At Bridalveil Creek Campground Friday night. Helen is sticking her head out from between the trucks. It was cool to see all the vehicles through out the campground with hang gliders on them.

This is driving through the campground Saturday morning. This was to be our first day to fly. Due to the rain, we needed to come up with something else to do. Photo by Helen

We decided to drive up to Glacier Point to check out the launch and set up area.

Helen walking towards the launch and set up area. Still raining. Since I never flown here before, we used this no fly day to check things out.

Joe (me) and Helen in the little stone building that is right next to the launch site.

Cool little tree with Half Dome. About ten other pilots were in the area checking things out, most were making unhappy sounds. Rain sucks when it stops the action.

We ate breakfast in the truck here at Washburn Point.

About to enter the tunnel leading to the valley. After breakfast, we drove into the valley to checkout Leidig Meadow. That is the only place in the valley we are allowed to land. Photo by Helen

Almost through the tunnel. Photo by Helen

The view from just past the tunnel. The camera doesn't show how great this looked. We checked out the LZ (landing zone) and other stuff in the valley. But that will be in another album. Time to fly!!!

Sunday morning, back at Glacier Point. Clear sky, we get to fly today. This is me carrying the glider to the set up area. Usually we only have to carry the gliders about 50 feet, it was over 300 to the set up area. The gliders weigh 50-80 pounds. Mine is about 60, good thing I brought my lighter one. Photo by Helen

Sunday morningback at Glacier Point. Clear skywe get to fly today. This is me carrying the glider to the set up area. Usually we only have to carry the gliders about 50 feetit was over 300 to the set up area. The gliders weigh 5080 pounds. Mine is about 60good thing I brought my lighter one. Photo by Helen

Starting to put the flying machine together. It's about 7:00 AM at this point. There are a lot of rules you have to follow to fly here. One is that the lanuch window is between 7 and 9 AM. Photo by Helen

Still setting up, it takes about 20 minutes. Another rule, you must have an advanced rating. Even thou everyone here is an advanced rated pilot, most choose to fly beginner or intermediate wings here instead of our high performance ones due to the weight (carrying) and the some what tricky launch (no wind, 3,200' cliff) and landing (no wind, uneven ground). Photo by Helen

The set up area is starting to get full, cool.

A view of the 20+ gliders. You can make out the little stone building on top of the hill. Launch is just below and to the right of it. Photo by Helen

A pano of the gliders and Half Dome. Photos by Helen

Me signing my life away. Another rule, you must sign a wavier. Standard stuff, you break your neck it's your own fault. Yes I understand. Photo by Helen

Lot of colorful gliders.

More wings. That's me in the center pointing at something? Photo by Helen

Rob was the first one on launch. The actual launch is on the slab that's a little higher. Photo by Helen

Rob gets airborne. Photo by Helen

Rob starting his turn to the left that will take him towards the LZ. Photo by Helen

This shot was taken from under my glider. This is the line to launch. There are 4 wings in front of me. The heart is really starting to pump at this point.

Only 2 ahead of me now. The adrenalin is really flowing now. Launching has always been my favorite part of flying

I'm second in line now. The group up front are watching the glider on launch about to take off.

This is me making my way to launch. The hardest thing about flying here is getting the glider to launch. By the time I set the glider down on the launch ramp, I needed a minute to catch my breath. Photo by Helen

Finally my turn, I get to use all the energy that's been building for the last 15 minutes. I'm just about to pick up the glider. The guy in front of me (Barton) is the site monitor, he's helping me hold the glider back till I'm ready to go. It is as steep as it looks. Just off of lanuch is a 3,200' cliff. Photo by Helen

Just off on launch.

Me out front making my way towards the LZ. Photo by Helen

An airshot of Half Dome.

I'm not sure which area this is, but it's about 3,000' below.

Since we had to launch early, there wasn't any lift. So we only get about 15 minutes in the air. Knowing that I would only have a short time in the air, I planed to fly strait to Yosemite Falls. That's it ahead. That tiny white spot just to the right of the falls is another glider.

While bee lining it to the falls, I got a good view of El Capitan to my left.

This was my first past of the 1,430' upper falls about 200' below the top. I had a really hard time trying to figure out how close I was to the falls. There is nothing to use for size reference.

Looking down on the lower falls.

This is on the second past of the falls. A little closer but still not sure how far. I got a creepy feeling flying by the falls and not knowing how close I was to it.

Looking at Leidig Meadow, our LZ. There hard to see, but there are two gliders over the LZ.

Another shot of Half Dome.

Getting low, time to start thinking about the landing. You can see the gliders parked to the left, the other one to the right just landed. The Merced River flows by the meadow.

Looking down on a glider on final. It looks like he's down, but he's still about 200' over the ground. The line running across the meadow is a trail. Some areas of the meadow were very wet.

Another view of the Merced River.

One last shot from the air shows the gliders parked by the trees. You can make out the Swinging Bridge that crosses the river above the gliders.

On the ground, it was a short but really fun flight. I'm soaked from the knees down. I didn't land in the wet spots, but the tall grass was wet and I got soak carrying the glider in.

We had a great view of the others coming in to land from the LZ.

A few gliders waiting to be torn down.

The group takes a break from packing up to watch some of the others land.

Flying overhead and starting the landing approach.

Another glider overhead.