NORTH BOULDER - North Foothills Community Park, Boulder
Click on the following links to watch video clips of a 44 minute flight at North Boulder filmed by Granger Banks
And.... may also want to take a look at the Tricks & Traps when thermalling in North Boulder
Wind Indicator by the LZ of The North Boulder Flight Site (North Boulder Foothills Community Park). Three Launch Sites can be spotted in the background..
Our home flight site seems to have substantial potential. As pilots discover these possibilities it becomes more of a paragliding heaven. For example, amidst the end of the WInter, in February 2007, a couple of pilots were able to climb to some 1500ft MSL, and flew for about 1 hour. During the Spring-Summer-Autumn flight season, 2 hour flights at some 3000+ ft AGL are frequent. Maximun altitude gain that has been reported is 7500 ft. AGL. Click HERE to see detailed Aerial Photo & Map.
And there is more: XC flying is hot at North Boulder. Recent accomplishments include two first ever PG flights:
- from Boulder to Golden (22 miles) by Carter Brown in June 2008 and Kevin Kohler in July 2008;
- from Boulder to Loveland-Fort Collins (32 miles) by Kevin Kohler in July 2008 (read his recount below);
- from Boulder to Littleton (34 miles) by Carter Brown in July 2008.
Kevin Kohler's recount of his flight to Loveland-Fort Collins: So here is a re-cap of my XC flight on 7/15/08. The first flight I had that day was rather un-eventful. I launched from the drive up site and used the ridge to get about 100 ft over launch. I then traversed over to the north side of the ridge above the water tower and was finding it difficult to make any southerly progress due to the strong south wind. I thought about trying to jump to the next ridge north but it seemed pointless given my altitude and I eventually sank out.
The next flight that day was similar at first. I made it up to around 200 feet above the water tower. I kept trying to gain altitude but couldn't and eventually found myself even with the top of the ridge and on the very Northern end of it. I thought it would be fun to see how far north I could get by ridge soaring and making use of the strong southern component of the wind that day.
To my delight I lost no altitude at all as I crossed the canyon to the next ridge. I kept close to the hill and was amazed by my groundspeed. Seeing as I could barely make any progress in the opposite direction I would have to guess my groundspeed at around 35 mph. I gained a bit of altitude as I hugged the ridge going north but then lost some as I jumped the next canyon over to Swift launch. I was about half way between the peak of Swift and the bottom of the hill. I finally found some lift that seemed worth turning in halfway across swift launch and went for it. The lift was sharp and inconsistent but there was enough of it such that after about 10 minutes I found myself nearing height of the peak of swift launch. The lift increased as I went closer to the hill and I found that the most lift was north of the peak of swift. This lift was still inconsistent however and I began to sink back below the peak several times before finding significant lift. When I did find it thought it was excellent.
Pointed south at this point I noticed that my ground speed was alternating between about 0 and 3 or 4 mph with speed bar. I used speed to penetrate a bit further south and into the more significant lift which was actually quite smooth. At this point I didn't turn much at all just adjusted between brake and speed to stay in the lift and went up at a steady 700ft per minute. After several minutes of this elevator ride I was at around 9200ft and the lift was fading and the cloud over swift was looking darker and closer so I pointed it north once again hoping to make Lyons.
About 2 miles North West of swift I was out from under the cloud and noticed that it wasn't as scary as it had seemed when I was under it, and there was a peak that had been in a fire and all the trees were scorched. I thought that this would be a good thermal trigger and went for the northern side of it and it seemed as though I made it with about 300 ft to spare. The lift was there but not as good as I had hoped and it took me back to around 9200. I turned north again and could see Lyons in the distance. I got a nice glide until I was about a mile south of Lyons and as I was looking up at the sky and checking out the clouds I noticed a group of birds in a circle WAY above me. I couldn't make out what kind of birds they were but they were in a very perfectly shaped circle and soaring. I tried to get underneath the birds and as I got closer the lift increased slowly and smoothly. This was the best and most perfect thermal I had ever encountered and I locked in a steady bank angle and kept making circles. This is where I hit my max climb rate of 1140ft per minute. I stayed locked into this thermal for what seemed like six or seven minutes and took it all the way up to 13,500ft.
At this point I was almost over Lyons and figured I'd keep going. At this point I was freezing my ass off cause I was wearing shorts and a light sweater so awkwardly easy chaired it as I got my gloves from the side of my harness. About a mile north of Lyons I saw a commercial jet coming from the west and a bit above me. In about 15 seconds it was passing over me and it seemed like it was about 1200 feet above me. I got ready for severe turbulence from the jet but luckily it never came. I stayed on glide for the next fifteen minutes or so until finding some more lift. I was down to about 11,000 and took this much more turbulent climb up to 13,400ft.
I was again under a cloud and at this point the lift seemed to be everywhere. I couldn't tell from how dangerous the cloud was from underneath it but all the clouds around it didn't look too bad. My rate of climb was around 400ft per minute and steady which didn't seem too un-manageable should I want to get down so I got on the speed bar and continued north. Once out from under the cloud the sun felt warm and nice and the situation seemed a whole lot less precarious. I continued north towards clear skies and turned around to notice that the cloud I was under was really not that scary looking and cursed myself for not having continued the climb. I kept going north and found small climbs along the way but nothing significant. I flew directly over Boedecker lake with about 4,000 and then over the golf course to the north of the lake. This part of the flight was nice and scenic and the turbulence was minimal. Also, I was glad to have feeling returning to my fingers.
I watched my vario trying to adjust my speed to get the best glide I could. I saw a ridge coming up that was the first terrain feature from the east so I hoped I could catch some lift on the ridge and surf it cause it looked like it went for a while. The ridge turned out to be smaller than I expected and a rode it for a little ways but it eventually petered out. I landed in a field about a mile from the nearest road and after about 10 minutes of standing by the road I hitched a ride with some kids from Wyoming who were on their way to Estes Park but offered to drive me all the way back to boulder. After looking at the flight on Google earth the distance was about 31 miles and I ended up about a mile south west of the intersection of W Trilby Rd and N Wilson Ave on the northern side of Loveland. The whole flight was just under two and a half hours. Kevin Kohler
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Flights to Lyons (12 miles) are reported on an on going basis - As a nice example, below are the stories by Granger and Lex. Perhaps next accomplisments will include Estes Park (25 miles) and Cheyenne (75 miles)....
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Story by Granger: In the summer of 2006 I had a most remarkable and very successful XC flight. A driver volunteered to take 6 of us to the drive up site at North Boulder. Being the most experienced pilot I helped the pilots off first before preparing myself for a flight. They all were soaring---even the ones having their first flight!. I was a bit intimidated about the thought that I might be the only one to sink out. Fortunately I hooked into a thermal and climbed high. When I accomplished my desired 2,000' climb out, I radioed to the others that I was headed for Lyons, a local town along the front range about 12 miles away. Did anyone want to join me?
XC flying a paraglider is a serious undertaking so this got most of my attention. I was helped in this task by Armin Klotz flying beside me. We could use each others 360's to know where the next thermal was and we slowly progressed towards our goal. I suggested to Armin that we aim for the very visible running track next to the high school. Lex Shepherd, another of the pilots that had launched with us, joined us as we approached Lyons. He had been flying on his own but joined us a lunch celebration at the local Mexican restaurant.
Granger Banks
Flying North toward Lyons, over HWY 36
And here is a brief recount by Lex: At the time of hearing pilots were attempting to fly to Lyons I was still waiting to find significant lift. Shortly after that one core led to the next enabling me to fly North. Finding myself at ~ 12K ft MSL over Lake of the Pines, I heard radio communications that Granger and Armin were landing at the very visible running track in Lyons, I decided to apply full speed bar towards Lyons and join the party. Softly touching down on freshly mowed lawn near the track, then celebrating an awesome day of flying at the local Mexican restaurant, added to a magnificent day indeed. Thanks to Suzie for joining in on the celebration and for giving us a ride home.
Lex Shepherd
Thermalling in North Boulder flight site: Looking South to the city of Boulder and beyond. Approximate altitude: 4.000 ft above ground.
North Launch site : Hike-up, Parking by the LZ
- Level: P2 under mild conditions, P3 or greater under strong weather conditions
- Vertical: 670 ft at Upper Launch, 375 ft at Lower Launch
- Site: Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks
- Reqts: USHPA membership and BoPac or RMHPA membership.
- Primary Club: Boulder Paragliding Club
- Cost: N/A
- Access: Hiking trailing 3/4 mile to Upper Launch (30-45 minutes)
- Weather: East facing hill, launchable with NE through SE winds.
There are two on-line weather stations operational for the North Boulder flight site. The one on the property of a neighbor by the LZ:
http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KCOBOULD43
and one on the ridge:
http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KCOBOULD45.
- Parking: Locust St & 6th Street, in lot or on the street.
Important: Must stay on hiking trails, see sign at trailhead for more details. Excellent potential for ridge and thermal soaring.
South Launch site : Drive-up, Dropp-off & Turn Around only - No-parking allowed.
This is a drop-off-only launch area. Do not park on Pine Needle Road. Pilots accessing the launch from the west side of the ridge are required to be dropped off with their gear at the pull-out/turnaround area of Pine Needle Road (see map), while the driver returns to the Foothills Nature Center or Locust Avenue parking areas. Illegal parking on Pine Needle Road is enforced by the Boulder County Sheriff and Open Space and Mountain Parks Rangers.
Please respect the privacy of property owners. Do not drive beyond the pull-out area, as there are no other places to turn around. Do not turn around in private driveways.
Please click here to read the complete guidellines set forth by OSMP, BoPaC and RMHPA.
N 40 02 54.2 W 105 17 59.60
Lat 40.0473 Long - 105.2988 (WGS84)
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Upper Launch
N 40 03.377 W 105 17.991
Lat 40.056283 Long -105.299850 (WGS84)
3/4 Launch
N 40 03.331 W 105 17.931
Lat 40.055517 Long -105.29885 (WGS84)
Lower Launch
N 40 03.357 W 105 17.814
Lat 40.05595 Long -105.2969 (WGS84)
LZ
N 40 03.306 W 105 17.447
Lat 40.0551 Long -105.290783 (WGS84)
Parking
N 40 03.240 W 105 17.374
Lat 40.054 Long -105.289567 (WGS84)
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Boulder: Dakota Ridge
(Currently Closed)
- Level: P2
- Vertical: 650 ft at Upper Launch
- Site: Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks
- Reqts: USHPA membership
- Primary Club: Boulder Paragliding Club
- Cost: N/A
- Access: Hiking trail, 45 minute hike to launch.
- Weather: East facing hill, launchable in NE to SE winds.
- Parking: Trailhead parking on N Broadway St, located a few hundred yards north of the intersection of 28th St and Broadway.
- Other: Currently closed. Limited landing area, please read signs at trailhead. Prairie dog habitat.
Boulder: Swift Launch or Beech Aircraft Launch
(Currently Closed)
- Level: P3, P2 sponsored
- Vertical: Approximately 1000 ft.
- Site: Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks
- Reqts: USHPA membership
- Primary Club: Boulder Paragliding Club
- Cost: N/A
- Access: Drive up then 15 minute hike to ridge.
- Weather: East facing hill, launchable with NE to SE winds.
- Parking: Old Stage Road, no designated lot.
- Other: Currently closed, please minimize vehicles since there is no designated parking area. Could be excellent potential for ridge and thermal soaring.
Golden: Lookout Mountain or Mt. Zion
- Level: P3, P2 sponsored
- Vertical: 980 ft
- Site: Colorado School of Mines
- Reqts: USHPA and RMHGA membership
- Primary Club: RMHGA
- Cost: N/A
- Access: Drive up then 10 minute hike to launch area.
- Weather: Two launch points, launchable with NNE to SSE winds.
- Parking: Intersection of Rt 93 and Rt 6 - South 1/2 mile.
- Other: Small LZ, be very confident with spot landing ability. Excellent potential for ridge and thermal soaring. Very good hang glider site.
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- Level: P2
- Vertical: 900 ft
- Site:Colorado Trail Foundation and US Forest Service
- Reqts: USHPA and RMHGA membership
- Primary Club: RMHGA
- Cost: N/A
- Access: Drive up site, 4x4 vehicle strongly recommended.
- Weather: South facing hill, launchable in SE to SE winds.
- Parking: Dirt 4x4 road at launch area.
- Other: LZ is south of the highway, power lines near the LZ.
Launch
N 39 24.876 W 105 46.356
Lat 39.4146 Long -105.7726 (WGS84)
LZ
N 39 24.234 W 105 46.494
Lat 39.4039 Long -105.7749 (WGS84)
Visit Summit Paragliding in Village Square, Copper Mountain Ski Resort
- Level: P4, P3 sponsored
- Vertical: Approximately 2,500 ft.
- Site: US Forest Service
- Reqts: Visit Summit Paragliding for release forms and further info.
- Primary Club: Vail Valley Soaring Club
- Cost: Lift ticket in winter, see Summit Paragliding for summer details.
- Access: Ski-lift in winter, Drive up in summer via Summit Paragliding.
- Weather: West facing hill, launchable in SW to NW winds.
- Parking: Plenty of parking at Copper Mountain Ski Resort
- Other: Contact Summit Paragliding for details.
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- Level: P2
- Vertical: 2,440 ft
- Site: US Forest Service
- Reqts: USHPA and RMHGA membership
- Primary Club: RMHGA
- Cost: N/A
- Access: Drive up site, 4x4 vehicle strongly recommended
- Weather: West facing hill, launchable in SW to NW winds.
- Parking: Dirt 4x4 road and pull off at launch area.
- Other: Weak conditions in early morning can quickly turn to blowout conditions by late morning. Excellent hang glider site. Room for camping.
Launch
N 39 54.824 W 106 15.474
Lat 39.913733 Long -106.2579 (WGS84)
LZ
N 39 53.310 W 106 17.374
Lat 39.8885 Long -106.289567 (WGS84)
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- Level: P3 or +
- Vertical: 2,685 ft
- Site: US Forest Service?
- Reqts: USHPA membership
- Primary Club: Glenwood Soaring Society - Tel. (970) 274 1619.
- Cost: It is required to join Glenwood Soaring Society ($25)
- Access: Drive up site, 4x4 vehicle recommended.
- Weather: South East facing hill, launchable in NE to S winds.
- Parking: Narrow dirt roads, parking not recommended at launch.
Other: Be cautious of mountain flying conditions here. This is a P3 site or P2 sponsored by P3, P4 or P5, or an instructor. It is on the lee side and can be very strong and dangerous during the summer season.
Launch
N 39 34.986 W 107 53.622
Lat 39.5831 Long -107.8937 (WGS84)
NOTE: Approximate coordinates, did not record actual values.
LZ
N 39 34.959 W 107 49.912
Lat 39.58265 Long -107.831867 (WGS84)
- Level: P2 with tow equipment, P3 if foot launch due to cliff.
- Vertical: 3,780 ft
- Site: US Forest Service
- Reqts: USHPA membership, tow launch equip strongly recommended.
- Primary Club: Vail Valley Soaring Club?, contact Xavier at VVSC.
- Cost: N/A
- Access: Drive up site, paved road.
- Weather: South facing cliff, wind direction depends on launch mode.
- Parking: Small parking lot at restrooms at top of Mesa
- Other: There is a large (200+ feet) dropoff at the edge of the mesa, we tow launched from the field above then flew over the edge of the mesa. There is no defined LZ so aim for Reeder Mesa area as there are a few good landing areas headed towards Reeder Mesa.
Launch
N 39 01.526 W 108 13.413
Lat 39.025433 Long -108.22355 (WGS84)
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- Level: P2
- Vertical: 545 feet.
- Site: Unknown
- Reqts: USHPA membership
- Primary Club: Vail Valley Soaring Club, contact Xavier at VVSC.
- Cost: N/A
- Access: Drive up site, passes through private property.
- Weather: North launch faces SW, South launch faces SE.
- Parking: Plenty of room to park on the mesa.
- Other: Contact Xavier at Vail Valley Soaring Club for details. Permission required to enter private land. Weak early morning conditions may quickly build to blowout conditions by later morning to early afternoon. Excellent ridge soaring potential.
North Launch
N 38 58.932 W 108 22.230
Lat 38.9822 Long -108.3705 (WGS84)
NOTE: Approximate coordinates, did not record actual values.
Look for 36" white ladder to climb wire fence, launch area is on other side of fence, rocks cleared in takeoff area.
South Launch
N 38 58.368 W 108 22.313
Lat 38.9728 Long -108.371883 (WGS84)
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