spring is still playing coy with the valley, bringing more snow, rain and cold temps. with the weather my chances for weekend skydiving are eliminated, so on to the next best thing… had been planning this one for years, but was never certain on my 3 most cherished virtues. along with everything else, the last few months have taught me that integrity is of course the first on the list.
cleaned out the garage and was able to boulder for the first time since last fall. weekend full of spring cleaning – fixing fences, cleaning the house, recycling, and doing laundry. i do it once a year, whether it needs it or not… 😉
similar morning as the day before, coffee from Starbucks, veggie omelette for breakfast, drive to the DZ. was safety day, so got to sit through a class before any jumps started. skipped the first 2 loads, and geared up on the next for my first solo jump – no instructors, no jump plan, no one flying beside me in case i do something stupid, and no one providing instructions on the radio for my canopy flight in. climbing to 12,000′, learned that i was to be the first out of the plane. green light went on, lifted the door, and got poised to jump. but, seems i got a little too poised as i heard Kai Kai and Ryan both tell me to go… guess i froze a little. 🙂 did a superman out of the door, arched and went belly-to-earth for a few thousand feet. altimeter check, turned a little, and started tracking west. stopped, got stable, locked on my altimeter and got ready to pull. still find myself saying “please come out” every time i pull. sure missed having someone on the radio during the canopy flight in. again flared too high and didn’t stick my landing. but i did it. wow, thinking back on it now i as write this, was a very intense experience. was already early afternoon, so left after the 1 jump and started the long drive home. made it in just under 4 hours this time, and again came across some moose as i neared the house. this time i saw a pair as i headed up the Pass, just before crossing the WY border. good day.
drove down on Friday night and got a room in the Motel 6, which was of course crappy. made the short drive to the DZ, then did jumps IV – VII throughout the day. learned how to do both back and front flips, and a few new exits from the plane. first jump of the day wasn’t so great, wasn’t very stable during most of the freefall. next 3 all went well, except i’m flaring way too early, and my landings suffer. nonetheless, passed every level on the first try and am now certified to jump absolutely solo! was announced back in the hangar after the jump, and must say it put a big smile on my face. hung out for a bit, had a few beers and met a bunch of cool people. grabbed some sushi near the hotel – a sushi restaurant that neither had a sushi bar nor alcohol… 🙁
not a whole lot to say – last day at the Village, not very memorable. very few powder days, and the snow pack was lacking all winter. disappointing winter in so many ways. would be an ignoble end if this winter was my last here. yet fitting.
woke at the crack of dawn as always. spent the morning leisurely chatting with Britt and Seth, then made my way back up towards Ogden. first went to iFly in downtown Ogden to get some flight practice in their impressive vertical wind tunnel. 7 minutes total over 3 separate sessions working on my stability and body positions. would be ideal to spend hours in there, was a huge learning tool and a total blast. drove down the street to the airport and DZ for my impending level III jump with a bit of trepidation. had to hang out for a few hours before i got my opportunity, which let it sink in a little deeper. more so than anything else, was worried to be responsible for my own canopy after deployment and having to fly it back in and land, as no tandem can prepare you for any of that. overall, did really well, although my exit from the plane was comical. deployment was no problem, and the flight in under canopy was an absolute surreal experience. had a stand-up landing and walked back into the hangar very proud. can’t wait till i’m back down there again to finish up my AFF student certification, maybe in a couple of weeks. drive home wasn’t so bad, saw a lot of animals on the way, including a moose. wish i lived in a world where the moose i saw really were my mom visiting me…
took Friday off and drove the 4+ hours for a level III class at Ogden Skydiving. couldn’t find my tandem certificate from Detroit 12+ years ago, so had to start with two tandems according to their modified AFF program prior to my first solo jump for level III. good thing, as i was a bit concerned with my ability to fly my own canopy. both tandems were great, tons of fun, but somewhat tempered by the need to concentrate on all of the expected steps required to pass each training jump level. plus, was a windy day over 14 knots, so nobody was allowed to do their level III jump anyway. was an amazing experience to fly again. hung out there most of the day to get in both jumps, then made my way down to Salt Lake City to spend some time with Seth and Britt. was a very refreshing evening catching up with them, not to mention getting to see Roni and Cade. am hoping to see more of those guys this summer as i get certified and move up to my A license.
