121 miles with Lindsay in Texas

Lindsay Matush: My handsome retrieve crew from MY FIRST 100-MILER! 121 Miles and 6.5 hours... What an amazing day at LoneStar XC camp! I pinned off in a thermal and immediately climbed to 7700’. I spent the first half of the flight rarely below 5500', following the task. At some point the task veered cross-wind. I started to follow it and then realized that I wasn’t in the comp anyway - I looked at a blue hole down course line, and a cloud street downwind - so I bailed on the task to try to get my personal best, and doubled it! Texas is insane - I climbed to 10,000’ at 6pm and again at 7pm. My last significant climb was at 7:30. (?!?) I flew til just before sunset. I know at least 6 other pilots got their PBs yesterday, and Prentice ranked it a 3 or 4 out of a Texas 10 on weather.
Initially I was trying to link up with people to group fly but it never worked. So I flew solo with the voices of my flying friends and mentors in my head, and all the little tips people have given me. I kept thinking about how grateful I am to be a part of a sport where people share so generously what they know to help people like me become better at something we love. David, who's put so much energy into coaching me and always telling me not to take the light stuff (you can see from my track I don’t always listen). Thanks for all you always do to share your knowledge and make me better! And the list goes on - I literally pulled something from each one of these fine folks out of my catalogue and applied it yesterday: Luis on patience and getting established, Marc on managing my energy in thermals, Nick on picking lines, Gabriel on mental mapping, Andy and Huntley on flying a course line, David on letting my glider lead me into thermals, Lee on working the light stuff, McNulty on tracking thermals and sources, James E Matush Jr on going for it, Rick on reading the clouds, Elena on feeling thermals. Thought it might be nice to let you know that all the crazy voices in my head have your names :) I’m super stoked and excited for all I get to keep learning and all the cool people I get to keep learning from! If you have any feedback from my flight log, feel free! http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/1481768

Lindsay Matush: Hah... Sorry! Got home late and passed out! What a day. My Vario said 200k but that includes a dog leg for the task I bailed on to go for distance- so straight line was somewhere around 120 miles. Pinned off in a thermal , lost it, and then snagged it - taking it up to 7700. Wanted to wait for James and mcnulty but we were too separated and I got established fast. For first 1/2 of flight I flew the task. Interesting day - David called it a 3 or 4 for weather out of a Texas 10. I'd often hook thermals as soon as I heard the beep at 100 up and then work them into stronger lift. If I waited too long, I'd often miss them. Lift was commonly 400-600 up, max at 1100 up. Would fall out of thermal and find if to my left or right - we all commented on that. Or I would lose it and it would be fairly far down wind of me before id find it again. For the first 1/3 of flight I flew into blue sky and had clouds forming as I got to them. Spent most of my time between 5k and 7k. Headed toward second turn point as easterly component picked it up- got really challenging. Almost dirted and then scraped a turbulent, Drifty thermal back to 8400. Saw what I think is a flush cycle where all of a sudden everyone was going down at like 800fpm . After that cross threatened to kill my flight - got 13k from tp - saw blue hole all the way to tp or cloud street down wind so I bailed and went for distance since I'm not in the comp anyway. Spent the next 1/2 my flight mostly between 7 & 9k - got up to 10k somewhere around 5 o'clock and even climbed 1000 ft at 730 pm. The day got super boaty and i drifted as far as I could to land just before sunset - 6.5 hours in the air.

Lindsay Matush: Hah. I can't believe it - lot of luck and some good timing! All 4 of us in the van for personal bests - dad got 112 k. I know of at least 2 others that did also, maybe more ! Long story short , Texas is amazing! And all that from a day that was Rained out in hearne- we made the call the day before to drive 5 hours to the only place that didn't get dumped on in the state. Glad we did!

Patrick Joyce: So epic Lindsay!! Any big collapses in that kind of lift? How'd the Rush do?!  And feel?

Lindsay Matush: I didn't take a single collapse. A lot of really active flying. The rush felt amazing. I could sense a lot in thermals and feel like it tells me a lot. I also feel like I have more authority over it with weight shift- especially when I need it to crank hard in a tight core. So far I'm absolutely loving it!

Marc Radloff: You are a BADASS

Lindsay Matush: We found a tow road near Hamlin tx outside of Sweetwater . Typical site w no rain is hearne. He's been doing this comp for years and has had a total of 3 unflyable days until this monsoon hit.

Haha. Thanks! I'm lucky! And gifted with friends who fly better than me and share their secrets! Lee - I tried that thermal trick you were sharing from Luis about slowing down and releasing a brake to turn - love it!

Chris Lee: Cool! How about not waiting the three-count but turning immediately in lift? Is that doing anything for you?

Lindsay Matush: Definitely. Sometimes. Although yesterday had a lot of ripple effect instances - where you'd push through beeps and after the third or so set of beeps you'd hit the core.
And when you're trying to maximize the day and cover distance its kind of different theory about not turning in weak stuff and only turning when it's above a certain threshold. People would prob say I take too much weak stuff when the day has bigger stuff out there

Chris Caywood: So happy for your flights. Wish i was there​
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