I think what you are referring to is at the bottom of the middle bowl. It was nice of the city to offer it. However it’s an awkward spot and potentially dangerous on North days… pilots will tend to stage and land somewhere that works more year round.

Some trees have regrown, and homeless are in/near that area. Flying over, one can see the tents and trailers etc among the vegetation, but it’s less than, say even 5 years ago, as the city occasionally does a sweep.

Spike does have an LZ next to there, in part because he likes to scratch the e-cone all the way down if necessary. One time while he was breaking down his wing, one of those homeless, a huge dude, came after Spike with a pipe or something. Bunch of sherriffs tackled the guy pretty quick. That’s unusual though. (Usually they take an hour to get there, at least they did last time one was threatening me, of course i was ready for anything and didnt mind, just calling Sherriff as courtesy to the tweaker). But yes homeless are still there.

Thanks for the pic Tom, similar scene today and about same flight time, unfortunately. Soderquist, as usual, put up a great fight scratching today and looks like he got an hour of “close air support” flying and is flight of the day.

That’s the one, Alan. Being on a PG in same lift with a sailplane feels like diving with a whale (a fast one) or something. A much larger, more efficient and very impressive craft that Pilatus is.

Nice. Takes a special day and/or wing to get to Dana Point from the E. The strong onshore portion of the shear usually discourages the route unless stinkin high, as Jonathan was that day.

Such runs are seen most often during the monsoonal weeks in late July/Aug. The midsummer also has weaker onshore than the Spring, which can have scary strong onshore and blowdown. YMMV.

Great pic, thanks.

Bille, in Elsinore there’s a borderline fistfight due to some argument at launch every other week. We have plenty of drama it’s just handled more directly.

Both launches and “our LZ” are filling with trash due to tweakers dumping pickups full of it all the time. You’re complaining about dirt, I’m talking about refrigerators (literally had to dodge a commercial refrigerator in landing spot for a month) and large heavy car parts, an entire car stripped and upside down (still there), along with the usual items like emptied 24 packs, used condoms all over, fast food wrappers everywhere etc. Clean it up and somehow its worse the next weekend. We don’t own any of our LZs, those who do don’t want us being there.. our hands are tied from a legal perspective but we don’t see it that way, tell me, which matters more. The taxes they pay or our experience that day.

Elsinore is not for those seeking a “paradise”, its a gritty place that can age gear (and ppl) fast and it’s for the rough and tumble and will always be since that’s at its soul. Lived here many years and understand it. Not just in flying but in many aspects.

CSS is trying to be a paradise, and is still arguably the closest to paradises among flying sites in North America. The quarreling doesn’t change the topography or wind and frankly, doesn’t matter to those who are truly free flyers.