Airy Weekend - September 13/14

This was quite the flying weekend! Two days of paragliding and lots of “firsts”: first flight from a new site (Mt. Woodside), first day with 4 flights, first landing on Big Ears, first tandem spiral with Tom (and huge wingovers), first early morning flight after camping at Bridal launch (watching the sunrise while floating through the air all by myself). My favored flight was the one from Elk Mountain, which is just around the corner in the Chilliwack Valley (first hike&fly). Pretty cool to see the rapids I paddled so many times from a birds perspective. And also the first day of paragliding that really exhausted me (the physical effort, not an imminent heat stroke).


Team Deimos checking out Harvest Dykes LZ (not our shuttle truck)


Woodside Launch


Afternoon rush hour above Woodside


Tom talking Jeremy through maneuvers


Pete cruising with Harrison Lake in the background


Last evening flight - Fraser Valley view from a front row (pilot) seat


Setting up at Elk Mountain, after 800 m elevation gain with a 15 kg pack


Hikers and Flyers in front of Border Peaks and Tomihoy


Tom testing the air and Mt. Baker


Tire wire


Tire fix




Wil and Laura launching from Bridal:

Lady Peak Hike - September 7

Lady Peak - Route follows scree slopes to ridge line on left

What a great hike up Lady Peak! Several plus points: You can drive to the alpine (albeit a 4WD is needed). Short approach. Exciting scrambling on the ridge. Excellent views over the Chilliwack Valley peaks, Mt Baker and down to Jones Lake. Everybody else hikes Mt. Cheam. Quite the crowd – the trailhead parking lot was full and vehicles were parking on the logging road.


Excellent ridge scramble on Lady Peak


Fraser Valley and Harrison Lake below


Mt Cheam

Needle Peak in Summer - August 24

Due to lots of paragliding (and parawaiting), we haven't done much hiking all summer. Finally the forecast was so bad for the valley that I could convince Pete to leave the wing in the car for one day.


Needle is the highest point to the right



Sampling berries on the way up.


Pete scrambling up the summit block. Flatiron Mt in the back.


On Needle summit. Yak Peak right above my head




You can see the front of dark clouds approaching but we were lucky and got off the granit slaps before it started raining.

Tatshenshini - August 4 to 12 (13..14..)

Still haven't managed to sort through the pictures. This is the problem with memory cards getting so cheap now. And with taking several cameras on the trip.

But the report and pictures will be up as soon as the rain starts to fall on the Westcoast. (And before it turns to fluffy pow.)