This Sunday was a special day for me. I flew for the first time since I had my accident more than a year ago. I didn't have any expectation for how it should be. The flight was soft and sweet, in front of a beautiful Sonoran sunset that I have come to count on everyday!

Just after lunch, Scott called me with the good news, "Let's go to Box." A couple of hours later, we were hiking along the spine of Box Canyon desperately looking for a lost trail. Flights don't come easy in Tucson! With much sweat and leg-work, we got to the first node with an hour and a quarter to go before the sunset. The trial for my patience continued, as I moved my glider between the southwest and the north launches chasing for a whimsical wind. Scott was more than patient! My watch said 5:37pm when we moved my glider to the narrow wedge of the northwest face desperately trying to take off! A few minutes later, I was running down the hill with Scott screaming "Right break, right break..." I must not understand English at the moment, as I continued straight through a small bush and off into the open arms of the big sky. Just a few figure eights around the node to get acquainted again with the air before I headed to where I thought was the lz. The lz turned out not to be the right one! Well, I supposed that I could use more exercising before we headed off to a delicious bowl of Vietnamese noodle :)

Thanks, Scott for being so patient with a very rusty pilot. I will return to the park with my glider for more kiting, but I am back to the sky again!

Scott, welcome back and thanks for helping Taryn back into the air. Taryn, congratulations on finally getting airborne. I'll be leaving soon for about a month, but hopefully I'll be able to join you both off Box or Mustang when I get back.

Sunday was a beautiful day. A few observations:

The trail up Box, at least between the LZ and the first knoll, is practically gone. We found bits and pieces of it, but for most of the hike we were bush whacking. The grass - non-native from South Africa according to Taryn - is 24-30" tall.

Who needs LSD? Go check out the biggest, neon-colored grasshoppers in the LZ at Box. Like a scene out of Naked Lunch.

Found on the north launch of the first knoll: one Petzl LED head lamp, one Skywatch wind meter.

Light winds switching north and west, mostly right up the spine. The wind was always on the launch where Taryn was not.

The old wind socks are in shreds.

I left a rake under a large pile of rocks on the north launch. It might be useful if you guys are inclined to make improvements to the lower launch.

There are also some shears (cutters) and a folding saw in the same location.

I used that rake and shears extensively this past spring there. I saw the folding saw as well, but then went back to find it and couldn't find the particular pile of rocks it was hiding under. So- they're all still there... somewhere. If anyone finds them in the future, perhaps a streamer to mark their location would be helpful.