http://soaringspot.com/2011bsn

A badger was spotted going after prairie dogs at the Big Spring airport. This is
great. If you encourage (or don't decimate) a good sized population, then
eventually a predator figures it out and comes to town. Go Badgers!

We haven't seen any burrowing owls this year. They live in prairie dog burrows
as do rattle snakes.

We love the wildlife here at the airport.

The forecast was for fifteen mph winds out of the south all day and at all
altitudes. The winds forecast for tomorrow is for even higher winds. The lift
forecast looked good, and the height of the lift was predicted to be 11,000'+.
But the fly in the ointment was that there would be no cu's. Gary thought that
there would be. I went with the RUC forecast on that. I told pilots to dress
warmer (I was shivering on Thursday) as they would be getting higher. The
temperature forecast for the ground was 101.

I launch fairly early but don't find any lift on tow. I search around but am
down to 500' AGL before I feel a bit of lift next to the launch area east of the
taxi way west of the main runway. The lift is quite weak at less than 50 fpm,
but I'm so low that I need to stay with it. Where else can I go? After three
minutes the lift turns on (or I run into the core), and I climb to 9,000' to
join Zippy, Glen, Joe, and Larry.

There are a few very wispy cu's around the airport, and a few further north, but
the day doesn't look that inviting yet. I'm thinking of taking the fifth start
and waiting for the day to heat up. I also have to cover Zippy as he is only
seventy points behind me.

Joe heads off at the two o'clock start. Glen also takes that start but didn't
notice Joe starting. I don't follow Joe today after what happened on Thursday
(Zippy started behind us and caught us). Glen also told me that Joe is a
kamikaze pilot. Glen and Joe fly the whole task together.

I go to the edge of the ten kilometer start cylinder following Larry. This is
pretty risky given the nineteen mph winds. We don't find anything out there and
feeling that I had made a mistake to follow Larry (he was super fast on
Thursday), I flew back up wind to get under a few pilots, including Zippy,
circling inside the start cylinder and was able to get back high again, over
10,000'. Zippy was always just a little higher. Larry came back a little later.

Zippy heads back upwind for one more climb before the 2:40 clock. Soderquist,
Larry and I follow but stop for lift that turns out not to be quite as strong as
the one that Zippy finds. As the 2:40 gate opens Zippy crosses the line. Larry
and I are in strong lift so we climb for a minute before we follow.

There is one cu ahead and that will be it for cu's for the rest of the day. From
then on we will follow the dust devils. Larry and I get there and climb up
followed by Soderquist, Campbell, Flipchuk, and Barmakian. Larry heads out and I
don't follow finding better lift.

I take the lead hoping to catch Zippy (he flies really fast between thermals). I
lead out for the next three thermals, with Larry coming back to join us, then
head for some dust devils east of O'Donnell. I miss some better lift behind me
as the rest of them get up faster than I do at the multiple dust devils and fly
over my head.

I get high enough and race to the Tbar turnpoint west of Tahoka. I catch
Campbell, then Flipchuk and Barmakian who is low and battling upwind to get the
turnpoint. I blaze away to the edge of a cultivate area and find 400+ fpm that
others will see and then come in under me.

Climbing to 10,300' I see a dust devil ahead and race for it. As I enter it I
suddenly see Soderquist and Larry right at my level. It's nice to catch up with
them.

They head out with me following at 9,600' with a couple of earlier starting pilots to my right.
After a long glide I see one of the pilots on my right hit some lift and with
Larry and Soderquist still gliding, I turn and join the lift.

The lift isn't as strong as I would like so I move northwest a bit to get over
some dust devils and find 500+ fpm to over 10,000'.  I'm twenty five
kilometers from goal with a seventeen mph tail wind. I go on final glide and
pull the bar in.

It takes thirteen minutes to fly those twenty five kilometers.

The goal is the Leveland airfield and sailplane port. They have been called and
are very welcoming.

Twenty two pilots made goal. It was a true race, just like the task committee
wanted (not an endurance contest). Zippy moved ahead of me in the standings.