Jeff 1531

June 2, 2009
Jump number 1.
Span: Perrine Bridge, Twin Falls Idaho

With about 3300 skydives behind me, I decided it was time to BASE. A couple of us from the DZ drove up, with the plan to jump the next day. We got there, and conditions were perfect, our most experienced BASE jumper and my mentor in this idea decides
to get a jump in before dinner at the Outback. He asks me if I want to go now, I say 'sure'. We gear up and go, and I was terrified
climbing over. I went hand-held, and did a less than one second delay. Canopy opens on heading, landing the way I was facing, in no wind. Standup landing, all was great!

July 4th 2010. One year, one month, and 2 days after my first jump
Earth: Echo
Jump Number 2

I was up visiting the old crew at the dropzone where I used to work for July 4th. I had just bought and received my BASE rig, and
figured I would start this all for real, make a bunch of jumps. Same mentor tells me he is heading up to Echo cliff in Utah. I ask if I can go. He says it is terrible idea, and
does not recommend my second jump to be off Echo. I ask around, and everyone else agrees that it is a bad idea. I then ask what I would need to do to do it safely, and he tells me the key points. We pack up, all the while this dude shaking his head because of the bad idea this is.
Climb to the top of Echo, see that it is 460' to the road, but big talus. This dude has most of jumps at Echo, and he knows it well.
I am terrified standing at the top with my gear on. There is no way I can go stowed, due to my lack of EVERYTHING, so I go hand-held. I take a few steps and I am off. I was so fearful of going headlow, pictures show me in a nice stand up as my canopy opens perfectly on heading. I make a decent landing in the grassy landing area, and off we go to enjoy the 4th of July. Luck prevailed, not skill.

August 16th 2011
Antenna: Jizzpop
Jump number 3

Another year has passed, lots of skydives, but no more BASE jumps, due to life getting in the way. By now, I am half way to getting BASE in 4 jumps..which I think might be doable.
I meet a new mentor, and we promptly make a trip to Jizzpop, a nice 1300' A in the middle of nowhere.
We climb predawn at about 430am. It takes me 3 hours to haul myself up there, and with each rung, I am questioning why...but I know the answer.
Conditions are a light tailwind. I climb into position, and do not linger long. A solid exit, and a hard track for 8 seconds. I pitch and have a 90 L, which I quickly adjust with the rears, and land on the road where we parked in a cloud of dust because I flared too low. I am fine, and overjoyed. By far, the best jump of them all. Skill mostly
prevails.


September 8 2011 about 2:00am
Building: A hotel in the SW US
Jump number 4

With 3 out of four in the history books, I scoped around for a proper B to finish it up.
Wife and I check into room facing the landing area, and as high up as we could get without being a penthouse.
Above 50th floor. There is a locked balcony. Another jumper joins us in the room, and we spend some time picking the lock. Finally we get it open at about 4pm. We now set up to jump in the wee hours of the morning. 1 am arrives, we park the vehicle on a side street next to the landing area. we check the winds. They are dead. We head
back up, gear up and get ready. Wife helps to stack furniture up to railing. No choice but to go stowed. we are 400 above the street. I go first, climb furniture staircase, get onto railing and jump off. I never looked up, only down the whole time at the street below. Body position is weird, but I pitch and have a perfect on heading opening.
Fly to the dark street, land in the middle, run to the car, put gear away, jump inside. Other jumper, right behind me, we drive away, clean getaway. We head off to
different part of the city to have a few beers, while we wait to hear from Wife if anything was up. She put the furniture back in the room, we called her an hour later, she said all was quiet. We head back, and I spend the next hour picking the lock on the balcony reclosed to leave no trace. Luck prevailed again.

Base in 4 jumps. I told myself if I make it through this, I would spend all the time and jumps I need at Twin falls learning all the skills I hadn't yet acquired.
That is exactly what I am doing now. As of this writing, I have made 4 more jumps. 3 off Twin, including 2 PCAs, and another off the glorious antenna known as Jizzpop.
More trips to Twin are in order.

I am happy to be a part of this community.
1531