July 9, 2008 - Soaring at Minden, Nevada

Our California vacation included three days at Lake Tahoe.  From the start, the vacation planning had included soaring at nearby Minden, Nevada.  Minden is famous for world-class soaring conditions year-round.  I think the mountain wave conditions are in the cooler months, but there are afternoon monster thermals when the sun is out. 

This morning, we headed from South Lake Tahoe across the eastern rim and into Nevada.  We spent the morning checking out Carson City -- highly recommend the Nevada State Museum -- and drove through Virginia City -- home of the Comstock Lode.  Then we drove south to Minden.

Bruce and I checked in at Soar Minden around noon.  Each of us would be flying with an instructor in a Grob 103.  Conditions were not good so we waited around for an hour or so.  Compounding the lack of thermals was a thick haze generated by wild fires that covered the west coast. 

 
Soaring is big here. 
 
Bruce standing by the Grob 103 out on the line. 
 
Bruce and his instructor pre-flighting their glider. 
 
The tow-plane. 
 
It was really hot.  Had to be over 100 degrees out on the ramp.  In the glider, touching anything metal would really get my attention! 
 

Bruce's glider launched, then mine did.  Minden's elevation is 4,722 feet.  We got off the tow at 8,500 feet.  I'm used to flying my lightweight, single-seat Ka-8.  The Grob was carrying two big men and felt big and heavy.  Even so, we immediately started climbing at 1000 feet per minute!  Soon after release we put on the oxygen and finally leveled out aroudn 15,000 feet!  And these are poor conditions by Minden standards. 

That's Virginia City in the middle of the image.  I know, because I had driven there earlier in the day.  You can see how crummy the visibility is, but soon after I took this shot it started getting worse so we headed back to the field.
 
Minden isn't far from the Sierra Nevada mountain range but the smokey haze was so bad I couldn't see it. 
 
Overhead Minden.  As you can see, it's a pretty good size airport.  No tower. 
 
Quite a few glider trailers are parked alongside one of the non-used runways.
 
Turning to final.  The instructor flew while I took this shot. 
 
I flew a little over an hour.  Even though the visibility was horrible, I still enjoyed the flight.  I got a taste of the vaunted Minden thermals.  I'll be back someday. 
 
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