Jorge, Dave and I launch Cactus with dreams of a downrange mission, but we can barely crack 1,500 feet in crappy little leeside thermals. After an hour trying to milk the lightest insect flatulence, Dave finally dives over the back towards Koko and makes it look good. He says the flow is offshore but working. I already thought we were working offshore lift, but I guess today it's just offshore everywhere.
I follow Dave, and Jorge is close behind. Dave ends up connecting with a monster thermal over Koko and we see him sky high in the back, eyeing his favorite line across Hawaii Kai. Jorge and I find some monsters of our own, and we are blasted skyward over the back of the crater. I don't think I've been higher there before. Jorge later told me it's the strongest and best thermal he's had in Hawaii. Dave heads out towards Costco, cajoling us to join him in what he promises is a guaranteed sweet thermal there. But it's not working today, and he lands near Roy's.
Meanwhile Jorge finds a lift line offshore of the crater and takes some sick pictures, before getting a surprise whack and limping back to get up again. I focus on getting high before blazing back to Makapuu, heading directly for Cactus. I find a couple of very strong thermals along the way which make for an easy high arrival at Cactus. That's my favorite crazy little out and back mission, but you gotta have a good thermal day for that one. Jorge almost made it back with me but played it safe and turned back for Sandys at the last minute. Thanks to Sharky and Dave for the cold beverages.
Lots of other folks flew. Roll call: Dr. John, Jorge, Dave, me, Joey, Johnimo, Sharky, Frank, Ike, Five-0 Mike, Jack, Ken, Goto, Joe.
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The hopes were high for the day, but it seemed like there were just little bubbles of lift peeling of Makapuu ridge. At one point Jorge appeared to be riding the lift coming up from Kamiloiki Valley, on the backside of hang launch. Any attempts to head into Waimanalo were unsucessful due to sink. I wonder now if there were blue thermals popping out in the flats.
I headed over the back towards Sandy's and picked up a thermal over Bob's old house. I climbed over the gap into Hawaii Kai. I thought the Costco thermal would be happening, I picked up a little thermal at the foot of Mariner's ridge, but kept gliding for Costco. It was windy from the east over there, and I was going offshore in a broken up thermal. I threw it in and landed across from the boat ramp. It was a little strange landing with lots of fast moving traffic just below and ratty thermal bumps tossing me a bit. But it all worked out fine, and Frank was making his afternoon commute to Makapuu, so he picked me up.
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