On Monday, July 29, 2013 12:00:11 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
I'm starting to think that the textbook circular thermal is primarily a flatland phenomena.

(Am I crazy or)does a stream of wind coming through a mountain pass often interact with a series of ground generated thermals to produce a long line of lift (bordered by a parallel line of sink.) Circling just divides my time between the line of lift and the line of sink. What about flying a rectangle so that the downwind leg is not in sink? Tight turns to reverse direction at either end of the line of lift? Other strategies?