The sacrifices I make for the greater good.
The forecast was pretty good regarding the usual parameters. But a couple of indicators weren't that great.
First, the wind was expected to be more westerly than wanted and, a new one of interest, was that on the Skew-T Plot (the vertical X-section of the atmosphere) the gap between the Blue (dew-point Temperature) and Red (air Temperature) lines was unusually large and grew bigger as the day progressed.
In simple terms, "no clouds". And this turned out to be the case.
Andy was the only one at the turnoff, so he lept into the car and we proceeded to the end of the road. Out at launch conditions looked perfect, nice back-ground breeze with good, but not strong cycles coming up the hill from the SW. The wind already had a Westerly tilt. But in hind-sight the main indicator was already there. Very few clouds, and what there was were small and not well formed.
As we prepared to launch a couple of nice clouds did form out in front, but passed to the South less than a kilometer away, tracking East, and by the time they were in line with the ridge they were already decaying, vapourising in minutes. That was about it for the day as far as clouds.
As usual I launched anyway, and it was into nothing. This has to be one of my shortest flights at Moirs, and I can tell you I have had a few. One zig, one zag, head out over the Bomb-out Paddock and land. If you blinked you missed it. Having said that, it was one good takeoff, and one good landing, another great flight, Yahoo! (Apparently we should have gone to Five Fingers, doh!).
Now comes the sacrifice.
In the interest of increasing "Flying Site Knowledge" I decided to dedicate the next hour or so reconnoitering an alternative route back up to launch.
This involved walking 2 km, 30 min along Ahuroa Road toward Puhoi until I reached the intersection of J Tolhopf Road. This is where "Te Awaroa" (The Long Pathway, Cape Reinga to Bluff) crosses Ahuroa Rd. I then proceeded North up the track about 1.5 km, 30 min to come out on Moir Hill Road. It is then only 500m, 8 min back to the car-park (less to Jeremy's place, cool beers if he's home), and another 1 km, 15 min back out to launch. A total of 5 km, 90min of "easy(?)" walking.
Compared with the shorter but steeper direct route up "the Spur", I would grade "the Loop" as comfortable, as opposed to the Spur's arduous - based on a 55 year old with a reasonably good level of fitness (can climb the Spur with full PG kit in an hour and [just] live to tell the tale).
So there you are, an easier alternative to the "killer spur". Particularly if you are not going to re-launch, as it is quicker and a lot easier to go the Loop (68 min) to the car-park than via the Spur (75 min).
While I was doing this, Andy did the "hitchy thing", taking two rides, the first to Mahurangi West Rd, and the second to his car at the start of Moir Hill Rd, which took him about the same time as I did to get back to the car-park at the end of the road. So the timing was perfect.
Leonardo Flight Link
The forecast was pretty good regarding the usual parameters. But a couple of indicators weren't that great.
First, the wind was expected to be more westerly than wanted and, a new one of interest, was that on the Skew-T Plot (the vertical X-section of the atmosphere) the gap between the Blue (dew-point Temperature) and Red (air Temperature) lines was unusually large and grew bigger as the day progressed.
In simple terms, "no clouds". And this turned out to be the case.
Andy was the only one at the turnoff, so he lept into the car and we proceeded to the end of the road. Out at launch conditions looked perfect, nice back-ground breeze with good, but not strong cycles coming up the hill from the SW. The wind already had a Westerly tilt. But in hind-sight the main indicator was already there. Very few clouds, and what there was were small and not well formed.
As we prepared to launch a couple of nice clouds did form out in front, but passed to the South less than a kilometer away, tracking East, and by the time they were in line with the ridge they were already decaying, vapourising in minutes. That was about it for the day as far as clouds.
As usual I launched anyway, and it was into nothing. This has to be one of my shortest flights at Moirs, and I can tell you I have had a few. One zig, one zag, head out over the Bomb-out Paddock and land. If you blinked you missed it. Having said that, it was one good takeoff, and one good landing, another great flight, Yahoo! (Apparently we should have gone to Five Fingers, doh!).
Now comes the sacrifice.
In the interest of increasing "Flying Site Knowledge" I decided to dedicate the next hour or so reconnoitering an alternative route back up to launch.
This involved walking 2 km, 30 min along Ahuroa Road toward Puhoi until I reached the intersection of J Tolhopf Road. This is where "Te Awaroa" (The Long Pathway, Cape Reinga to Bluff) crosses Ahuroa Rd. I then proceeded North up the track about 1.5 km, 30 min to come out on Moir Hill Road. It is then only 500m, 8 min back to the car-park (less to Jeremy's place, cool beers if he's home), and another 1 km, 15 min back out to launch. A total of 5 km, 90min of "easy(?)" walking.
Compared with the shorter but steeper direct route up "the Spur", I would grade "the Loop" as comfortable, as opposed to the Spur's arduous - based on a 55 year old with a reasonably good level of fitness (can climb the Spur with full PG kit in an hour and [just] live to tell the tale).
So there you are, an easier alternative to the "killer spur". Particularly if you are not going to re-launch, as it is quicker and a lot easier to go the Loop (68 min) to the car-park than via the Spur (75 min).
While I was doing this, Andy did the "hitchy thing", taking two rides, the first to Mahurangi West Rd, and the second to his car at the start of Moir Hill Rd, which took him about the same time as I did to get back to the car-park at the end of the road. So the timing was perfect.
Leonardo Flight Link
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| Te Awaroa Track (Baker Rd) looking N toward Telecom tower end of Moir Hill Rd. |
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| The Loop |