INTO THE CLOUDS

Or HANG GLIDING IN THE TETONS

As you can guess, only from a spectator's point of view. But this afternoon I learned more about hang gliding than I ever knew.

1. I never knew they could fly so high. While sitting around the hotel pool, I was treated to sights such as bungie/trampoline jumping and hang gliding. Not together, mind you. But I had no idea that hang gliders could fly up into the clouds. One guy disappeared into a white, puffy, cerus cloud for quite a while. His buddy only kissed the cloud and came down.

2. I never knew they could do a 180. While in descent, another hang glider did three 180 degree upside down flips while seated in his harness. He was close to the landing area but still high above the hotel. Previously, I had only seen hang gliders take off from mountains, certainly not the tops, and glide down into the valleys. Not in the Tetons. These guys put on quite a show. And they were obviously just vacationers or local amateurs. I was impressed.

So what do the lifesavers in the picture have to do with anything. Whoa! I think it's self-explanatory.