Mountain flying:
----------------

  I left Auburn solo for Watsonville in a Katana DA-20-C1 at 
dusk on a standard day.  Just after takeoff, I played with 
the idea of going to Reno.  I called flight watch and heard 
"clear with less than 10 knots."  Back on approach, a pilot 
reported smooth, clear air.  The flight that night was 
uneventful.  The next day I took off with no weather briefing 
and half tanks (2 hours).  I departed from the short crossing 
runway into a heavy headwind for a local flight to Truckee, 
South Lake Tahoe, Douglas-Minden, Parker Carson, and return to 
Reno.  2 full stop landings at Truckee were uneventful, and 
the short field takeoffs comfortably cleared the terrain.  
  The southbound landing at South Lake Tahoe was also easy.
I taxied back for southbound takeoff on the 8500 ft runway 
and set up for short field procedure.  I was surprised at how 
quickly the terrain rose after takeoff and executed a 
delicate, standard-rate reversal to the left with short-field 
flaps, then departed over the lake with a subsequent right 
turn to Douglas-Minden.  Over the ridge and into Douglas, 
turbulence increased as well as winds.  The ASOS at Douglas 
reported almost opposite to the windsock, so I aborted the 
quartering tailwind landing for a go-around.  The gusty 
20+ knot second landing was good, but the taxi back in heavy 
winds was delicate.
  The gusty crosswind go-around at Parker Carson was high 
and fast, but the second landing at the 2200 ft dirt strip 
was good, with a delicate taxi-back.  With an hour of fuel, 
I opted not to land at Carson City and headed home for Reno.  
Northbound over the lake near Carson City, moderate 
turbulence turned severe.  At 8,000 ft, I caught 2000 ft/min 
updrafts and turbulence in rotors east of the mountains.
The gusting 25-30 knot winds were crossing 90 degrees to a 
ridgeline, tossing around my powered glider with its light 
wing loading. The airframe (stressed for 13 Gs) could take 
the beating, but the tightly strapped in pilot was dodging 
his flight bag, the FAR, a fuel tester, and extra headset as 
they banged into the top of the canopy and bounced around
the cabin.  Hmm...should have tied the baggage into the 
baggage compartment.
  I picked a course 45 degrees away from the mountains, 
pulled throttle to idle, pitched for Va, and tried to correct 
the seemingly 90 degree banks to straight-and-level flight.  
After a few minutes I passed through the tops of the standing 
lenticulars (so that's what those pretty clouds were) at 
14,000 ft.  The air calmed a little and I was finally able to 
descend.  As I got back to 8,000 feet, I was surprised when 
approach denied the crosswind runway (25), and so I made two 
low passes over the longer runways.  My popsicle-stick rudder 
could not accomodate the 20+ knot gusting direct crosswind.
I asked tower again for runway 25, but was told it was closed.  
What?  I took off from that runway.  "Sorry, sir, there's 
construction on the approach end, so it's open for takeoff, 
but not landing."
  Still jittery from the rotor clouds, with 45 minutes of 
gas, I must have sounded nervous to approach when I pleaded 
for help.  Truckee was too far, and Carson City was back 
through turbulence, so I had considered an emergency landing 
on 25.  Fortunately, approach cleared the frequency a bit and 
talked me into Reno-Stead.  "There's three long runways, so 
one of them is into the wind, and it's only ten minutes away."  
After two nervous go-arounds and a very gentle landing at 
Stead, I took a yellow taxi to the Reno Hilton and had 
a nice nap.  After a very thorough briefing, flight plan, and
pre-flight the next day, I departed with full gas for an 
uneventful flight back to Watsonville.