August 10, 2011 | 
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Thirty-six CBCC members voted on the spending proposal below; all 36 votes were in favor of funding the project. Thanks to everyone who voted, and to those who joined CBCC or renewed lapsed membership in order to cast a vote. And a huge thanks to Larry and Tina, Dog handlers extraordinaire!
From Port Blakely, 7/20/2011:
To allow continued use of the Dog Mountain hang glider launch site Port Blakely has agreed to remove additional trees. Cloudbase members identified trees to be removed and then Port Blakely measured the marked tree in order to determine value. During the cruise process, additional trees were selected for removal, guaranteeing a long-term solution for continued use by Cloudbase members.
Because of the area identified by Cloudbase will no longer be productive forestland, Port Blakely calculated the loss of revenue based on net present value (NPV). The timber to be removed was mathematically grown to final rotation, then projected log value was applied and logging costs subtracted. Through the growth model an addition rotation, from planting to harvest, was added to the timber value. The combined future value was then discounted back to today resulting in the NPV value. We then added the value of the land out of production, basically land value used in any of our appraisals.
Timber value for perpetuity $6493.40
Land out of production $2643.78
Total $9137.18
In addition to the above values Port Blakely will require Cloudbase to pay logging costs to remove the fell timber. Port Blakely retains the right to plant a non-timber species (noble fir or red cedar) on the site if it’s determined to not interfere with the hang glider launch site. However, Port Blakely may be required through forest practice to plant the site in order to maintain forest use tax status and fulfill regulation requirements. In addition Port Blakely might be required to conduct a geotech study to determine the potential risk of slope failure. If so, Port Blakely would require any cost associated with the study be paid for by Cloudbase. The addition cost is estimated to be:
Logging Costs $2150
Geotech Report $1500
Port Blakely is willing to work out a payment schedule based on the above amount. It would be preferable to have the total amount paid within a five-year period.
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Spending proposal for Dog Mt. timber removal:
Tina and Larry Jorgensen, site stewards for Dog Mt. and liaisons with Port Blakely (landowners for Dog), propose that CBCC contract with Port Blakely for the $12,787.18 for clearing the area below launch to improve airflow and launch safety. Tina and Larry have determined the trees that need to be removed, and are satisfied with Port Blakely’s proposals. To finalize this contract and put into motion the tree-removal process, CBCC must vote to fund the project.
Your “yes” vote would commit CBCC to paying $12,782.18 to Port Blakely, over the next five years. The Dog fund currently has enough money for a sizeable down payment, leaving the club with an annual payment of between $1000 and $2000, an amount that is typically raised at Frostbite.
Monday July 4, 2011 – Saturday July 9, 2011
Description:
Location: Chelan, Washington
Open distance, out-and-backs, & triangles – no fixed goals. Hang 3 with FSL & USHPA membership. Gliders meet safety inspection w/helmet & parachutes. $100 by July 5th, 2011. Trophies with cash (1st & 2nd in each class). For more information contact Steven Alford @ 425-273-6847, airczr@hotmail.com.
Photos: PG pilot Dave Norwood above the Butte at about 8000′; Low lake level = huge beach LZ
In spite of this month punishing us with the coldest, wettest April in the 120 years of record keeping for Seattle, somehow we lucked into spectacular flying at our spring events. Chelan was no exception, and the pilots who came over for the Beach’N were treated to the largest beach landing area in anybody’s memory – the lake is drawn way down to accommodate all that snow melt, once the weather warms up in the mountains.
Photo by C.J. Sturtevant
Friday was blown out for most of the early arrivals, except for an intrepid few hang pilots who got off and up at Lakeside in the late afternoon, and soared until their fingers were frozen. But Saturday was epic for many, both hangs and paras. Some of us opted to cruise around at the Butte, enjoying the view from above 7000′ looking west into the Cascades, which are still in full winter snowed-in mode. Spectacular! The spot-landing judge was kept busy all day recording accuracy and style points for those who’d paid the entry fee (and many who didn’t).
Spot-landing winners (1st through 3rd place):
Paraglider: Gene Beaver, Rich Hass, Jeff Smith
Single-surface hang glider: Tom Johns, Brian Scott, Tom Lee
Double-surface hang glider: Chris Culler, Konrad Kurp, and a 3-way tie for 3rd place: Aaron Swepston, Kerie Swepston and Rob Nichols
In addition to the official spot-landing contest, many paraglider pilots opted to participate in an unofficial “spot-avoidance” contest and headed east for some big miles. Only those who paid the entry fee for the Beach’N can claim bragging rights for this event, although there are reports of quite a few parapilots out beyond Banks Lake. A huge thanks to those who appreciate that there are expenses involved in maintaining our sites and who chip in to support the site even if they’re not participating for the prizes in the official competition.
Photo by Dave Norwood, above the Butte at about 8000′
Top Spot Avoider is Jeff Smith, who flew his paraglider to Creston, missing the spot by about 80 miles! (And Jeff scored the only 150-point paraglider spot landing, taking 3rd place with only this one flight to the beach.) Conrad Kreik also flew to Creston, but turned back west to avoid a gust front, putting him a couple miles closer to the spot for second place. Randy Lettau, flying a DHV 1-2 paraglider, landed at Almira, about 50 miles out and a personal best for him. Other spot-avoiding entrants include Dave Norwood, Rick Shallman, Chris Amonson, Meredyth Malocsay, and hang pilot Jeff Koehler.
While most of us were aiming at the spot on the beach, a couple of hang glider pilots were participating in another unofficial contest: Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost. Larry Jorgensen took his rigid wing for a big run around the flats: Farmer-Dry Falls-Sims and back to the beach, while Jeff Beck did a Mansfield-Douglas-beach triangle, and Eric Troili went from Withrow to Sims and back to the soccer field LZ.
The Beach’N entry fee included pizza in the park at 5:00, while the sunshine was still warm enough for pleasant picnicking. Nobody in the park thought about the Spot Avoiders and their long retrieve, and, sadly, by the time they got “home” the pizza was gone. Next year we’ll widen our focus and try to be sure every entrant who’s back at a reasonable time gets fed!
A huge thanks to Steve Alford, who organized the meet and spent most of his weekend scoring the spotlandings. Thanks also to those who brought salad and dessert to add to the pizzafest, to those who took over scoring so Steve could go up and fly, to those who drove trucks down or took pilots back up to retrieve their vehicles, to those who made the long drive out to Creston (it’s way more than 80 miles by road!) to pick up the spot avoiders, to the 48 pilots who paid the entry fee to support the Butte. It looks like the season is full on – witness the huge XC flights, and the amazing dust devils on launch – so get out and fly!
A few random comments:
1) If you have a great flight, a personal best, anything really cool, please post a report to the NWPC and CBCC email lists. The good old-fashioned “gloat post” seems to have gone out of style, but in fact most of us enjoy reading about who went where and what they encountered along the way. Please share your stories!
2) It seems like everyone flies with GPS these days, but just in case, remember the mnemonic for reporting your location if you’re flying east (along Rt. 2) past Banks Lake: The towns’ first letters spell “HAWK DRS.” – Hartline, Almira, Wilbur, Creston, Davenport, Reardon, Spokane. If you get out there, tell us how you did it!
3) Everybody who got high – several to nearly 10,000′ – reported frozen fingers and, for some, frozen hydration systems. Remember to blow the water out of the tube and back into the reservoir after drinking to avoid freeze-up and the resulting dehydration.