Baldy Butte and "Johnny Law"

With High Pressure and sunny conditions firmly established over Central and Western Washington (unlike the day before on the West side) many pilots appeared on top of Baldy Butte launch. At launch the SW winds were gusting through with broken lift in between and not quite ready to go off. I launched at the beginning thinking it was just going to get windier and get out of there. I was getting pummeled in front of launch and about 500ft over before it did finally come together. Thermalling out of launch and leaving around 4500 feet in a sweet lift line, it was time to go. I headed straight for Manastash ridge. Others were climbing out of launch right away in one thermal and heading out behind me and the inversion rising higher in the day. I pushed on to the Manastash ridge, surfed it for awhile about 35 feet off the deck before hooking into a big one and taking that back up to 5500ft and over toward the Kittitas valley. Many others were still behind me and getting higher it seemed while I was on the leading edge of the old lift. Hanging out over the flats I pushed on to the next ridge before I-90 looking towards the route to Vantage. An east wind was slowly putting me in to the lee where I got low but then cranked back up on the ridge from 10ft off the ground in lee side rotor. Realizing my error I was low and thinking about heading West with a SE tailwind now. Too little too late put me on the ground right next to I-90 and a few miles due East of Kittitas. Others, were bombing out behind me along my path. Some headed further West on a different line away from the lee and made it in leisurely to Ellensburg.
"Johnny Law:"I crossed the highway and started walking down the hot dusty frontage road from Iron Horse St Park towards Kittitas, I tried to hitch with the limited traffic to no avail. Until a sheriff pulled up somewhat reluctantly it seemed and stopped and asked what I was doing. I told the whole flying a paraglider deal. He said he'd give me a ride but he needed to see some ID first, I asked why and he said so he knows whether or not I'm a felon. I told him "no thanks" and that it was against my Civil Liberties to show him my ID or give him my name just for the sake of a ride to town. So I kept walking and eventually 3 miles later getting to Kittitas.

From what I heard many pilots flew straight from Baldy North to Ellensburg in some incredible lift line later in the afternoon. Many newbie XC pilots getting they're personal bests and making it to town. Nice to see more people leaving launch area. Good job!

SM