Webcam and Wind meter at Mt. Swansea

Late last fall we already installed the webcam and wind meter at Mt. Swansea. for a test run. Over the winter the battery got drained and froze up and the webcam and wind meter went into hibernation.
A couple weeks ago I carried up a new car battery and the system woke up and is running fine since.

Thanks to Jan, job well done. Also, please see all the credits in how this project got established and funded at http://www.flyingmax.com/area/swansea-webcams/

We plan to have the webcam and wind meter running from mid April to mid November and shut it down over the winter
.
Besides the 2 webcams, we as pilots certainly enjoy the 2 wind meter links. One is to show the actual wind directions, speed and gusts and the 2nd with a 24 hour history to see what the overall wind development is.
Jan is also working to create a page to view more historic data over the month to come.

Check it out at
http://www.flyingmax.com/area/swansea-webcams/

  

Spring flight from Mount Swansea

Spring started early this year.
Here are a couple video clips of our local flying site (Mt. Swansea) and some cool view's of the icy lake.

Grant Application for Mt. Swansea got the green light

Adrian Bergles (President of the Columbia Valley Cycling Society, in the middle) spear headed a big grant for mountain biking, paragliders/hang-gliders, hikers (including hiking to the launch site) for Mt. Swansea.

Last Sunday Kootenay--Columbia MP David Wilks (on the right) announced $57.775.00 in Western Diversification Community Infrastructure Improvement Funding to the Columbia Valley Cycling Society for improvements to the trail and flying infrastructure at Mt. Swansea.
This represents 50% of the entire grant -- the rest of which will be made up by the Columbia Basin Trust (25%), the British Columbia Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BCHPA) and a number of other partners.
As the mountain is a major hub for cyclists, hikers, and paragliders/hang gliders, this project will mark a tremendous improvement in recreational infrastructure in the Columbia Valley. It illustrates the collaborative approach the cycling society strives for in its back country recreation and land access projects.

From the flying perspective, we will be improving the north and south launch sites, setting up a weather station and installing 2 webcams, which will help pilots see the flying conditions before heading up and for others to see what they are missing!!

xAlps training in Canada

We are now in full swing with our training and will slowly work to our peak by mid June.
As most of you know, my better half and supporter, Penny Powers (she does not just sound powerful, she lives up to her name) has worked out and written an x-alps training program for me.
The goal is to be able to do 4-5 hour hikes with full gear for 4 days in a row without getting tired during and after the hikes.
Besides hiking and flying, I have a weekly schedule to train on the Lakeview Meadows stairs, at our rec-center to swim, and in the gym to work on core strength.
Right now the lake is frozen which also gives me the opportunity to Nordic ski at least 3 times a week in the evenings.
I am very lucky to be able to do all this training right from our house. As I work from the house, it allows me to work 8-10 hours a day and still have fun with my young family.

The video shows a couple hikes with toboggan rides and flying over the ice.