First Good Thermalling Day in 2013

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Monday Mar. 4 started with clear, stable looking skies but Ron Clark thought it had some potential for thermals.  So, with Phil Andersen agreeing to provide towing, we set up an operation.  By noon some feeble looking clouds began to show up over the mountains and Ron Clark, Chris Young and I (with CT, 379BA) took tows towards the foothills.  I was first and got the best thermal of the day (to 6,800 ft).  However, conditions elsewhere were not as good and they were actually deteriorating due to an incoming cirrus layer before they were fully developed.  Ron and Chris got as far as Boulder Ridge (in front of Whitehorse) and Ron even tried to get to Mount Higgins before the weakening lift forced us all to retreat to the Arlington area.

But then we noticed some clouds along the Puget Sound shoreline to the Southwest and on closer inspection found some good lift.  I got up to 6,500 ft over Tulalip Bay allowing me to fly to the Whidbey Island shore before coming home via Stanwood.  I had used one of the EW loggers and unfortunately did not get any GPS recording (otherwise Brad would no longer be in the lead for the WBC 2013).