Ronnie

There will be 3-4 of us from AZ heading up.

Sabre - doesn't open hard if you know how to pack. Spectre - okay, opens great Stiletto - opens on heading if you can pull stable. Thank you for that! Here is my addition: Sabre-good learning canopy Spectre-terrible flare Stiletto-good flare, not a spinner.

It can be clear as a bell or the fog, which is typical during the winter months, can have the place socked in all day. No way to tell.

Shoes can be rented at REI in Tempe. It is on the corner of Priest and Southern, just north of the 60 and just east of the 10. The warmest places to go at Queen Creek are The Mine and The Pond areas. There is a good range of difficulty at each place, so everyone should find something to do, or not if that is what they are looking for. The climbs are fairly short in those areas, but it is still pretty fun. Ronnie

Does anyone know how to convert a picture saved as a bmp to jpeg?

I always said a DZ in Moab would be incredible. I am glad to hear someone is finally doing it. Where are you located in Moab? The airport north of town? Do you have a website?

I would love to come climbing with everyone if there is room? I have a ton of gear, but only a few ropes (I threw lot away as they were trashed from El Cap ascents). I also have some extra shoes and harnesses. I live in Tempe and will be climbing in Queen Creek this weekend. Maybe I will scout out a good area for everyone? Ronnie

Oops, I never saw this question. Sorry for being so late. I am a psychologist.

Haley and I will be there. Always are!

I wish it was cooler here. We have had seven consecutive days of record breaking heat! It hit 100 degrees yesterday.

Oh, you mean the one jump where Haley and I landed a few miles from the landing area? In that field with the fresh, steaming piles of cow dung? Yea, I rememebr that one!

Well, after a little over two months of unemployment, a severe car crash that landed me in the hospital, a totaled truck, a racked up credit card for living expenses, low number of jumps for this period, and a hell of a lot of stress, I finally got a job. Haley and I are moving to Phoenix! The good news: our rent is way cheaper than here in CA, there is rock climbing close to Phoenix, Eloy of course, a new (used) truck, cheaper to live, and good weather. Haley and I want to say good-bye to all the wonderful people we have met up in Hollister. Thanks for the jumps and the Saturday night grill outs. It is a great DZ and we hope that you continue to grow. If anyone is coming to Eloy, give us a call or email. Ronnie and Haley ps. I have three Hollister tickets I am looking to sell for $15 each if anyone is interested. ( I don't think we will be back in Northern CA for a long time)

My advice would be to buy a container that fits your canopy. If you buy a 150, for example, get a container where the 150 is the largest sized canopy that will fit it. As you get better and gain more experience, you can then downsize to a 135 with no worries. If you go for a 170 or 190, the same applies. This way, you can have a rig for several hundred jumps without having to buy new gear. You will only have to buy a different canopy. First, this will save you money. Second, as you spend more time in the sport, you will learn more and more at a very fast rate. As you learn more, you will then have more knowledge about what you want for a more "long term" rig.

Yes, get some type of insurance. Catastrophic insurance is better than none. Why would a skydiver risk jumping without insurance? I basically have a catastrophic plan through Blue Shield of California. It is $72.00 a month. The deductible is $2,000. I would rather pay $2,000 rather than $18,000 plus. I was just in a serious car accident and spent the night in the hospital after being treated at the Cottage Hospital Trauma ER in Santa Barbara. The bills are just now trickling in and it is going to be expensive! The good thing is that I had full coverage on the truck and part of that coverage was $3,000 toward bodily injury. Thus, I won't have to pay any of my deductible! Get insurance, please! Is saving $72.00 worth a nightmarish headache of bills?

Yep, many a jumps will be had with Ricardo and as always, a lot of beer will be drunk!!!! It is Haley's first time in Eloy, so she will be buying the rounds. Thanks for the good luck on the interview Roy. I would really like to move to Phoenix. There is so much good climbing close by, and of course, an incredible DZ. Have fun in Byron. Rosa, Haley and I will see you at Elsinore.