Tilting at Windmills

First Baldy Butte XC.
Launch 12:50pm. Thermalling up and over the Butte, we were getting tossed around like rag dolls in the rippers coming up from the South side. Some of them were blasting us with shear violence so it was time to head North and glide over the back. Took another climb out of the bowl and then glided to the ridge above the highway. Low save from 5ft. No. Really. Then, drifted back to 7000 grand with some Redtails over the Kittitas Valley and North towards the town of Kittitas. The thermals were gentle here over the greenish flats. West wind blowing though, so I head East to another ridge and climb out big again. Then, on glide to the giant windmills. Grovelling amongst these behemoths, one blade is about 50ft long! Thinking there is some magic thermal at the windmills I grovel around longer and finally take a small climb up and out to follow the ridge down to the Columbia River and glide down the old Vantage Highway into the dirt just shy of town. Track log looks like one big upside down "L." Awesome flight and 20 mile straight line distance. Others went farther, lots farther but that is how it is. Thanks for the retrieve James.
SM