Here we are in our motor home at Lake Morena County Park, in the mountains east of San Diego, our favorite winter vacation spot. Its main appeal to us is its proximity to the Horse Canyon hang gliding site just eight miles away. It's almost empty during the week, but fills up on weekends, and the Rangers treat us very well.
This is a view from launch at Horse Canyon looking toward the SW. The LZ (landing zone) is that small patch just to the left of the freeway interchange, next to the dirt road which leads to launch. The LZ is surrounded by thick chapparal about six feet deep. Lake Morena can barely be seen in the far middle of the photo.
This is Julie making a strong launch run at Horse Canyon. Her white leading edge blends with the white of the clouds on this day.
Here she is just after launching on a sunnier day. The altitude at launch is about 4550'.
Julie soars the ridge in front of launch at Horse Canyon.
Looking down from high above the ridge at Horse Canyon, the launch slot can be seen as the bare patch in the center left third of the photo to the right of the curve in the dirt road.
Here's Julie making her landing approach over the high chapparal, coming into the LZ at Horse Canyon.
Here's a shot of Ralph's glider in the LZ, and a view of the main ridge where the launch is located. The LZ is at about 3300' MSL, or about 1250' below the launch.
Here we are in our motorhome back at the campground. Polly, our calico cat, lives with us there.
Polly has her own little door so she can roam the campground while we are away flying. She always knows where she lives, and always comes home.
Here's Polly climbing in a nearby Oak tree.
When the wind was blowing from the east or SE, we would sometimes go to a flying site called Fuzz. It's just across the valley from Horse Canyon, and has an east facing launch at an altitude of about 3950', or about 750' above the valley floor. Here's Julie launching at Fuzz.
The wind picks her up and Julie is soon soaring at Fuzz. We had some unexpectedly good days here, getting high above launch and ranging far up and down the east facing hills.
Here Julie makes a soaring pass in front of launch at Fuzz.
On this flight from Fuzz, Ralph gets a thermal over "Fuzz Mountain" to 6700' and takes a picture of Lake Morena to the south.
A rainy day produces a beautiful rainbow over Lake Morena.
On rainy days in the mountains, we'd sometimes head for San Diego to soar at Torrey Pines. Here's a shot Ralph took while soaring over the mansions along the coast, just south of the flight park.
Here's another shot just a bit to the North. Notice the paraglider soaring above and to the left. The steady breeze off the ocean creates a smooth lift zone above the cliffs, enabling us to stay up indefinitely with the gulls.
Julie soars with a paraglider in good lift on a sunny day at Torrey Pines.
Julie makes a fine landing flare after getting her fill of soaring.
Here's Julie back on the ground again and happy after a good soaring flight at Torrey Pines.
When we get back to the campground after a day of flying, Polly likes to welcome us home by scratching on a tree.
On other days when it was too windy from the north for Horse Canyon, we would sometimes go fly at Blossom Valley. Here's Julie launching at Blossom. Launch altitude is around 1500'. The LZ out on the valley floor is at about 500'.
Here's another view of Julie launching at Blossom.
Here's Julie climbing out in good lift after launching. Blossom seems to have its own weather pattern, with the wind frequently coming up the valley from the west no matter what the upper level wind is doing.
This view looks west up Blossom Valley. Julie has just launched and is beginning to climb in light lift.
This shows more of the Valley looking to the NW, with Julie working to get up out in front of launch
Julie has some altitude now and is soaring the front ridge waiting for Ralph to get launched so we can cross the valley to El Capitan together.
Ralph has launched and is now soaring with Julie back and forth in front of the lauch hill, which is seen here from the air. To the northeast can be seen El Capitan in the upper left corner.
Further northeast over the launch ridge we get a better view of El Capitan across the valley. If we're high enough, we'll try to make the crossing and find the lift to climb up its rugged face. The peak of El Capitan is at about 3000', and is about two miles away.
Now we're trying to make the long crossing to El Capitan. We'll lose a lot of altitude on the way, but then we'll fly right in close to the heated rocky face and hope to find some rising air so we can climb on up to the top.
We got to the face below launch altitude, but found the lift and slowly climbed the face in soaring passes in close to the steep walls. Here Julie climbs the wall near the top, while Ralph has just reached the top.
Looking eastward over the top of El Capitan in the foreground, you can see the dam and the El Monte reservoir.
Julie has reached the top and is now heading for the next peak to the northwest.
After getting our fill of soaring El Capitan, Julie heads southwest back towards the launch hill.
Soaring out over the Valley, we can look down on Lake Jennings to the west.
Frequent visitors at our campsite were this pair of geese. They are always seen together, doing the same thing, always in sync, as if two parts of the same personality.
On one of our last days here, Ralph is able to get higher than ever before and fly back to camp at Lake Morena. Actually, this was the second time this season, but he got no pictures the first time. Here's the view of the campground from the air as he approaches.
Here's Ralph on the grass near the motorhome after landing. Julie had driven back to camp and took the picture. See Polly coming out to greet him in lower right corner.
Finally it's time to head north and home again. In two days we're back in Plumas County on a warm Spring day, happy that Winter seems to have retreated.
Here's Ralph on a bridge near home. What a beautiful spring day.
And here's Julie on the same bridge.
Here's another of Ralph, since there weren't many of him down south.