
NevadaWolf found Carson City Freeway, Is It Becoming A Pipe Dream?
So my birthday rolled around and my Dad asked what I wanted. I'd been thinking about Amtrekker and admiring his resolve to just do the things he's always wanted to. Well, I think I'm going to start living like that.
I've grown up here, I know the fun things to do here (even if I haven't done them), and I know what I'd like to do... one day.
One of which is soaring high above the Sierras in a glider. So enough of One Day... Let's do it Today!
And I did.
We arrived at the Minden Airport at 10:30a, a half hour too early, so we grabbed a quick bite at the Taildragger Cafe - a restaurant we were entirely clueless about until just then, and then headed over to the office of Soar Minden and checked in.
Outside, we watched some skydivers and other gliders take off and land around the valley. Then, my turn. I get strapped into the glider, waited as we were pushed into position and latched onto the tow plane. The line grew tighter and soon we were rolling faster and faster down the runway.Take off!
The ride was absolutely incredible and the views were breathtaking! I've never seen the mountains nor the Lake look so remarkable. Words failed me about halfway through the flight as I could only sit dumbfounded and staring out the canopy.
Course, I ended up with the stunt pilot. As we released and hung 13K above sea level and a mile above the lake, we did a slow spin to get the full panorama of the lake. Then, as we smoothly glided over to Spooner Lake, Jon asked if I was ready (silly me said Yes) and we nose dived straight towards Spooner, pulling up into a tight turn and headed back to Freel Peak. WAHOO!Then we did it again, providing a sweeping view of all of Lake Tahoe!
Then again as we skated along the ridge of Genoa Peak to head back out into the valley and make our approach towards Hot Springs Mountain.
I'd been warned. I knew this, but I'm a glutton for punishment.
Jon asked if I was ready for some whoop-di-dos. OF COURSE!
Dive, dive, and pull up into a steep turn, before plunging down again into a spiral, nose up, and dive again into another turn. Brief level off as we're both cheering and laughing, then do it again, DIVE! Whoo hooo!Third time - then all of a sudden my brain and my stomach got into an argument. I felt it coming on and refused to get sick in the cockpit. I froze in the seat, closing my eyes, and eliminating the twisting ground beneath me until I regained control of my reactions. It was close, but I found my limit (course, knowing me, that'll only provide me reason to find a way to push past it).
We swung around towards the runway and brought the glider in for a smooth landing that felt WAY to close to the ground. That's the difference of being only a foot or so off the ground rather than in a seat high above the tarmac in a commerical flight.
We finished off the day by heading out to b0neZ parents where hotdogs, cake, and ice cream awaited us. I passed on most of it as my stomach was still rather grumpy with me, but all in all, I don't care.
I had a BLAST!
10/25/2008
NevadaWolf found Carson City Freeway, Is It Becoming A Pipe Dream?
Friday, October 24, 2008
A cache a day
Or at least a hike.
I decided since I've failed miserably at the 100 Push-ups Challenge, I'd start hiking instead. Right.
So, rather than attemptingt o do something massive, my idea is to simply go after a cache a day and walk to it if possible. Considering most of the caches I have left in Carson are there because they're hikers should make this goal easy.
Then I started thinking about my "streak", which is a sad little 14 days in a row of caching that I did sometime way back in 2003 or 2004. I need to fix that, even if its 15. So, now I'm trying to do a cache and a hike a day to get back in shape and beat my streak.
Here we go.
10/20/2008
NevadaWolf found Tuatara
10/21/2008
NevadaWolf found Timberview
10/22/2008
NevadaWolf found Lakeview, Sort of
10/23/2008
NevadaWolf found A Capitol Idea
10/24/2008
NevadaWolf found Sam's one of a kind
I decided since I've failed miserably at the 100 Push-ups Challenge, I'd start hiking instead. Right.
So, rather than attemptingt o do something massive, my idea is to simply go after a cache a day and walk to it if possible. Considering most of the caches I have left in Carson are there because they're hikers should make this goal easy.
Then I started thinking about my "streak", which is a sad little 14 days in a row of caching that I did sometime way back in 2003 or 2004. I need to fix that, even if its 15. So, now I'm trying to do a cache and a hike a day to get back in shape and beat my streak.
Here we go.
10/20/2008
NevadaWolf found Tuatara
10/21/2008
NevadaWolf found Timberview
10/22/2008
NevadaWolf found Lakeview, Sort of
10/23/2008
NevadaWolf found A Capitol Idea
10/24/2008
NevadaWolf found Sam's one of a kind
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Earthcache Geology Trip
So, while logging the Earthcaches from the other day, I learned about a Geology Field Trip put on by UNR - including the fabeled GeoEdYOUcation who puts out most of the Earthcaches around here.So I show up Saturday morning and we head out into the desert. I ended up riding along with an incredibly friendly family and I loved every minute of the trip.
We stopped at various sites of different volcanic flows, ancient shorelines, historic sources of minerals, and a totally AWESOME site of peralite and apache tears!
Sunday, I head up with kindergeek and b0neZ to meet with LostInReno, moonchaser, geospyder, and Team Alamo. We all head out to Fernley to grab caches since we all needed some out that way. Of course we stopped at the earthcache!A totally fun trip and even after our little group broke apart to head off to cache areas that we each needed, it was still a blast spending the day with friends and getting out of the same ol area to get back out into the desert.
10/18/2008
NevadaWolf found McClellan Peak Basalt Flow at Mustang, Washoe Coun, Pit of Wonders, Tears of Joy, Perlite Prospect with Apache Tears
10/19/2008
NevadaWolf found Truckee River Route - Little Meadows, This be an adventure, Foul Ball, Shadow, Where's Pizza, All About the "F", Tankey, Stephanie's Treasure, IHO: Taylor Swift aka scraggs20, Baby Rattlers, The pot view of Fernley, Lyon's Den, Fernley Bug & Coin Inn., Fernley Loves Geo-truckers, Truckee River Route - The Deep Sand Swales, Road side, Punch Line..."The Panda", A.H.R.:#8 RENO HIKER
10/19/2008
NevadaWolf couldn't find House Of The Sun, Fernley Oil Field
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Rock art and Caching mania
Time for my yearly vacation helping the Nevada Rock Art document an INTENSE site in the mountains near Reno. This year was no exception as we've finally reached the cliff face and we're working on the largest of the petroglyphs on the site.I can fully place blame on the NRAF for my addiction to geocaching. See, 5 years ago, while working at the Club Booth, three folks walk up to sign up for the card. They each were wearing a shirt with petroglyphs on them. I think poor Martin thought I'd mug him trying to find out information. The next day I was sitting in on the training class, and the following I was filling out a questionaire, that included asking about GPS experience...
And that led to the discovery of the game that's dominated my life ever since.
I went to work at the site that started the whole idea of forming a Foundation to protect and preserve these sacred sites throughout the Great Basin. I've worked up there six seasons now and each year I still discover new rock art motifs. I've also worked on another site that the expansion of Sparks is threatening, but my heart lies with the masterpiece.This is also where my other "hobby" comes from. Alanah, the founder of the NRAF, discovered my handwriting. Ever since, I'm the one who's been labelling the slides taken at sites all over Nevada. I love it asit gives me a chance to see the rock art from sites that I highly doubt I'll make it to.
In addition to playing on basalt all day, I've also been staying up here in Reno and am taking the chance to go caching! I've been hooking up with a few folks, but this is my chance to get some numbers under my belt.
10/2/2008
NevadaWolf found Watch out for loco's!!!, Can you 'ear' me now?...1, What a Rush !, Turducken
10/4/2008
NevadaWolf found Candy Corn's Christmas Cache 2007
10/4/2008
NevadaWolf posted a note for Shell Shocked II
10/4/2008
NevadaWolf couldn't find The World...Goes...round-N-round...AboutYou!, JGMTC VI
10/5/2008
NevadaWolf found The Treasure of the Leaky Spoon - Pete N' Tink, The Treasure of the Leaky Spoon - Rockstar, The Treasure of the Leaky Spoon - Buttercup, The Treasure of the Leaky Spoon - One-Eyed Willy, The Treasure of the Leaky Spoon
10/8/2008
NevadaWolf posted a note for JGMTC VI, A Carson City Multi-Cache
10/10/2008
NevadaWolf found Keep Your Chin Up, Galleria Overlook, House of the holy, Kiley Ranch, Troll Toll, Safe-1-Uh-Be, Golden Eagle Overlook, Dirty in Wingfield, Woody in Wingfield, Sky's the Limit, Don't get switched, Peanut butter chronicles, part II, The World...Goes...round-N-round...AboutYou!, JGMTC VI, Lovers of the Bard, Damonte Path #2, Bartholomew Cubbins, Nearly Green Power, Los Althole, Another Park Hang Out, Long's Gate, Bridge View, The Bridge Center, Beyond the Starcrest
10/10/2008
NevadaWolf couldn't find Holey Mackeral, Par Three?, Egg Toss II, Toys in the Gutter
10/11/2008
NevadaWolf found CubCache #1 - Bobcat, O Tannenbaum, Family Tradition, Lost in the Woods, Uphill at the Y, The Road to Nowhere , Chalk Bluff, The Mogul Landslide, By a Landslide!, On the Rd from C...1, On the Rd from C...2, Gold Ranchole, Hole in One, Tornado Ali, A good book has no ending, Terraced View, Home Run Zone, Glasswing Butterfly, ONE OF A KIND
10/11/2008
NevadaWolf reported On Their Way to Reno! needs maintenance
10/11/2008
NevadaWolf posted a note for Joe-Sam
10/11/2008
NevadaWolf couldn't find Park at the OK Corral
10/12/2008
NevadaWolf couldn't find Bridging the Gap
10/12/2008
NevadaWolf posted a note for Remo's Great Adventure Relived
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