Sloth Soaring

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Natalie and I headed up for a morning flight and conditions looked good, as usual. A king vulture was soaring out front and Natalie went first, hoping to join it.

She launched well and flew straight, finding and climbing up in a nice thermal, gaining a few hundred feet in the process. The lift dissipated and she flew out to the beach, arriving with lots of height and going out over the ocean before landing.

I flew off and worked my usual spots along the ridge, but was only able to gain about 200ft over launch. I pushed into wind (south again today) and headed towards the end of the ridge where the ICE (similar to Telus) Tower was. A swallow-tailed kite appeared to be climbing over it but no luck for me so I turned back towards launch and cruised along the treetops when I spotted the first sloth I've ever seen! It was hanging motionless at the very top of a bright green-leafed tree and it had one of those smiling faces you see in magazines. I didn't have my usual camera with me but foolheartedly, I took out my iPhone and tried to get a photo (not enough zoom!).
I flew around the sloth for a while before joining Natalie on the beach just as Jose arrived to take us back up for another flight.

Conditions where still good on launch and Natalie was first again. Not as much luck this time with lift but another flight under her belt.

I launched soon after she did and got a bit above takeoff straightaway and buzzed Jose before he started his drive back down. I then headed towards the sloth but lost a lot of height and almost decided to head out before some raptors marked some lift for me. The next thirty minutes of the flight were nice and challenging with a few low saves and lots of scratching before I saw a good cumulus cloud forming and glided out under it, catching my best climb yet - gaining 700ft above launch and getting to see some Oahu-type 'broken spectre' for my efforts.

Now I had to spiral down in order to check out the sloth which hadn't moved an inch since my earlier flight. After getting an eye full, I headed out and landed in the soccer field where Natalie was now waiting with the car.

Tomorrow we're having a beach only day before heading a couple hours up the coast for more flying adventures.