Six of us went to the observatory launch. I watched the one pilot from Dar core up in some light stuff above launch and he headed around towards the north launch. Then everyone else launches. Kinda extended sledders. Rich caught a few nice thermals just left of launch and then landed. I launched last around noon. I went left where I saw rich get some lift and drifted with the lift til I found the strong one. I did everything I could to stay in the center because it was taking me through the inversion. When I left the thermal I was 9976 ft msl. I headed to the flying farm. The air was smooth the whole way til I was coming in to land. I get about 500 over the Lz it started getting a little bumpy. I set up perfect to hit the gravel bullseye and was maybe a foot off the ground when the gravel went off like a bomb and sent me back up about 20 feet. I tried to dive off to the left in hopes to get air speed back and it kinda worked, kinda didn't. But all together the highest I've been and my first xc flight.