It seems that at least once each winter, when the bug to fly has bitten me once to often, I end up getting a nice flight in the middle of a snow storm. This year has proven to be no different.

On Friday, December 29, 1995, having gotten all of my projects identified for completion during the holiday's done, I was rewarded with a forecast of south at 10-15. This forecast is ideal for flying PGr's at the local Hager City, WI site. Of course, a south wind in December in Minnesota usually means warm air (Except when it comes from a low(?) latitude high...I think I said that right.) and warm air means snow or rain or sleet or something to do with moisture falling from the clouds.

Anyway (Did I mention I am am self-diagnosised as having attention deficit disorder.), having called a couple of others, I headed for Hager. Got there to find nice frozen snow drifts on both the upper and lower tram stations, so I spent the first hour clearing the cables and tram car travel limiters. The wind at launch was slightly southeast at 7-9 mph with a solid gray low/no definition overcast. After having fallen on my as_ a few times while laying out my wing (Remember the frozen snow drifts, well the same freezing rain had turned the launch into a nice inclined skating rink.).

I was now ready to commit aviation.

After inflating and moving toward launch I had one of those nice smoooooooth lift offs that seem to consistently happen only at a Torrey or Point of the Mountain type of site.

Have you ever noticed when you go out in cold (20F) winter air after losing 20# over the last 6 weeks that your wing seems to want to lift you off in alot lighter wind, enough said for dieting. I worked up to 200' over, in the bowl west of launch, Then moved west down the ridge over the power lines. The entire ridge seemed to to alive with smooth light lift.

As I got out of the "bullfeathers zone", I looked across the valley to Red Wing.........in time to see it disappear in a band of snow moving right toward me. Of course, my partners in crime had looked at the radar returns showing the snow showers and decided to stay home, so I had the ridge to myself (ya,I know, I shouldn't fly by myself, but.....).

As the snow moved in the breeze didn't die and I wasn't in danger of going into the overcast, so I figured as long as the visibility was ok, I would hang out. The snow moved in and moved up to meet and swirl around me. It was a light dry fluffy snow. To a certain extent you could even see where there was move or less lift by its movement. I, of course, could have been getting caught up in the moment and imagining this marking of the lift.

Since all the leaves were out of the trees (except those damn oaks) the day was pretty quiet to begin with, but the light snow added another layer of silence to the scene. I literally felt like a snowflake...aaaaah maybe just a flake. I have noticed that when flying in snow that the glider doesn't seem to ingest it, or its not where I expect it to be, i.e. trailing edge. I suppose this could be from the pressurization of the cells keeping the external air from entering, I don't know, but that doesn't seem to be a problem.

As the snow lightened to flurries, I was jointed by the two of the numerious resident bald eagles. This surprised me, because the eagles in this area, I had thought, went south for the winter. I guess, as with the geese, since there now seems to be open water all year round from the local power plants (Prairie Island Nuclear is just three miles upstream and a NSP Coal plant five mile across the valley) they must just stick it out. Anyway, they just took a short spin around the ridge, paying me no never mind, as usual, then disappeared. I stuck it out through another snow band, a couple of trains kicking up tremendous snow rooster tails and increasingly cold fingers ( I wish they made Sorel's for the hands.) before landing after about a 45 minute flight.

The snow bands across the valley seemed to be building and the breeze dying, time to go home, get in the hot tub and thaw out. Although, the soarable day's of winter can be few and far between, they can be very satisfy too.

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