I got the chance to fly off one of the biggest vertical drops in the US -- Monroe Peak in central Utah is over 11,000 feet high, and over 6000ft above the valley below. I did it in the late morning, with smooth air and limited lift. The air is substantially thinner up top, and it's noticeable in terms of how much more running you have to do to get airborne.
The rest of the week at the was interesting but challenging flying, with rough air currents creating enough of a sky rodeo that I was sometimes more stressed than happy, even when the world around me was beautiful.
I ended the week flying a nice chill ridge at the edge of the vast suburban expanse of Salt Lake City, where reliable lift from prevailing winds keeps you almost effortlessly airborne, and local spectators gather to watch all the wings in the air.
