| Soaring
Sites (updated 10/29/04) |
Thermal & Electric Soaring
Slope Soaring -- Washington State
Saddle Mountain -- Eastern Washington State
Many thanks and kudos go to Chris Erickson for sharing the fruits of his
explorations!
Quartz Mountain (Thanks to Jeanibee Skotvold for this neat map!)
This spot near Cle Elum is a slope soaring "super site" -- unparalleled scenic
beauty combined with great wind conditions.
Horse Canyon & Yakima River Overlook -- between Cle Elum and Ellensburg, Washington
Swauk Butte -- near Yakima River Overlook between Cle Elum and Ellensburg, Washington
Issaquah: Gravel Pit North of I-90 (This site is CLOSED due to active construction at the slope)
Richland: Eagle Butte and Kiona Butte -- Eastern Washington State
Two legendary slopes
near Richland, Washington -- perhaps the best there is. Mid-Columbia Soarers Eagle
Butte's Caretakers: website
Ellensburg:
Table Mountain -- Eastern Washington State
North 20+ miles out of Ellensburg in
mountains at 6300' elevation. Easy drive. Bold and beautiful. Foamies only.
Ellensburg: Lower Table Mountain -- Eastern Washington State
Cashmere: Yaksum Ridge -- Eastern Washington State
Whidbey Island: Fort Ebey -- Western Washington State (Parks Dept. Info)
Whidbey Island: Ebey's Landing -- Western Washington State (Parks Dept. Info)
Whidbey Island: Sky Meadows/Penn Cove is CLOSED by request of the property owners
Discovery
Park -- Seattle, Washington
Maps for the following sites will be available in the future:
Slope Soaring -- Other
Los Angeles
- Temple Hill: You are close to one of the best slopes in the LA area. Temple Hill is off the 57 frwy at Temple. Go east on Temple off the 57. Turn left onto Mission. On the right about 500 feet turn right into the housing area. Follow the street up hill until you can make a right then make the first left. Keep going up the street until you level out and there is a large water tank in the trees on the north side. Walk alongside the fence up the hill and follow the trail about a half mile. It goes down then back up to the top of the hill to the west. There is a bench and the slope looks out to the SW. Great slope lift as well as killer thermals. Just be careful and don't get behind the hill. It drops of steeply and has a visicious rotor. There are usually people on the hill after 2 or 3 PM when the SW winds blow. There are lots of combat fliers at Temple. They have impromptu meets on teh weekends. Unfortunatly the hill won't fly in a Santa Ana condition. Chect out the Inland Slope Rebels web page for direction to a number of slope sites in the Riverside area. Some of them will fly in a Santa Ana condition. [Thanks to Wes Pearson]
Other Sites (Charles River Radio Controllers)
Seattle Area Weather Information
Washington Area Soaring Weather Webpage
Additional sources for weather information:
Seattle Times Info Line 464-2000
Whidbey Island Winds - Admiralty Inlet (Ebey's Landing)
ATIS' automated weather announcements at the local airports
Paine Field 355-9797
SeaTac 241-6025
If you know of another Washington or Northwest flying site, please email RED with directions and a description of the type of flying it offers. Thanks!