Wave over So. Calif?

I'm not a pilot (yet), so please forgive if these questions have obvious answers.

From my office in Anaheim CA, I saw some very clear lenticular clouds forming southwest of the Mount Baldy area from about 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. as winds came over the mountain after this weekend's storm. I've never seen them so obvious before... but then I'm just learning about weather for soaring. Do the San Gabriel/San Bernardino mountains produce any useful wave lift?

Do sailplanes from local gliderports ever go to that area? Mt. Baldy appears to be about 50 miles (upwind) from Hemet or 40 miles (downwind but over the mountain) from Lancaster.

Thanks, Roger Worden

There's Great Western Soaring at Llano. Just a few miles to the wave you saw but the Victor Airway is directly overhead. For SoCal wave, go to Caracole in California City.

Ray Warshaw

I happened to be at El Monte airport on Sun March 2, recently, and saw what were quite obviously rotor clouds forming and dissipating in the north wind at altitude. They were coming off the San Gabriels and were located from southwest of Mt. Wilson to north of El Monte. You could see the rotary motion in them, tops moving south, bottoms moving north. Surface wind was from the southwest. No lenticulars.

You are 'limited' to flying below 18,000 MSL over the San Gabriel Mountains and southern Antelope Valley, but aside from that, flying from Great Western Soaring is just great. Wonderful ridge and thermal soaring, and the staff and instructiors there are the best. Actually, 18,000 MSL in wave has given me many beautiful flights.