Does anyone know these sites?

Spitfire · Post by **Spitfire** » Mon Oct 06, 2014 4:34 pm

From a video posted on the .org that has a few sites not too far from us:

https://vimeo.com/107720020

Bear Mountain (not too far from Bakersfield)
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.1987828 ... a=!3m1!1e3

Midway Peak (near Taft)
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Midwa ... eda69de8dd

Anyone know them? Worth a day trip?

Mike

gregangsten · Post by **gregangsten** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 10:41 am

Good question. I've driven that road where Midway peak is shown, thinking that there ought to be a place to launch around there. Seems like it would be a good XC spot. It's a long haul to get there though.

Spitfire · Post by **Spitfire** » Wed Oct 08, 2014 1:36 pm

Google maps shows 1h 55m to Bear Mountain and 2h 13m to Midway Peak. Guess it would be a long day trip.

stebbins · Post by **stebbins** » Wed Jan 21, 2015 8:24 pm

Bear Mountain is inside a locked gate of a private development. You have to either live there, or have permission from someone who does. There is a (very small) local group who fly there.

Also, the LZ in front is not the best. It is better to get up and go over the back. BTW, over the back is also inside the private development. It is huge. Bear Valley is the name, I think.

On the other hand, it is flyable in a NW....

John Fritsche · Post by **John Fritsche** » Tue Aug 11, 2015 8:54 pm

I had the privilege of flying Bear Mtn. for many years. It's awesome. There's a handful of pilots left up there, and they're perpetually struggling to maintain access through a gate to the main LZ. Don't know what the current situation is.
Midway Peak is a great site with a great launch and LZ. Very consistent early spring through late fall. Very hot in summer. Lots of untapped XC potential. Not particularly favorable to single-surface gliders (fairly long glide to LZ) but there's bailouts and they usually make it to the main LZ anyway. Faces NE, but that's the wind it gets over on that side of the valley when it's blowing NW everywhere else in the SJ Valley. I've had many great flights and very few sled runs there.