Hey Everyone,
I'm planning on doing a road trip from LA to Vancouver this summer, and I'd like to hit as many hang gliding spots along the way. I'm thinking I'll drive up the coast on the way there and then maybe head inland on the way back, but that may change.
As for the range of locations I'm willing to visit, I think a box bordered by Los Angeles to the south, Pacific Ocean to the west, Vancouver to the north, and let's say Utah to the East. So if you know any sites within those boundaries, please let me know!!
Thanks!
Mike
Looking from hang gliding sites from LA to Canada!
Moderator: Chip
What time this summer? The dates will decide if you go coastal or inland.
Driving up the Owens, then hit Hat Creek, then do Lake View to Pine Mt. Or. then up to Chlean... It would be so epic, it would be epileptic.
Or you could go coastal. Imagine hitting Torrey, then Bates, then Marina, then Funston. That would be not very epic, neither would it be epileptic.
Driving up the Owens, then hit Hat Creek, then do Lake View to Pine Mt. Or. then up to Chlean... It would be so epic, it would be epileptic.
Or you could go coastal. Imagine hitting Torrey, then Bates, then Marina, then Funston. That would be not very epic, neither would it be epileptic.
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Steve90266
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Hang gliding travels
You could add Hull Mountain to your itinerary. Pillsbury lake is an artificial (big) lake that sits at the base of the mountain. Great camp sites. Kind of hard to get to. Interesting launch.
Then there's always Mt. Tamalpais. Easy to get to, easy launch, easy landing if the winds are not crazy. Hit that and Funston back to back.
Then there's always Mt. Tamalpais. Easy to get to, easy launch, easy landing if the winds are not crazy. Hit that and Funston back to back.
Steve Murillo
I'd go inland:
http://g.co/maps/p5byc
Owens Valley
Tahoe Area
Hat Creek
Lake View OR
Slide OR
Pine OR
Chelan WA
http://g.co/maps/p5byc
Owens Valley
Tahoe Area
Hat Creek
Lake View OR
Slide OR
Pine OR
Chelan WA
If you go to Hull mountain (Lake Pillsbury), then it's a nice trip up to Woodrat in OR. After that you can go on up to Dog Mountain WA where you can sample a fun ridge soaring site with an impressive evening glass off when it occurs. Just break down quickly because the black cloud you see when you land is not dust .... it's mosquitoes - lot's of them.
Mike
Mike
Hey Mike,
As someone who learned in the bay area, my favorite sites were probably Hull and dunslap (dunlap) (never had the right times or conditions for tam, sadly) but tam was beautiful also. I thought funston was boring but that's another discussion
There are a couple of somewhat off the beaten path sites that haven't been mentioned so far. Sweetwater is a potentially epic site that is just off the sonora juntion on 395. Mattole is a ridge/sometimes thermal site on the coast in the 'lost coast' about 5 hours north of san francisco. Both are really beautiful sites. If you want to know more about either feel free to ask.
On the inland side, from south to north, theres owens, sweetwater, a bunch of stuff around reno like palomino, slide (and the other hills around it, if the wind is west instead of east - this is often a function of what time in the day you are there), Hat Creek (my favorite glassoff!), lakeview (and a number of sites between hat creek and lakeview that I've never been to). North of there I don't really know. Theres also stuff around shasta (herd, whaleback) but the launches or landings can be iffy. The LZ is bigger now but one of the launches (whaleback I THINK but I can't remember, I know it is googleable though ) was "improved" but it was improved by paragliders such that it is good for them but very dangerous for HG.
Mattole would be good for the coast side, but it is very out of the beaten path and only actually good once in a blue moon. http://www.hanggliding.org/wiki/Mattole
Hull mountain is often good later in the year. last year it was best from august through september (it was a very late year) so now I doubt it would be decent, and is probably snowed in anyway. Elk and St John are probably in the same boat.
Tam is nice, that might be doable.
ed levin (sled heaven), mission, and funston are bay area....not exactly great xc though. As is mt diablo but slightly inland and H4. It has some good xc potential some of the year, but not sure if we are there yet.
South from there is marina (never been), and big sur of course 9also hit or miss but looks epic).
I might add to this if I come up with anything
Hope that helps (or is a starting point),
Mike L
As someone who learned in the bay area, my favorite sites were probably Hull and dunslap (dunlap) (never had the right times or conditions for tam, sadly) but tam was beautiful also. I thought funston was boring but that's another discussion
There are a couple of somewhat off the beaten path sites that haven't been mentioned so far. Sweetwater is a potentially epic site that is just off the sonora juntion on 395. Mattole is a ridge/sometimes thermal site on the coast in the 'lost coast' about 5 hours north of san francisco. Both are really beautiful sites. If you want to know more about either feel free to ask.
On the inland side, from south to north, theres owens, sweetwater, a bunch of stuff around reno like palomino, slide (and the other hills around it, if the wind is west instead of east - this is often a function of what time in the day you are there), Hat Creek (my favorite glassoff!), lakeview (and a number of sites between hat creek and lakeview that I've never been to). North of there I don't really know. Theres also stuff around shasta (herd, whaleback) but the launches or landings can be iffy. The LZ is bigger now but one of the launches (whaleback I THINK but I can't remember, I know it is googleable though
) was "improved" but it was improved by paragliders such that it is good for them but very dangerous for HG. Mattole would be good for the coast side, but it is very out of the beaten path and only actually good once in a blue moon. http://www.hanggliding.org/wiki/Mattole
Hull mountain is often good later in the year. last year it was best from august through september (it was a very late year) so now I doubt it would be decent, and is probably snowed in anyway. Elk and St John are probably in the same boat.
Tam is nice, that might be doable.
ed levin (sled heaven), mission, and funston are bay area....not exactly great xc though
. As is mt diablo but slightly inland and H4. It has some good xc potential some of the year, but not sure if we are there yet.South from there is marina (never been), and big sur of course 9also hit or miss but looks epic).
I might add to this if I come up with anything
Hope that helps (or is a starting point),
Mike L
Indian Valley!
You simply cannot miss going to Indian Valley as you travel through. Roughly halfway between Reno and Hat Creek, IV is a alpine valley, surrounded by heavily forested Sierra mountains, rivers and lakes. Fantastic!
Remember that popular vid from last summer, where the pilot stuffs launch off a cliff overlooking a small lake - then manages to fly away with a badly bent d-tube? That was from one of the several launches ringing IV. I've done that launch many times and it's a spectacular flight.
But the best part of IV is the consistent soarability. Mid-day thermals typically send you to 10-13K, and the glassoff can be really sweet!
Unlike many sites, IV has an actual town in the valley, complete with supermarket, gas stations and restaurants. Even driving into the area is full of scenic beauty.
RM
Remember that popular vid from last summer, where the pilot stuffs launch off a cliff overlooking a small lake - then manages to fly away with a badly bent d-tube? That was from one of the several launches ringing IV. I've done that launch many times and it's a spectacular flight.
But the best part of IV is the consistent soarability. Mid-day thermals typically send you to 10-13K, and the glassoff can be really sweet!
Unlike many sites, IV has an actual town in the valley, complete with supermarket, gas stations and restaurants. Even driving into the area is full of scenic beauty.
RM
Sorry about the lack of replies - I didn't get an email reply response until seeing the e-blast.OP wrote:What time this summer? The dates will decide if you go coastal or inland.
Driving up the Owens, then hit Hat Creek, then do Lake View to Pine Mt. Or. then up to Chlean... It would be so epic, it would be epileptic.
Or you could go coastal. Imagine hitting Torrey, then Bates, then Marina, then Funston. That would be not very epic, neither would it be epileptic.
I'm thinking sometime around July. I was thinking of hitting up Funston as that's where my parents live, but I can go up the coast and down inland, or I can just stay inland the whole time. The key thing is that I want to go fly relatively safe, established sites with other groups of people, so I wouldn't want to just go fly alone or try and do XC - plus I'm on a Falcon. Top-landable sites would be excellent as well as I'm really trying to rake in a lot of takeoffs and landings.
All of these suggestions are really great! I am going to research all of them thoroughly and start putting a trip plan together. Thanks so much for all of the suggestions and please feel free to throw any more my way!!
Thanks!
Mike
Ah -- if you are looking for sites with lots of people then sweetwater and mattole are probably out unless you get really lucky 
Mattole is toplandable if conditions are good, though. Sweetwater is not and it is a long hike
I will be at hat creek with a bunch of HGers either the weekend before or after the 4th of july (so either the weekend of july 1st or the weekend of july 7) (assuming I can take the time off....... ) and we are always happy to have more people. We might be doing a trip to lakeview or something analogous after that so if you would like you could join in and have drivers etc for at least that far. However the actual dates haven't really been planned out yet, just that it will start on one of those weekends.
Also, mission soaring I believe is a toplandable site. Ed levin is not but there are always people there.
Mattole is toplandable if conditions are good, though. Sweetwater is not and it is a long hike I will be at hat creek with a bunch of HGers either the weekend before or after the 4th of july (so either the weekend of july 1st or the weekend of july 7) (assuming I can take the time off.......
) and we are always happy to have more people. We might be doing a trip to lakeview or something analogous after that so if you would like you could join in and have drivers etc for at least that far. However the actual dates haven't really been planned out yet, just that it will start on one of those weekends.Also, mission soaring I believe is a toplandable site. Ed levin is not but there are always people there.
Indian Valley Video
Here's a pretty good vid of Indian Valley I found on YouTube. It includes flights from the two most popular launches, on opposite sides of the valley.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3vlakdvYuE
RM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3vlakdvYuE
RM
Yeah, no problem. The cliff above the lake is about 600' high. Once you fly past the far lip of the lake, it's another 3000' of very sheer mountainside to the valley floor. Typically, it's a morning sledder, since that launch faces north and the typical summer airflow is SW during the afternoon.
The Burn Launch faces SW and is great for thermal soaring or late-day glassoff. Personally, I like the thermal action, but lots of pilots like the glassoff for big, boaty conditions.
Keddie Ridge (with the Burn Launch) is a 15 mile long ridge. I like to make the 30 mile round trip flight to Lake Almanor, Taylorsville, and back.
Indian Valley is my all-time favorite site. I've flown there a lot over the past 18 years, but haven't had a non-soaring flight in many years, and can count them on one hand. I've had some terrific XC flight from there, but typically go to soak in the amazing scenery, great soaring, and great non-flying activities of the area.
RM
The Burn Launch faces SW and is great for thermal soaring or late-day glassoff. Personally, I like the thermal action, but lots of pilots like the glassoff for big, boaty conditions.
Keddie Ridge (with the Burn Launch) is a 15 mile long ridge. I like to make the 30 mile round trip flight to Lake Almanor, Taylorsville, and back.
Indian Valley is my all-time favorite site. I've flown there a lot over the past 18 years, but haven't had a non-soaring flight in many years, and can count them on one hand. I've had some terrific XC flight from there, but typically go to soak in the amazing scenery, great soaring, and great non-flying activities of the area.
RM