
XContest submission: https://www.xcontest.org/.../detail:ArielZ/6.7.2023/19:37
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Rampart is a launch situated right over the Snoqualmie Pass area. 2 days earlier I had flown it for the first time and had an awesome tour of the area, going into the higher mountains and then back out and crossing I90 twice before reconnecting back to launch to close a triangle. That flight is here: https://www.xcontest.org/.../detail:ArielZ/4.7.2023/20:12
The forecast looked good for Thursday with high cloudbase and West wind in the afternoon. I identified that there could be the possibility of taking that W wind towards Leavenworth and was keen on flying Rampart. I was joined by Jabe and Matt, as well as Lee who volunteered to drive the truck down so we didn’t have to deal with retrieving it later (thank you, Lee!).
We were on launch before 11 in the hopes of an early launch due to the forecast. Launch faces SW-ish, at the end of a ridge that has ESE and WNW faces. Unfortunately that eastern face isn’t as exposed and goes over a valley that has no LZ options, so we had to wait for the sun to come around far enough for the launch face and WNW face to start working. We ended up waiting quite a while; I was first in the air a bit after 12:30, with the others following within minutes. My goal was to get to the Enchantments and then land just beyond Leavenworth at the intersection of highways 2 and 97 (to make hitchhiking back easier).
While we were waiting there had been clouds popping the whole time - and high! - but unfortunately they were all on the east side of the ridge. As we started flying the west side of the ridge, we had bumpy climbs and weren’t getting much above ridge height (ridge climbs to 5-6k and we were only getting to 6-7k mostly). It was blue above and the clouds were tantalizingly close but on the wrong side of the ridge and over spurs that stick out to the east in committing terrain for the altitude we were at. Jabe and I eventually went NW to Alaska Mountain where we got a climb to above 8k, but quickly lost altitude as we tried to go east. Eventually Jabe went back to Alaska Mountain and met up with Matt who had climbed up 10 minutes after us. They weren’t going to try the Leavenworth flight so at this point I was alone.
With clouds to the east I had a bit of a “F it” moment (not the best reason to make decision while flying XC!) and crossed over the ridgeline from 8k. Soon I was back down to 7k but I hit a climb that blasted me to 10k. As I started leaving it I connected with another section of the climb. Within minutes I was suddenly at over 13k! So cold! I left cloudbase with Mt Stuart already visible, thinking that if the day was going to be like this it would be just one or two downwind glides to Stuart and this would be a quick flight.
If only it were so easy…
My first glide was pointed directly at Stuart. With several different cloud lines I eventually drifted right (south) so that I wouldn’t end up NW of Stuart (which is deeper and would be worse for wind direction later). I caught a climb back to 10k on the next terrain but left too soon as I thought I could get to even better clouds, which didn’t end up happening.
After crossing another valley I arrived at a ridge on the other side quite low as everything was shading out. I was able to get bits of lift but nothing consistent. Under 7k at this point, I went back west across the valley. Whereas before Stuart had seemed so close, it now seemed really far away and very high as I slunk off, low, in the opposite direction. I had exactly one LZ option – a meadow down below – as the whole area was completely tree-covered in this valley. But above the LZ was a mountain that was luckily still in sun. I was able to connect with Davis Peak at about 5k, and climb up to past 9k.
At this point I decided to go for Stuart again which was almost due east at this point. I crossed the valley again, arriving at another ridge north of where I previously had to turn back, and 2k feet higher. I kept going eastbound into widespread shade, until I arrived at what would be the last difficult portion of the flight. The terrain above Ingalls Lake is red/brown mountains, at about 7k altitude. I arrived there right at ridge height. It was the only sunny spot in the area and while I could soar I couldn’t find any climb out.
Several ridges converge there and none of the resulting valleys had LZ options. I was stuck at the 7-7.5k range for a while nervously deciding what to do. Because of trees it seemed like the only options were topland up high (would work but involve a hike down, and who knows if I could have made it work without landing?), the trailhead parking down below (looked big enough but surrounded by trees), or going over the back to Stuart and landing in a meadow down below (also hiking).
Since I was maintaining at around the 7k mark, I decided to keep waiting to see what would happen. Eventually I drifted east along the brown ridge. A climb came through to 8k. I decided I would run to Stuart, likely arriving at 7k (stupid low considering the valley floor there) and try to climb up. As luck would have it, as I started gliding over the back, I got another climb! It took me to 9k and drifted towards Stuart, which was perfect!
Very quickly I was at Stuart just below the summit. A few turns got me to just under 10k, at which I turned and ran for Leavenworth. There were probably climbs in the Enchantments but I knew I had my goal LZ made so I just enjoyed the soaring and didn’t turn in anything except a few times to take photos. A long glide brought me to over my LZ. I went a little past with extra altitude, then turned and landed right where I intended: intersection of highways 2 and 97.
I packed, ate, and walked a few hundred feet along the highway to a good place for hitchhiking. Waited about 10 minutes and a truck came from the opposite direction and stopped for me. The guy had driven by and decided to come back for me! He was going to Seattle so would end up driving past Snoqualmie Pass. And fortuitously, he told me he had planned at stopping at Gold Creek Pond, and my car was parked literally next to the road that goes to the trailhead there! We had a great conversation – mostly about paragliding, surprise! – all the way back to my car.
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It was a lovely flight! A few tough moments but overall didn’t feel that committing. There were roads in most of the valleys I crossed (trailheads and recreation areas back there) so probably little to no bushwacking if I landed. LZs would have been tough to come by in some areas but luckily I was high except for a few spots. And even though conditions weren't spectacular due to shade, the day worked well enough to keep going almost all the time.
Flight was 10/10 for views, 2/10 for sketchiness, and 9/10 for enjoyment (-1 for long start, -1 for having to go backwards, -1 for being stuck just before Stuart, and +2 bonus for hitchhiking).
Thanks for reading!


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