The day started sunny with cu's and a bit of easterly wind but not
too strong. A couple of pilots flew before 10 AM, and one was able to float
around for 45 minutes. Then the thicker clouds came in from the east, which
still looked soarable but weren't enough soarable early on.
The winds picked up out of the east and the cu's and higher clouds thickened up
and blocked almost all the sun. No one seemed that interested in flying. Then about 2 PM a
little sunlight started to appear. Steve Larson on his Exxtacy and a few other
pilots got up and soared low in 200 fpm lift for maybe 45 minutes.
I took off after they all landed and found bits and pieces for almost half an
hour of flying. As I was already setup I decided to go again although everyone
who had launched after me was down. Kerry Lloyd pulled me into the lift this
time to the south east of the field and no matter how shaded the ground was, the
sky and the cu's were working. I climbed out to 3,300' and kept finding lift.
After an hour I had to get down for a meeting (that later got postponed) and as
I came over the field at 600', there was good lift again and I climbed back to
1,500' before I really had to bale on the thermal and go and land. It was still
hard to get down.
Plenty of pilots launched later but by then it was too late.
