Mt Tam Soaring log

  *about

date day pilots ** duration max. alt. skies
           
05/29/08 Thu Ryan Woloshyn, Phil Merrell, Justine Yang, Ronald Van Luijk and Roger Jackson 2 hrs 2,400' cloudy
05/28/08 Wed Ryan Woloshyn 45 min 2,400' partly cloudy
05/25/08 Sun Vlad Moroz, Michael Kunitani and Jim McKee 1 hr 2,500' mostly cloudy
04/23/08 Wed Jim McKee, Weegie McAdams, Phil Merrell and Jim Mueller 1¾ hrs 3,300' cloudy
04/21/08 Mon Scott Seebass, Ryan Woloshyn and Justine Yang 2½ hrs 2,500' cloudy
04/20/08 Sun Phil Ray 1 hr 2,800' mostly clear
04/09/08 Wed Phil Ray, Phil Merrell, Barry Levine and Ryan Woloshyn 1 hr 3,600' mostly clear
03/30/08 Sun Andrew Whitehill 1¾ hrs 2,400' clear
03/26/08 Wed Gerry Pesavento, Phil Ray and Phil Merrell 2¼ hrs 2,500' partly cloudy
03/15/08 Sat Phil Merrell 1 hr 3,500' mostly cloudy
02/25/08 Mon Phil Ray 45 min 2,100' mostly cloudy
02/22/08 Fri Phil Ray 1 hr 2,100' mostly cloudy
02/20/08 Wed Phil Ray 45 min 2,100' mostly cloudy
02/18/08 Mon Phil Merrell 1¼ hrs 2,100' mostly cloudy
02/05/08 Tue Phil Ray 1 hr 2,700' clear
01/30/08 Wed Phil Ray and Phil Merrell 1¾ hrs 3,600' mostly cloudy
01/28/08 Mon Phil Ray 1 hr 2,500' partly cloudy
01/07/08 Mon Phil Ray 2 hrs 2,100' mostly cloudy
12/30/07 Sun Phil Merrell 45 min 2,600' mostly cloudy
12/01/07 Sat Phil Ray 1 hr 2,500' mostly cloudy
09/29/07 Sat Phil Ray 1 hr 2,500' clear
09/16/07 Sun Phil Merrell 1 hr 2,300' partly cloudy
09/15/07 Sat Phil Merrell 1 ½ hrs 2,500' mostly cloudy
07/12/07 Thu Phil Ray 1 ½ hrs 2,700' mostly clear
06/29/07 Fri Phil Ray 1 ¼ hrs 2,100' clear
05/04/07 Fri Andrew Whitehill and Phil Ray 1 ½ hrs 3,300' mostly clear
05/02/07 Wed Phil Ray, Ryan Woloshyn, Joe Sorenson and Bill Hetzel 2 hrs 3,100' partly cloudy
04/23/07 Mon Phil Ray 1 ½ hrs 2,100' partly cloudy
04/22/07 Sun Phil Merrell, Michael Sodorstrom and Phil Ray 3 hrs 2,300' cloudy
04/20/07 Fri Paul Sussman and Lionel Marks 1 ¾ hrs 5,000' mostly cloudy
03/09/07 Fri Phil Ray 1 hrs 2,100' partly cloudy
03/04/07 Sun Frank White and Phil Ray 1 hr 4,300' ?
03/02/07 Fri Frank White and Phil Merrell 3 hrs 3,900' partly cloudy
02/23/07 Fri Vlad Moroz, Phil Merrell and Roger Jackson 1 ¼ hr 2,500' mostly cloudy
02/22/07 Thu Ryan Woloshyn, Bill Hetzel and Scott Seebass 1 hr 2,700' partly cloudy
02/13/07 Tue Ryan Woloshyn, Phil Ray and Kurtis Carter 1 hr 3,600' partly cloudy
02/11/07 Sun Phil Ray 2 hrs 2,400' overcast
01/15/07 Mon Phil Merrell 45 min 2,400' clear
12/10/06 Sun Phil Ray 1 hr 2,200' overcast
11/09/06 Thu Phil Ray 45 min 2,800' clear
06/13/06 Tue Phil Ray 2 ½ hrs 2,100' mostly cloudy
04/23/06 Sun Enzo Fatica and Phil Ray 2 hrs 2,200' overcast
04/22/06 Sat Phil Merrell, Bob Reiter, Jim Mueller, Justine Yang, Weegie McAdams, Lionell Marks, Ryan Woloshyn, Barry Levine, Ronald Van Luijk, Roger Jackson, Ann Moriarty, David Beerman and Kent Moriarty 2 ½ hrs 3,000' cloudy
04/18/06 Tue Dave Chavez 1 hr 2,500' not reported
04/17/06 Mon Paul Sussman, Bill Hetzel, Ronald Van Luijk, Ryan Woloshyn and Mike Soderstrom 2 ¾ hrs 5,700' partly cloudy
04/16/06 Sun Phil Ray, Bob Newman, Jim Mueller, Lionell Marks, Ryan Woloshyn and Ronald Van Luijk 1 ½ hrs 3,700' mostly cloudy
04/14/06 Fri Ronald Van Luijk 1 hr 2,100' overcast
04/10/06 Mon Jim Mueller and Ronald Van Luijk 1 ¼ hr 2,100' overcast
04/08/06 Sat Enzo Fatica, Tom White, Phil Merrell, George Artz, Justine Yang, Steve Rodrigues and Vlad Moroz 1 ½ hrs 2,700' mostly cloudy
04/06/06 Thu Dave Chavez and Vlad Moroz 1 hr 4,000' mostly cloudy
04/05/06 Wed Ryan Woloshyn, Mike Kunitani, Roger Jackson and Jim Mueller 1 ¼ hr 2,400' overcast
03/26/06 Sun Dave Chavez, Enzo Fatica, Ronald Van Luijk and Phil Merrell 1 hr 3,300' mostly clear
03/19/06 Sun Dave Chavez, Mike O'Leary, Phil Merrell (tandem), Enzo Fatica, Urs Kellenberger and Bob Reiter 1 hr 3,500' clear
03/18/06 Sat Michael O'Leary 45 min 3,300' mostly clear
03/15/06 Wed Ryan Woloshyn, Justine Yang, Roger Jackson, Phil Merrell and Wally Anderson 1 ½ hrs 3,500'

partly cloudy
03/11/06 Sat Phil Merrell and Roger Jackson 1 ¾ hrs 3,400' mostly cloudy
03/04/06 Sat Ryan Woloshyn, Justine Yang, Ronald Van Luijk, Kurtis Carter, Roger Jackson and Phil Merrell 3 hrs 3,200' overcast
03/02/06 Thu Phil Ray, Roger Jackson and Weegie McAdams 2 hrs 3,000' mostly cloudy
02/19/06 Sun Enzo Fatica 1 hr 4,200' breaks in the overcast
02/16/06 Thu Dave Chavez and Phil Ray 1 hr 3,300' mostly cloudy
02/15/06 Wed Ryan Woloshyn, Ronald Van Luijk and Phil Ray 1 ½ hrs 3,600' partly cloudy
01/26/06 Thu Jim McKee and Phil Ray 1 ¼ hr 2,700' overcast
01/21/06 Sat Phil Ray and Roger Jackson 1 ¾ hrs 2,400' partly cloudy
01/19/06 Thu Phil Ray and Phil Merrell 1 ¾ hrs 2,600' mostly cloudy
01/18/06 Wed Phil Ray 45 min 2,300' mostly cloudy
01/16/06 Mon Phil Ray 1 hr 3,000' cloudy
01/15/06 Sun Enzo Fatica and Phil Ray 1 ½ hrs 5,100' partly cloudy
12/03/05 Sat Phil Merrell 45 min 2,800' clear
11/27/05 Sun Robin Taha 1 ¼ hr 2,800' mostly clear
11/26/05 Sat Enzo Fatica 45 min 2,800' clear
11/05/05 Sat Enzo Fatica, Urs Kellenberger and Phil Ray 1 ¼ hr 2,700' cloudy
11/04/05 Fri Phil Ray, Vlad Moroz and Phil Merrell 1 ½ hrs 3,300' partly cloudy
10/29/05 Sat Kevin Young 1 hr 2,600' partly cloudy
09/10/05 Sat Phil Ray 1 hr 2,400' partly cloudy
06/18/05 Sat Enzo Fatica, Urs Kellenberger and Jim McKee 2 hrs 2,200' cloudy
05/28/05 Sat Dave Gerrard and Mark Daisey 1 ½ hrs 2,800' partly cloudy
05/20/05 Fri Matt Epperson, Roger Jackson, David Beerman, Lionel Marks, Greg Free and Ryan Woloshyn 1 ¾ hrs 2,500' mostly clear
05/09/05 Mon Ryan Woloshyn, Ronald Van Luijk and Scott Seebass 2 hrs 2,700' mostly cloudy
05/07/05 Sat Vlad Moroz, Terry Nygard, Jim Mueller, Ronald Van Luijk, Justine Yang and Scott Seebass 1 ½ hrs 3,000' cloudy
05/06/05 Fri Phil Ray, Jim Mueller, Gwenhael Jacq, Ronald Van Luijk, Vlad Moroz, Justine Yang and Ryan Woloshyn 1 ¾ hrs 2,300' cloudy
05/01/05 Sun Dave Chavez, Fitz Gary, Phil Ray, Justine Yang, Ryan Woloshyn, Weegie McAdams and Roger Jackson 2 hrs 2,200' partly cloudy
04/30/05 Sat Phil Ray 1 hr 2,200' overcast
04/28/05 Thu Gerry Pesavento, Phil Ray, David Beerman and Phil Merrell 3 hrs 2,500' partly cloudy
04/24/05 Sun Phil Merrell, Roger Jackson, Phil Ray, Bob Reiter, Vlad Moroz, Jim McKee, David Beerman 2 hrs 2,600' mostly cloudy
04/23/05 Sat Phil Merrell 1 ½ hrs 2,300' mostly cloudy
04/13/05 Wed John Lord 1 hr 2,500' partly cloudy
04/06/05 Wed Phil Ray 1 ½ hrs 2,100' clear
04/04/05 Mon Gregg Sugg, Dave Clement, Phil Ray, Fred Clement, John Lord, Matt Epperson, Jessica Shugart, Ronald Van Luijk, Kurtis Carter and Justine Yang 2 hrs 3,000' partly cloudy
04/03/05 Sun Roger Jackson and Phil Merrell 2 hrs 2,700' cloudy
03/25/05 Fri Phil Ray 1 hr 2,700' clear
03/24/05 Thu Dave Chavez, Phil Merrell, Roger Jackson, Scott Seebass, Fred Clement and Sean Stiver 2 ½ hrs 4,600' mostly cloudy
03/13/05 Sun Phil Merrell 2 hrs 2,100'

overcast
03/02/05 Wed Dave Chavez, Phil Ray and David Beerman 1 hr 2,200' partly cloudy
02/28/05 Mon Phil Ray and Steve Walkup 2 hrs 2,500' partly cloudy
02/07/05 Mon David Beerman and Jim Mueller 1 hr 2,200' cloudy
02/06/05 Sun Jim McKee 1 hr 2,900' clear
02/05/05 Sat Phil Ray, David Beerman, Matt Epperson and Tom Rypma 1 ¼ hrs 2,900' mixed clouds
01/29/05 Sat Dave Chavez 45 min 2,200' patchy clouds
01/01/05 Sat Steve Espinosa, Phil Ray and Jim Mueller 1½ hrs 2,800' overcast
12/29/04 Wed Phil Merrell, Gerry Pesavento, David Beerman, Gwenhael Jacq, Scott Seebass, Dan Hardy, Ronald Van Luijk, Justine Yang and Ryan Woloshyn 1½ hrs 3,000' overcast
12/5/04 Sun Phil Ray, David Beerman, Roger Jackson and Phil Merrell 1¼ hrs 3,400' clear with low haze
12/4/04 Sat Phil Ray 1 hr 2,200' breaks in the overcast
10/28/04 Thu Phil Merrell, Phil Ray, David Beerman, Scott Seebass, Justine Yang and Ryan Woloshyn 2¾ hrs 3,000' partly cloudy
10/26/04 Tue Ryan Woloshyn 1½ hrs 2,900' partly cloudy
10/25/04 Mon Phil Ray, Jim O'Neill and David Beerman 1½ hrs 2,200' cloudy
10/24/04 Sun Dave Chavez, Phil Ray, George Artz, Ben Dunn and Enzo Fatica 1 hr 2,800' cloudy
9/19/04 Sun Scott Seebass, Ronald Van Luijk, Fitz Gary and Phil Merrell 2 hrs 2,700' partly cloudy
5/23/04 Sun Bob Ortiz and David Beerman 45 min 2,500' partly cloudy
5/21/04 Fri Phil Merrell 45 min 2,200' cloudy
5/7/04 Fri Jim Mueller, David Beerman and Bob Ortiz 45 min 2,500' cloudy
4/20/04 Tue Roger Jackson, Phil Merrell and Jim Mueller 2 hrs 2,700' mostly cloudy
4/17/04 Sat Mike Soderstrom, Justine Yang, Ryan Woloshyn, Scott Seebass, Lionel Marks, Ann Moriarty and Henry Bittner 2¼ hrs 3,600' cloudy
4/16/04 Fri Andy Whitehill (tandem), Roger Jackson and Jim Mueller 2 hrs 2,400' cloudy
4/15/04 Thu Scott Seebass, Justine Yang, Vlad Moroz, Phil Ray, Phil Merrell and Roger Jackson 2¼ hrs 3,500' breaks in the overcast
4/6/04 Tue David Beerman 45 min 2,100' patchy clouds
4/5/04 Mon Andy Whitehill (tandem) 45 min 2,500' partly cloudy
3/27/04 Sat Dave Chavez 1 hr 3,600' mostly cloudy
3/26/04 Fri Phil Merrell, Roger Jackson, Phil Ray, Kent Moriarty and Jim Mueller 2½ hrs 2,500' overcast
2/29/04 Sun Roger Jackson, Bob Reiter, Phil Merrell, Tom Rypma, Phil Ray and Eric Mies 1¼ hrs 2,400' partly cloudy
2/28/04 Sat Dave Chavez and Mike Soderstrom 1¼ hrs 2,800' partly cloudy
2/27/04 Fri Phil Merrell, Phil Ray, Roger Jackson and David Beerman 1 hr 4,000' mostly cloudy
2/21/04 Sat Phil Merrell 1¼ hrs 3,000' mostly cloudy
2/14/04 Sat Enzo Fatica 45 min 2,300' mostly cloudy
2/7/04 Sat Phil Merrell 45 min 2,600' partly cloudy
2/4/04 Wed Phil Merrell 1½ hrs 2,200' mostly cloudy
1/25/04 Sun Dave Chavez 1¼ hrs 3,000' high cirrus
1/4/04 Sun Urs Kellenberger, Chris Cornbill and Phil Merrell 1¾ hrs 3,800' partly cloudy
1/3/04 Sat Enzo Fatica, Phil Ray, Ken Martin, Phil Merrell and Urs Kellenberger 2½ hrs 5,500' mostly cloudy
12/31/03 Wed Urs Kellenberger 45 min 2,100' mostly cloudy
12/27/03 Sat Dave Chavez, Urs Kellenberger, Cindy Cox, Paul Gazis, Bob Ortiz, Robin Taha, Phil Ray, Phil Merrell, David Beerman, John Freitas and Carl Burick 1 hr 2,600' partly cloudy
12/26/03 Fri Phil Merrell 45 min 2,600' partly cloudy
11/15/03 Sat Phil Merrell and Bob Ortiz 2½ hrs 2,300' cloudy
11/3/03 Mon Andy Whitehill, Phil Ray, Bob Ortiz and Steve Walkup 2 hrs 4,000' mostly cloudy
11/2/03 Sun Roger Jackson, Bob Reiter, Robin Taha, Bob Ortiz, Phil Merrell, Mike Pelton, Igor Botvinnik, Charley Nelson and Tom Rypma 2 hrs 2,600' cloudy
11/1/03 Sat Enzo Fatica, George Artz, Urs Kellenberger, Robin Taha and Phil Merrell 1¼ hrs 2,300' partly cloudy
10/31/03 Fri Jim Mueller 1 hr 3,800' mostly cloudy
8/22/03 Fri Jim Mueller 2 hrs 3,000' partly cloudy
5/9/03 Fri Andy Whitehill and Bill Hetzel 1½ hrs 3,900' partly cloudy
5/8/03 Thu Geoffrey Rutledge 1 hr + 2,500' partly cloudy
5/4/03 Sun David Beerman, Phil Merrell, Brian Lee, Bob Ortiz, Bill Wood and Roger Jackson 2 hrs 2,600' cloudy
5/3/03 Sat Phil Ray and Phil Merrell 2 hrs 2,300' mostly cloudy
4/30/03 Wed Dave Chavez, Phil Ray, Dave Gerrard and Bob Ortiz 1½ hrs 2,500' partly cloudy
4/29/03 Tue Phil Ray, Steve Walkup, Scott Seebass, Bill Hetzel, Jan Snydr-Michal, Kurtis Carter, Justine Yang, Ryan Woloshyn and David Beerman 2 hrs 2,800' cloudy
4/27/03 Sun Phil Merrell and Andy Whitehill 1 hr 4,000' mostly cloudy to overcast
4/26/03 Sat Dave Chavez, David Beerman, Bob Reiter, Robin Taha, Phil Merrell, Roger Jackson, Dan Hardy, Steve Walkup, David Gulick, Lothar Reichertz, Paul Gazis, Brian Lee, Justine Yang, Ryan Woloshyn and Ronald Van Luijk 1 - 2½ hrs 3,500' mostly cloudy
4/23/03 Wed Kurtis Carter and Phil Ray 1 hr 2,500' overcast
4/22/03 Tue Bill Hetzel, Phil Merrell, Steve Walkup, Phil Ray, Vlad Moroz, Scott Seebass, Jan Snydr-Michal, Kurtis Carter, Justine Yang, Ryan Woloshyn and Bob Ortiz 1 - 2½ hrs 3,100' partly cloudy
4/18/03 Fri Dave Chavez, Tom Rypma and Phil Merrell 1½ hrs 5,300' partly cloudy
4/17/03 Thu David Beerman 45 mins 2,300' partly cloudy
4/15/03 Tue Dave Chavez, Jim O'Neill, Scott Seebass, Ryan Woloshyn, Bill Hetzel, David Gulick, Robin Taha, Bob Ortiz 2 - 3 hrs 3,300' overcast
4/13/03 Sun Charlie Nelson and Andy Whitehill 1¾ hrs 2,500' overcast
4/11/03 Fri Phil Merrell 45 mins 2,100' low clouds
4/6/03 Sun Phil Merrell and Andy Whitehill 1¾ - 2 hrs 2,300' partly cloudy
4/5/03 Sat Phil Merrell and Brian Lee 1 hr 2,600' partly cloudy
4/4/03 Fri Bill Hetzel, Dan Hardy and Phil Merrell 45 mins - 1 hr 2,700' mostly cloudy
4/3/03 Thu Andy Whitehill, David Beerman, Ryan Woloshyn, Kurtis Carter, Dan Hardy, Chip Henly, Bob Ortiz, Robin Taha, and Roger Jackson 2 hrs + 3,000' partly cloudy to overcast
3/20/03 Thu Phil Merrell and David Beerman 45 mins - 1½ hrs 3,300' partly cloudy
3/16/03 Sun Rod Chin and Phil Merrell 45 mins - 1 hr 2,400' partly cloudy
3/15/03 Sat Phil Merrell, Bob Ortiz, Steve Wertheimer, Fred Clement, Bill Hetzel, John Davis, Bob Reiter, Roger Jackson, Andy Whitehill, Vlad Moroz, and Lee Liu 1-3 hrs

2,900'+

 partly coudy to mostly cloudy
3/4/03 Tue Robin Taha, David Beerman, Kurtis Carter, Phil Merrell, Scott Seebass, Andy Whitehill, Barry Levine, and Ryan Woloshyn up to 2¼ hrs 2,500'+ partly cloudy
3/2/03 Sun Robin Taha and Henry Bittner 45 min. 2,200' occasional low clouds
3/1/03 Sat Tom, Frank & John White, William Salazar, Phil Merrell, and Jim Mueller 1 hr + 2,600' mostly clear
2/27/03 Thu

Robin Taha, David Beerman, Kurtis Carter, Scott Seebass, Ryan Woloshyn, Bill Hetzel, Vlad Moroz, Andy Whitehill, Bob Ortiz and Phil Merrell

 up to 3½ hrs 3,300' partly cloudy
2/26/03 Wed Dave Chavez, Phil Ray and Ronald Van Luijk 1-2 hrs 2,900' overcast
2/18/03 Tue Kurtis Carter, Jim Mueller, Frank White and Bob Ortiz 1 hr + 3,200' partly cloudy
2/16/03 Sun Phil Ray, Enzo Fatika and Andy Whitehill up to 2 hrs 3,000'+ clear
Dec '02   3 soaring days in Dec., none in Jan.      

** Pilots: please correct me if I miss you when you soared, or include you when you didn't.
(Pilots are listed in order of launch, roughly.)
Thanks. Info@mchga.org

* About this log:

This log is intended to keep a record of the better soaring days at Mt Tam. Therefore, the day is recorded if and only if it meets the arbitrary definition of a soaring day, below. The log records the highest altitude achieved by any pilot on each soaring day, as well as the longest flight time for any pilot on that day. (Altitude is always rounded to the nearest 100', and duration is always rounded to the nearest quarter hour.) The log is not intended to glorify the flight of any individual pilot. Therefore, the statistics are not connected to any individual pilot, and in fact, the pilot with the longest flight time is often someone different from the pilot with the highest altitude. The log lists the names of all pilots who had a soaring flight on that day (as defined, below.) There is no intention of associating altitude or duration statistics with any of the individual pilots. The intention is to describe the flying conditions at Mt Tam, and not necessarily the skill of the pilots who fly there (which, of course, is beyond compare.)

Definitions:
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Soaring For the purposes of this log, I am arbitrarily defining "soaring" as any hang gliding flight (starting from one of the three designated launch sites at Mt Tam) that meets both of the following criteria: it must be at least 45 minutes in duration, and it must achieve a maximum altitude of at least 2,100 feet above sea level (or about 100' above launch). The purpose of having this artificially stringent requirement is to reduce the number of days that get logged, and to simplify the record keeping process by eliminating the more marginal days.
Soaring day Any day when at least one hang glider pilot has a soaring flight.
Soarable How it looks before anyone launches.
Sled ride How it looks after someone launches.
Window That brief period of time between when it's socked in, and when it blows over the back. It is exactly equal to the length of time it takes to get everyone started setting up.
Clear Less than 10% cloud cover
Mostly clear, or Patchy clouds 10% - 20% cloud cover
partly cloudy 20% - 40% cloud cover
mostly cloudy 40% - 60% cloud cover
cloudy 60% - 80% cloud cover
Breaks in the overcast 80% - 90% cloud cover
Overcast More than 90% cloud cover
Low clouds (usually patchy) clouds forming below 2,000' (between launch and the LZ)
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