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Map of Mt. St. Helena (2x vert.)
Route from launch to main LZ in Knights Valley (high-lighted in yellow), and backside route to Crazy Creek glider port are shown. Pope Valley / Lake Berryessa is off the lower-right side of the map.
For a closer look at the mountain (1x vert.), click here.
map © Delorme, Topo USA 2.0
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View of St. Helena from the SE.
Camera is pointing NW. The 5 mile dirt road to the top is visible.
Photo © Vince Endter, June 2000 (photo from plane)
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View of Launch.
Camera is pointing West. The North peak is at the right edge of the photo. The main launch is in the center of the photo, and the alternate launch, on the middle peak, is at the left edge of the photo.
Photo © Vince Endter, June 2000 (photo from plane)
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Another view of launch.
Camera is pointing East. The North peak is at the left of the photo, and the main launch is in the center.
Photo © Vince Endter, June 2000 (photo from plane)
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Ernie Camacho sets up, to the right of launch.
Photo © Leo Jones, April 1999
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Charlie Warren, and others, set up to the left of launch.
Photo © Leo Jones, April 1999
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Matt Jagelka ready to launch his Ram Air.
Photo © Leo Jones, Feb. 1999
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Tod Robinson (Laminar) starting his launch run.
Photo © Leo Jones, Feb. 1999
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Charlie Warren gets into the air.
That bare patch off to his right-front is yet another vineyard being hacked out of the formerly brush-covered hillside. Beyond that, out in the valley, is the LZ we're using these days - a grassy field, next to some barns, surrounded by oak trees and hundreds of acres of...grape vines. You don't want to land short here!
Photo © Leo Jones, Feb. 1999
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Ernie climbing out on the middle ridge.
Launch, next to the towers, can be seen in front of his right wheel. The trail to the alternate launch on the middle peak heads off the bottom near the right corner of the photo.
Photo © Ernie Camacho, March 1999
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Above launch, looking south.
At the end of the middle ridge is the alternate launch, seen just touching Ernie's right shoulder. The road above his back goes out to the south peak. Calistoga, at the end of the Napa Valley, is under the glider's nose, and Lake Berryessa can be seen as a thin line above the glider's keel (which is hiding Pope Valley).
Photo © Ernie Camacho, May 1996
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Above launch, looking north.
A little sliver of Clear Lake can be seen between Ernie's flying wires, and a spot of Lake Sonoma, at the end of the Dry Creek Valley, can be seen under his keel. Above his helmet, against the green hills, can be seen a couple of white steam plumes coming from a Geyers geothermal power plant.
Photo © Ernie Camacho, May 1996
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1800 ft. above launch, looking NE.
This is the route to Crazy Creek and Lower Lake. You can see the road leading away from the mountain, through Middletown and on toward Clear Lake. Mt. Konocti is at the left edge of the photo. Clear Lake is to its right, hidden in the haze.
For a closer look at the route, click here.
And here's Leo's story of what happened when he went that way.
Photo © Ernie Camacho, April 9, 2000
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Out in front of launch.
You can see three gliders still on launch, two in the set-up area and
one ready for take-off. Camera is facing SE.
Photo © Ernie Camacho, April 2002
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Heading out from the mountain.
You can see the conversion of the hillsides to grapes in full swing. As a result, there are practically no bailouts between launch and the LZ. But then, there weren't all that many bailouts before the grapes either.
Photo © Ernie Camacho, March 1999
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The LZ.
At the top of the LZ area you can see trucks and gliders lined up alongside the drive.
Photo © Ernie Camacho, Nov. 1999
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Looking back at the mountain from above the LZ.
Hwy. 128 runs along this edge of the fir trees.
Photo © Ernie Camacho, Nov. 1999
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Dan Tierney turning onto final with his Stealth.
Photo © Ernie Camacho, Nov. 1999
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Andy Long, on short final with his Sensor 510.
Photo © Leo Jones, April 1999
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Charlie Warren (Moyes CSX), about to hit the spot.
Notice the nice runway the landowner unintentionally mowed for us.
Photo © Leo Jones, April 1999
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New LZ among the grapes at St. Helena.
Launch is the barely-perceptable hump just to the right of the north peak.
Photo © Leo Jones, April 1999
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Another view of the LZ.
Photo © Ernie Camacho, Nov. 1999
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Kurt landing at the Campbell LZ.
This LZ is a large field on the south side of Franz Valley Rd.
Photo © John Blacet, Apr. 6, 2002
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