50Km the Hard Way - Tom Rent STANTON to DODGE CENTER May 14, 2000 (Sunday) I awoke and checked the weather. Was looking very good. Pulled the Kevin Ford Forecast ....WHAT ! minus 4 Thermal Index at 8000 feet ??? Can’t be right. Called Chanhassen ...they confirm .... killer day for lift, cloud bases over 7K. Yahoo ! Ok, Ok .... this is the day. My first XC try. What do I need for Silver legs ? ... check the SSA web site .... looks like I could do all 3 legs today .... 50Km Distance, 1000m Altitude, and 5 hour. OK .... get junk loaded into the car. GET TO THE AIRPORT ! I get to Stanton, name on list, rush to reserve the baragraph. Good ... no one else needs it. Get glider rigged. WHERE IS EVERYONE ?? Oh yeah ... Mother’s Day ..... fine ... do it for Mother. Winds ....gee they seem stiff ... and from the west .... 20 kts plus. Clouds beginning to pop ...it’s only 11 a.m.! Good ... other’s are showing up now ... Sarah, Laura, Red, Chris ...... lots of talk of XC ! Sarah agrees to fetch me if I go. No more excuses. Get the trailer ready. Ok... map, water, radio, glide table, pee bags, bagel, .... oh yeah .... give keys to Sarah ! Drag the SGS 1-35c out to 27 .... tow plane is ready and the FOO want’s me on the line...... Am I ready ? Hell ... LET’s light this candle ! Up we go. Rocky tow. Remember got to release below 2100 feet AGL to have it count (damn 1% rule !). Wow ... the tow is really fast, thermals ALL over .... 1500, 1600, ...vario pegged ... hold on ...measure it ...RELEASE and Kick..... good +4 knotter ... OK, notch the baragraph, diving, turning, then pull back up into it. I hope it registered. OK ...ride the thermal .... stay with it ...UP WE GO ... OK ... good ride so far, at 6000 cloudbase and over Cannon falls .... got to head south .....opps a little sink ....hope it doesn’t last .... perhaps that cloud over Dennison will help .... it is taking FOREVER to get there ...damn this sink is killing me, now down to 3000 feet .... can’t make that cloud ... head south, hope for better .... still sinking. .....man ... this is NO fun ! 2000 feet .... OH NO ... no chance of making it back to Stanton in this wind .... fine mess you got yourself into this time Einstein. Find lift .... COME ON ...man this sink is everywhere ! 1000 feet now.... ok ...find a nice fat field ....there’s one, wide open, no wire, ditches, cows, or rock piles .....line it up .... don’t panic ... ease it down .... . What’s this ...vario beginning to perk the other way -1, 0, +1, +2, +3 .....GO FOR IT ! I crank it around, thermal flaps, watch the speed, damn this one’s nasty .... don’t lose it ... good ... back to 1000 feet, stay with it .... now +4, then +5 ..... 2000 ..... hang in there ....cloudbase looking closer ....3000 .... 4000 ..... how lucky can I get ...5000 ...6000 .... SWEET ! I can see Dodge Center now .... what a pretty sight ! I think I can actually make it ...head south ...stay high ... no more screw ups ! Call back on the radio to Stanton ... let someone know you ain’t dead ! Everyone’s up, busy, and having fun, .... good ... crew confirms she’ll be down to get me for sure but it could be a bit of a wait .... no problem ....I’ll stay up a while. But not too much longer. Dodge Center Airport looks quiet ... not a peep on UNICOM.... good ... no traffic to worry about. Winds look stiff, sock straight out, and wind now from the WNW. Looks like I face a pretty bad crosswind no matter which runway I pick. Pick 22 ...grass, wide, and plenty of room to pull off. Announce, line it up, check altitude, remember .. Dodge is at 1305 MSL ...flaps, speed, crab, looks ok ...ease it down .... a bit crooked ....but should be OK ..... too fast ...BOUNCE.... easy now ... land again ...... that’s better ... your down ....WATCH THOSE Pylons .... good ... roll off the strip ..... let her roll to a stop. There. You made it .... you’re down .... you’re safe ...you’re THRILLED ! Oh what a feeling !