Our first two days: June 14-15, 2023

 First - a correction to my last post. Dennis' home base is in Arkansas, not Alabama!

I didn't sleep well on Tuesday night, full of stress about the flight on Wednesday. Dennis really wants to fly the coast, but the weather report showed MVFR (marginal visual flight rules - low clouds) and winds gusting to 29 mph all along our route. WAY above my personal minimums. I was finally able to fall asleep when I remembered that Dennis and I had already agreed to fly separate routes any time that either one of us didn't feel comfortable with the route the other one wanted to do. "I can fly inland, and meet him at our first night's stop: Cave Junction, OR.(3S4)!" What a relief. 

So that's what we did. We left Sandy River Airport (03S) in the morning, under grey skies.

Initially, my flight was fairly uneventful: grey clouds but not dangerously low, bumpy but not awful. I flew over familiar territory, as I've flown this way many times before.

After 2.5 hours of flying, I wanted to stretch my legs, so landed at Roseburg Regional Airport (RBG) and visited a while. Back up in the air again, it was a lot windier. Flying over the mountains from Roseburg into the Grants Pass valley was a stomach clencher. The clouds were gone and it was blue skies and a great tailwind, but topsy turvy air. I went up to 4500' to try and find calmer air, but it didn't work. So I just clenched my jaw and flew for the next hour. What a relief it was to see the Illinois Valley Airport (3S4). 

Dennis' flight was much more exciting (my translation: terror-inducing) than mine. He flew north to the Columbia River and followed it north and then east out to the coast. He said it was very low clouds and very windy but tolerable until he got to Newport, when the wind really picked up. It was more than even he wanted to deal with, so he climbed and climbed, seeking calmer air. He finally found it - at 9000'!!! He got some wonderful photos, and I'll try and find a way to share them in tomorrow's post. Somehow the photos that he and I took with our phones are taking a looooong time to get to our laptops.

We spent the rest of Wednesday enjoying time with our good friend Wolf Emonds, who has a flight school here. And his daughter, Skye as well as numerous friends and pilot students.

A comfortable night and today - Thursday - Dennis and I drove to see the redwoods at Stout Memorial Grove, right across the border in northern California. It was a fabulous drive and easy hike around these mammoth trees. And enjoy a little whimsey on the roof of the public restrooms. Well rested, we're ready to continue our flight tomorrow. 

Here's our flight track so far.

Tomorrow's weather looks good after about 10:00 a.m. Our plan is to fly south following the coastline to Eureka, CA and land at Murray Airport, (EKA) and refuel. From there to Petaluma, CA (O69) or perhaps one of the Sonoma airports (0Q9 or 0Q3) and camp for the night. I'm revved!!!