https://airtribune.com/2017-quest-air-cross-country/blog__day_9

The Friday forecast was for light south winds, climb rates from 100 to 200 fpm,
a low top of lift between 3,000' and 4,000' and no cu's. It looked like a weak
day but with light winds a semi small triangle to Center Hill, then the Turnpike
and 33 and back to Quest seemed possible.

Larry was off first followed by Patrick, then me. Larry said that he had 200 fpm
at the intersection of 33 and 50 but I wasn't sure if that was to the west at
Mascotte or just 2 km to the north in Groveland. I got off at 1,500' and raced
north to find lift at 1,300'.

I would soon see that both Patrick and Larry were nearby and not particularly
high. We were all turning in light lift that averaged between 100 and 200 fpm,
as forecast. It would turn out that I would spend 40 minutes just north of Quest
Air and south of Groveland attempting to get high enough to go out on the course
to the northwest toward Center Hill. Larry would spend almost an hour before we
together headed out. I thought for a while the task would end up being just
trying to stay up.

A couple of times I was back down below 800' AGL, but there was always some lift
to be found as I looked around. I love flying on weak lift days as you always
feel in charge as long as you can stay up.

Finally Larry and I get to 2,700' and head north northwest toward some fires
where they are burning some scraps from the pine plantation that they are
clearing, probably for a housing development. I find some lift before we get
there and Larry joins me. I'm loving this all carbon Wills Wing T2C as now I can
climb through Larry, while that never happened last year when he was the one
with the all carbon version.

After climbing to 3,000' we head for the fires. I don't get anything in the
smoke and head west while Larry finds something and stays around. Down to 1,000'
AGL I find lift that averages 100 fpm and it's not long before Larry joins me.
It takes fifteen minutes to get to 2,200' in cores that average less than 80
fpm. I'm turning in anything.

Both of us leaving the zero lift at 2,200' and heading west I fly south of Larry
as we spread out to find the next lift. After 2 km I find 200 fpm. Finally for
the first time during the flight I am in a solid core and turning tight. There
is lift throughout each circle. We climb to 3,700' before heading further west.

I'm a bit north of Larry and hit more lift climbing to 3,900'. Larry comes in
under me but I foolishly take off by myself heading for the turnpoint.

I don't find any lift after that and land 7 km from the second turnpoint. Larry
finds lift before the first turnpoint gets back up and comes over me at 3,600'.
He then decides to head back to Quest, finds no lift and lands 12 km short.
Looks like the day just turned off.