Jumping on the holiday weekend

[riddler 0]

So it's January in Colorado. That means it's pretty cold. Not unbearable on the ground, but the type of cold that makes your sinuses freeze when you step out the door at altitude.

In Colorado, we jump all year around. I'm using "we" as in the royal "we", because "I" (as in the selfish, self-centered "I") stay home when it's cold. The reason we jump all year is because Colorado has amazingly blue skies almost every day of the year, even when it's below freezing on the ground. It must have been a bitch for the first ground squirrels that came here from other parts, looked outside at the clear blue sky on a chilly January morning, stepped out that door in hopes to find an old cheeto somewhere in the park, and instead had their nuts freeze to the porch step. But I digress.

So jumping in Colorado in January. When you first get your license, the cold weather can't stop you. You come every weekend. You can't understand why the old farts think 20 below zero at altitude is such a big deal. OK, sure, you have a slight frostbite on your fingers from jumping last weekend, but that just means you need thicker gloves, right?

After a few years, you start looking for quality jumps. It's kinda like when you turn 21 and go to the bar looking for anyone to take home. After a few years waking up with Extreme Makeover contestents (and I'm talking before the makeover, and no I definitely don't want to cuddle this morning ), you start to look for quality. Same with jumping. Quality jumps means warm jumps. Suddenly, you are one of the old farts that doesn't want to jump in the winter.

So while other Colorado dropzones have scaled down their winter jumping to one or two days a week (and rightly so)), Mile Hi Skydiving has graciously decided to have the dropzone open over a four-day weekend for those looking to get their winter fix. I thought that was pretty cool. I didn't go, due to family obligations, but kudos to the dz for doing something good for the fun jumpers.

Boy do I miss Eloy right now Brrr.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[BenHall 0]

The dececptively blue sky is a killer! But alas you forgot to mention the wicked winds, and since it seems like they don't ever put up loads here when winds get above 20, I don't think I'll be jumpin tomorrow either.

Haha and yes the feeling is just now coming back in my pinkies after last sunday!

[groundrush134 0]

Come on summer! I get to work tomorrow so no jumps this weekend for me GO BRONCOS!

~~~>

[Lindercles 0]

Oddly enough, this weekend it was warmer at altitude then it was on the ground.

Then there was a crazy cold layer right at 4000'

Talk about your shock at breakoff.

But I only made 2 jumps, so I lose.

[Icon134 0]

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It must have been a bitch for the first ground squirrels that came here from other parts, looked outside at the clear blue sky on a chilly January morning, stepped out that door in hopes to find an old cheeto somewhere in the park, and instead had their nuts freeze to the porch step. But I digress.

Excellent discription

Actually, I just asked one of my local DZ staff if/when they ever jumped in the winter here in the sometimes fridged (sometimes not) State of Ohio...

it seems they do on occasion although not this weekend. which is fine with me since I don't actually have a main canopy at the moment (although when I get it back it will have new brake lines... )

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[skymama 37]

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Quality jumps means warm jumps. Suddenly, you are one of the old farts that doesn't want to jump in the winter.

I feel the same way! The last weekend I went to jump it was 10 degrees at altitude, 57 on the ground. That was waaaay too cold for this Southern girl. None of my friends were jumping either, so there was no way I was going to go in that cold just to do a solo.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon