JUST ASKIN'

Here it is April 4th (no fooling), and our thermals have rarely gone as high as ten thousand MSL so far this year. Ah, but it’s only early, right? Well…April 2nd in the year 2000, I went cross-country at fourteen-five and climbed that high again after returning home, just to say so. A couple weeks later in 2001, we did two days out and back at seventeen-five! Ancient history? Beginning to seem like it.More than ten years ago an old-timer from the El Mirage days who still remains active said he hadn’t seen a good soaring season in fifteen years, acknowledging a trend (back then) of declining dynamics all around this area that continues to the present.Oh this is still the best year-round soaring site in North America, just not as fantastic as before… Before what?We have two main components to work with, Earth and Sky. The ground hasn’t changed appreciably in thousands of years, so what is it that’s different about the air?Just askin’.