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Post-flying at Camalla, Mexico - photo by James Smyth Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were wonderful and that you got some winter flying in somewhere. After the big storms around New Year’s, I was glad to get away to sunny Tapalpa, Mexico for a respite and some thermal time. I know that many others went to Valle de Bravo, Oaxaca, and the Caribbean. If you have not yet paid your 2006 BAPA dues, please do as soon as possible. We have many educational and enjoyable activities planned for the year so you don’t want to miss out on those. In addition, our revitalized Ridge Dancer will bring you articles of interest and keep you updated on events. Please feel free to submit articles and photos to Rich Hammer, the editor. Articles are due by the 15th of the month for inclusion in that month’s Ridge Dancer. At the February 1 BAPA meeting in SSF, Dan Foust will do a slide show on his trip to Peru last Fall. Dan had an exciting trip with Jeff Cristol from Telluride. The two flew 9 sites in the Huaraz area which is a valley with peaks ranging from 16,000’ on the west side to 22,000’ on the east side. I’m sure Dan has some amazing photos to show as well as stories to tell.
Another upcoming event of note is the Reserve Clinic on Saturday, February 11 in SF. This clinic provides a discussion of reserves and how to use them and then practice throwing reserves from a simulator. The clinic is mostly full but if you want to put your name on a waiting list, please contact me at
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. A few other important points I’d like to mention – the winter is a good time to get your reserve parachute repacked and your wing inspected so that you are ready for spring flying when the season gets going. James Cook launches the Hornet SP at Tapalpa! - photo by Ann Sasaki In addition, please note that in the winter we usually fly around the storm fronts. The unstable weather can mean that flying conditions will change rapidly. As you fly, keep monitoring the conditions and be prepared to land if it becomes windy or gusty or a squall approaches. Also, at the coast please remember that there is usually NO beach right after a storm. The high tides are very high and this means that there is no possibility of landing on the beach. Finally, there have been two landslides at Westlake recently. The first one is right around the corner from the Dump. It’s a pretty significant slide and this means that there is no beach below the slide as the ground that slid now blocks what used to be the beach. The second slide is just an enlargement of an existing slide – it’s what used to be the first big slide on Westlake. More of this area has slid and now the dirt from this also blocks the beach. So these two slides mean that the beach is even less of a landing option than ever before. Eventually the waves will probably cut back into the slides to the point that there is a beach but that is going to take a long time. For now, when you fly at the Dump, please check out the lack-of-beach situation and plan your flights accordingly. For the most part you will be landing at Lemmings, Tomcat or sidehill landing on the slopes. Blue skies, everyone. Here’s to a safe and fun flying year in 2006!
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President's Report
