Location: Uncompahgre Plateau, Grand Junction, CO

Weather: Partly Cloudy, 35°F, winds moderate with gusts of 10-15mph

Aircraft: SlowStick with wooden fuse and balsa tailfeathers

Power: PJS800 + Tanic 2150

Camera: Pentax Optio S4 with PRISM

Description:
Took this photo around noon, atop the Uncompahgre Plateau overlooking Grand Junction. This area is about 20 min from my house, and backs up to the Colorado National Monument.

Elevation at takeoff was about 8,000'. The mountain in the distance is Grand Mesa, the world's tallest flattop mountain (11,000 feet). It's home to a ski resort, numerous cross country ski trails, and some great snow mobiling. There are also over 300 lakes up there.

Skies were partly cloudy, temp was around 35°, and winds were moderate with gusts of 10-15mph. My first hand launch resulted in a quick crash in the sage brush as a gust inverted the SS and I didn't have enough rudder authority at that altitude/airspeed to recover. No damage.

Skies have since deteriorated and are mostly cloudy, and winds have picked up substantially.

Happy New Year!