swamp monster

If anyone has been following, OB, Dustin, Zippy and I (along with pilots and friends from all over the world) are here in Florida competing in the Rob Kells Memorial comp at the Florida Ridge and the Flytec Race and Rally, which will attempt to cover the distance between southern Florida and northern Georgia. We just finished up the Kells comp and started the Rally today.
There was a storm front on the horizon when we woke up this morning and I think most were not convinced that we were actually going to get to fly a task. By noon, we realized that, although it was far from ideal flying conditions, it was safe and we tried to complete a short run north(about 68k's I think) to Lake Okachobee.
It was gray with cumulus clouds popping low under a layer of alto cumulus making it feel kind of dark. The wind was fairly strong up high and the lift was topping out at only around 3,000'. This created a small margin for error for pilots trying to stay in the air.
I got a nice tow but had trouble not getting blown out of the start circle. I, along with others, took a late start blowing down wind (actually it was crossing from the left) low, hoping that we would find usable lift down coarse a bit. After a couple of weak and broken climbs, I found myself low enough to start thinking about the swamp and unlandable terrain drifting fast under me. I flew, groveling in uncohesive lift for another 5 or so killometers before having to land on the only dry patch of ground under me.
It's funny, it's such an illusion how close you think you are to a road from the air in the last moments of a flight. I have had this same experience in the desert where, I think I'm landing right next to a road only to find a 30 minute walk to get to it. Today was one of those days.....but with some adventure.
The grass that I thought was surrounding the "mound" I landed on was actually shin deep swamp. I resigned to the warm, sulfer smelling swamp water saturating my flying shoes while walking out with my harness. The water started getting deeper until I was leaning forward in waist deep swamp just to keep the bottom of my harness bag out of the water. I got about half way across the 100' of deep and was startled by a violent splash 30 yards to my left. I had been so pissed off about landing and having to trudge through a purulent swamp that I didn't realize I was walking though the home of an eight to ten foot aligator.
I have had this feeling before when I saw a mountain lion while bow hunting in the mountains of Montana and it's a stark realization that we as humans are, at times, far from the top of the food chain. Lukily, this monster was likely more scared of me than I of it and instead of submerging to hide from me (which would be normal I think), it ran into a shallow and laid there with most of it's back exposed and it's head pointed away from me (although I could tell he had an eye on me;-)
I tried to calmly walk through the deepest part, eyes plastered to the gator, and cleared the area, laughing at what had just happened. Then, realizing that I had to go back to get my glider, I stopped laughing. How was I going to shoulder my wing and cross this spot with this monster hanging out? Maybe he wouldn't be so tolerant next time. I dropped my harness by the highway and committed. Luckily, when I got back to the same spot (this was a mandatory crossing by the way), the gator was still in the same spot. I figured that as long as I could see it, I would carefully attempt the crossing. If it was gone, I would assume it was under water and try to figure out another plan.
It didn't move on the way across but looked nervous when I picked up my glider which was only about 20 or so yards from where it was now laying. I carefully and slowly walked around to the same place I had crossed before. I must admit, when I was half way across with a 70 lb glider on my shoulder, standing in waist deep water with mud and swamp grass sucking my feet into the bottom, I was scared like a little girl as the gator started to move. Fortunately, it stopped with it's side facing me and I continued until I was clear of the deep water. Relieved, I started to laugh again but it was now different. There are not too many days in my life that I have flown a hang glider in cloudy, windy skies to land with an alligator. I've landed with Emu, Camels and some big, mean looking bulls but never a large reptile like this one. Pretty wild day. Certainly, a flight I will remember;-)
So, tomorrow's another day. Hopefully, the front will pass and we will get another chance to race hard and another chance for me to make up some lost ground after my short flight today. Maybe I can even stay off the menu for the locals;-)