The end of the road for TA :-(

I’m writing this from a hotel room halfway between Moriarty and my home in Columbus, OH, after surviving a mountain-top glider crash yesterday.  I was miraculously unharmed, but I fear the glider was totaled.  The crash occurred late in the day while I was trying to get back to Moriarty on the last leg of the Saturday practice task, while attempting to ridge soar a local peak (Galinas Peak, I think) about 40-50 miles south of Moriarty.  If you want to look at the area on Google Earth/Maps, the coordinates of the crash site are 34.25980, -105.79420.

This post is just to tell everyone that I’m OK, no injuries at all.  I’m a bit stiff and have some bruises in unusual places, but that’s about it.  If I can screw up the courage, I’ll try to write a more detailed report later.

The SPOT 911 rescue feature worked (almost) perfectly, and with guidance from the New Mexico SAR coordinator I was able to hike about a mile (and up 1000′) to a service road to a microwave and fire tower installation, where a local Sheriff’s deputy picked me up.  I can’t say thanks enough to all the 911, SAR, and local law enforcement personnel who all helped to get me out of there safely.  In particular, thanks to Ron Fulfer, deputy Sheriff of the Torrance County Sheriff’s office who drove all the way up that mountain road to fetch me, and then drove me all the way back to Moriarty.

I loved my Ventus, and I’m heart-broken that I managed to screw up and hurt her so badly.

TA

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