Alltrikes

FRUSTRATION

So far this short trip has been all about weather and I don't
anticipate that changing. I stopped in Needles because the winds were
much higher than forecast when I landed and I didn't want to continue
that day into the mountains with higher than anticipated winds and
feeling tired. Waited for winds in the mountains to die down and had a
short day (stopped before 8 AM) to Winslow and stopped there because
the next major town, Gallup, NM, had winds forecast at 46 kts., which
turned out to be 35 kts., still too high for me.

Yesterday I had high hopes that with just a bit of luck I would have a
big day of maybe 800-1000 SM. The key would be a tailwind (which I
got) and winds would be as forecast at Tucumcari NM, Dalhart TX, Boise
City OK and Springfield CO and turbulence wouldn't be too bad. Winds
were higher than forecast at Tucumcari when I landed...18 kts with
gusts to 22 and Dalhart winds were forecast to be higher than Tuc., so
I shut it down for the day at 11 AM, I think about 450 SM. I had hoped
to get ahead of the TS system that arrived last night.

Last evening I figured if I got a 5 AM start and if winds behaved as
forecast I might be able to cut the edge of Texas and land at Dalhart,
cut across the OK Panhandle and land at Boise City, catch the very
edge of Colorado at Springfield before 11 AM, then start to sprint
across Kansas and stay ahead of this front. When I woke up at 3 AM
there was lighening at many times per minute towards the airport and
at 3:45 AM the TS was on top of me in Tucumcari with much lightening,
thunder and a tremendous downpour. These TS were forecast to head
towards Dalhart...right in my intended path.

Right now as I type at 8 AM, it's beautiful outside with no wind
(forecast 10 kts.), air is clean and fresh, birds are chirping and
some high clouds to the East. So maybe if I had gone to the airport in
a downpour with tremendous lightening and thunder I could have waited
until it cleared and headed out? Would I have just been following the
TS into bad weather? They were forecast to move at 25 MPH in my
desired direction. Don't know the answers. I'll check the weather at
those three places when I'm done here to see what in fact happened.
Don't know how that will help me next time however. (Now I get why
they call the basketball team the Oklahoma Thunder)

Amarillo, TX which sits at 3605', is a close Winds Aloft station and
this morning the winds at 6000 are forecast at 14 and tomorrow morning
they are forecast at 41, as this front moves in. This bad weather is
forecast to be here about a week. I'm thinking of shutting things
down for a week and go visit my Aunt ... back in Albuquerque. Tough
to do when it looks like I should be flying at this very moment.

Breakfast is calling and a quick walk through town. ....

Craig