Site ideas for a big Western US soaring trip next season

On Sunday, December 29, 2019 at 11:11:27 AM UTC-7, Airport Bum wrote:
So, it is raining outside and I haven't been soaring in a long time, so naturally I am thinking about soaring next season.... I'll bet I am not the only one.

The big plan is a soaring safari to the Western US next season. I may be able to take as long as 2+ months. I am looking for ideas for unique/new/underflown as well as classic soaring sites to try. And maybe other folk would like to hear ideas for such sites also, hence this post.

I fly a self-launcher (ASH-26E) so I don't need a towplane, but I do like the company (and buddy system) of other soaring pilots. I like to camp on the airfield in my simple truck camper (nice to have an electric power hookup). I will need to find a shower at least every few days, haha.

I would like to assemble a long list of possible sites, I'll be watching the weather and soaring conditions and deciding where to go based on what looks good at the time. And where fun folk and flying might be.

Here is where I have been on previous soaring trips, all of which were great fun and are on my do-again list:

Parowan Utah
Moriarty New Mexico
Montrose Colorado
Salida Colorado (although field elevation at 7500 ft is at, and on hot days above, my climb performance limits)
King Mountain Idaho (open next year, I hope)
Most of the Southern California desert sites, but many years ago....

Places that I have heard are great and want to try some day:

Ely Nevada
Tonopah Nevada
Nephi Utah
Boulder Colorado
Rifle Colorado
Logan Utah
Mackay Idaho
Kingman Arizona (hello Paul!)

Please post comments on these sites and primarily more site ideas, as well as info on any camps or meets you know about that might not make it into the SSA calendar. Or PM me if you don't want broad publication of these camps/meets, understandable. Include as much detail as you can! Thanks!

Cheers,
Jim J6
Having been a member of the Soaring Society of Boulder CO for 28yrs, I highly recommend that site! I also recommend Eagle Soaring airfield in Steamboat Springs CO, my current club. The Park mountain range is nearby and provides good lift during the May-September soaring season.
Ted Frost

On Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 11:03:14 AM UTC-5, Ted Frost wrote:
On Sunday, December 29, 2019 at 11:11:27 AM UTC-7, Airport Bum wrote:
So, it is raining outside and I haven't been soaring in a long time, so naturally I am thinking about soaring next season.... I'll bet I am not the only one.

The big plan is a soaring safari to the Western US next season. I may be able to take as long as 2+ months. I am looking for ideas for unique/new/underflown as well as classic soaring sites to try. And maybe other folk would like to hear ideas for such sites also, hence this post.

I fly a self-launcher (ASH-26E) so I don't need a towplane, but I do like the company (and buddy system) of other soaring pilots. I like to camp on the airfield in my simple truck camper (nice to have an electric power hookup). I will need to find a shower at least every few days, haha.

I would like to assemble a long list of possible sites, I'll be watching the weather and soaring conditions and deciding where to go based on what looks good at the time. And where fun folk and flying might be.

Here is where I have been on previous soaring trips, all of which were great fun and are on my do-again list:

Parowan Utah
Moriarty New Mexico
Montrose Colorado
Salida Colorado (although field elevation at 7500 ft is at, and on hot days above, my climb performance limits)
King Mountain Idaho (open next year, I hope)
Most of the Southern California desert sites, but many years ago....

Places that I have heard are great and want to try some day:

Ely Nevada
Tonopah Nevada
Nephi Utah
Boulder Colorado
Rifle Colorado
Logan Utah
Mackay Idaho
Kingman Arizona (hello Paul!)

Please post comments on these sites and primarily more site ideas, as well as info on any camps or meets you know about that might not make it into the SSA calendar. Or PM me if you don't want broad publication of these camps/meets, understandable. Include as much detail as you can! Thanks!

Cheers,
Jim J6
Having been a member of the Soaring Society of Boulder CO for 28yrs, I highly recommend that site! I also recommend Eagle Soaring airfield in Steamboat Springs CO, my current club. The Park mountain range is nearby and provides good lift during the May-September soaring season.
Ted Frost


Eagle Soaring airfield in Steamboat Springs CO
Winch and self-launch only? No aerotowing or can that be arranged if needed?

Uli
'AS'

On Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 5:59:44 PM UTC-7, AS wrote:
On Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 11:03:14 AM UTC-5, Ted Frost wrote:
On Sunday, December 29, 2019 at 11:11:27 AM UTC-7, Airport Bum wrote:
So, it is raining outside and I haven't been soaring in a long time, so naturally I am thinking about soaring next season.... I'll bet I am not the only one.

The big plan is a soaring safari to the Western US next season. I may be able to take as long as 2+ months. I am looking for ideas for unique/new/underflown as well as classic soaring sites to try. And maybe other folk would like to hear ideas for such sites also, hence this post.

I fly a self-launcher (ASH-26E) so I don't need a towplane, but I do like the company (and buddy system) of other soaring pilots. I like to camp on the airfield in my simple truck camper (nice to have an electric power hookup). I will need to find a shower at least every few days, haha.

I would like to assemble a long list of possible sites, I'll be watching the weather and soaring conditions and deciding where to go based on what looks good at the time. And where fun folk and flying might be.

Here is where I have been on previous soaring trips, all of which were great fun and are on my do-again list:

Parowan Utah
Moriarty New Mexico
Montrose Colorado
Salida Colorado (although field elevation at 7500 ft is at, and on hot days above, my climb performance limits)
King Mountain Idaho (open next year, I hope)
Most of the Southern California desert sites, but many years ago....

Places that I have heard are great and want to try some day:

Ely Nevada
Tonopah Nevada
Nephi Utah
Boulder Colorado
Rifle Colorado
Logan Utah
Mackay Idaho
Kingman Arizona (hello Paul!)

Please post comments on these sites and primarily more site ideas, as well as info on any camps or meets you know about that might not make it into the SSA calendar. Or PM me if you don't want broad publication of these camps/meets, understandable. Include as much detail as you can! Thanks!

Cheers,
Jim J6
Having been a member of the Soaring Society of Boulder CO for 28yrs, I highly recommend that site! I also recommend Eagle Soaring airfield in Steamboat Springs CO, my current club. The Park mountain range is nearby and provides good lift during the May-September soaring season.
Ted Frost


Eagle Soaring airfield in Steamboat Springs CO
Winch and self-launch only? No aerotowing or can that be arranged if needed?

Uli
'AS'

On Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 5:59:44 PM UTC-7, AS wrote:
On Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 11:03:14 AM UTC-5, Ted Frost wrote:
On Sunday, December 29, 2019 at 11:11:27 AM UTC-7, Airport Bum wrote:
So, it is raining outside and I haven't been soaring in a long time, so naturally I am thinking about soaring next season.... I'll bet I am not the only one.

The big plan is a soaring safari to the Western US next season. I may be able to take as long as 2+ months. I am looking for ideas for unique/new/underflown as well as classic soaring sites to try. And maybe other folk would like to hear ideas for such sites also, hence this post.

I fly a self-launcher (ASH-26E) so I don't need a towplane, but I do like the company (and buddy system) of other soaring pilots. I like to camp on the airfield in my simple truck camper (nice to have an electric power hookup). I will need to find a shower at least every few days, haha.

I would like to assemble a long list of possible sites, I'll be watching the weather and soaring conditions and deciding where to go based on what looks good at the time. And where fun folk and flying might be.

Here is where I have been on previous soaring trips, all of which were great fun and are on my do-again list:

Parowan Utah
Moriarty New Mexico
Montrose Colorado
Salida Colorado (although field elevation at 7500 ft is at, and on hot days above, my climb performance limits)
King Mountain Idaho (open next year, I hope)
Most of the Southern California desert sites, but many years ago....

Places that I have heard are great and want to try some day:

Ely Nevada
Tonopah Nevada
Nephi Utah
Boulder Colorado
Rifle Colorado
Logan Utah
Mackay Idaho
Kingman Arizona (hello Paul!)

Please post comments on these sites and primarily more site ideas, as well as info on any camps or meets you know about that might not make it into the SSA calendar. Or PM me if you don't want broad publication of these camps/meets, understandable. Include as much detail as you can! Thanks!

Cheers,
Jim J6
Having been a member of the Soaring Society of Boulder CO for 28yrs, I highly recommend that site! I also recommend Eagle Soaring airfield in Steamboat Springs CO, my current club. The Park mountain range is nearby and provides good lift during the May-September soaring season.
Ted Frost


Eagle Soaring airfield in Steamboat Springs CO
Winch and self-launch only? No aerotowing or can that be arranged if needed?

Uli
'AS'
Correct, we use a winch which usually allows us to achieve almost 2,000'agl.. No towing available yet, though one of our members has indicated an interest in using his C182 for that purpose. Field elevation of 6,700'msl should work for your aircraft. As you can see from the photos on the Steamboat Springs Soaring Assn. (SSSA) website http://soarsteamboat.org, it's a beautiful setting with lots of good XC potential nearby.

Ted Frost wrote on 11/21/2020 8:03 AM:
Having been a member of the Soaring Society of Boulder CO for 28yrs, I highly recommend that site! I also recommend Eagle Soaring airfield in Steamboat Springs CO, my current club. The Park mountain range is nearby and provides good lift during the May-September soaring season.
Ted Frost

I prefer a paved airport for my ASH26E self-launcher, instead of Eagle Soaring's turf. Would
operating out of Steamboat Springs be a reasonable alternative? It has a great runway and low
activity, according to Airnav.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

On Saturday, November 28, 2020 at 8:12:11 AM UTC-7, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Ted Frost wrote on 11/21/2020 8:03 AM:
Having been a member of the Soaring Society of Boulder CO for 28yrs, I highly recommend that site! I also recommend Eagle Soaring airfield in Steamboat Springs CO, my current club. The Park mountain range is nearby and provides good lift during the May-September soaring season.
Ted Frost
I prefer a paved airport for my ASH26E self-launcher, instead of Eagle Soaring's turf. Would
operating out of Steamboat Springs be a reasonable alternative? It has a great runway and low
activity, according to Airnav.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1
Bob Adams airport, the municipal airport operated by the City, is ~2mi NE of Eagle Soaring airfield and offers a paved runway. As a new resident of Steamboat Springs I've only heard of one motorglider calling the pattern there. You're correct that activity there is light and self-launching shouldn't be a problem.

Bob Adams airport, the municipal airport operated by the City, is ~2mi NE of Eagle Soaring airfield and offers a paved runway.
As a new resident of Steamboat Springs I've only heard of one motorglider calling the pattern there.
You're correct that activity there is light and self-launching shouldn't be a problem.

I trust the airport manager there is more hospitable than was the case ~12 years ago. It ranks as the second-worst treatment I've ever witnessed. We wound up moving, and made a couple of launches (the first ones in gliders, I expect) from what is now Eagle Soaring.

In terms of soaring possibilities, both these sites are first-rate.

On 12/2/20 8:53 AM, John Good wrote:
Bob Adams airport, the municipal airport operated by the City, is ~2mi NE of Eagle Soaring airfield and offers a paved runway.
As a new resident of Steamboat Springs I've only heard of one motorglider calling the pattern there.
You're correct that activity there is light and self-launching shouldn't be a problem.

I trust the airport manager there is more hospitable than was the case ~12 years ago. It ranks as the second-worst treatment I've ever witnessed. We wound up moving, and made a couple of launches (the first ones in gliders, I expect) from what is now Eagle Soaring.

In terms of soaring possibilities, both these sites are first-rate.


I Haven't flown out of the municipal airport, but believe it's got lots
of private jets. Yampa Valley used to be a good alternative, but it's
got commercial traffic now.

Highly recommend Craig, good runway, friendly people, easy to get east
over Steamboat into North Park. Flew there a couple years ago.

I Haven't flown out of the municipal airport, but believe it's got lots
of private jets.

It has one 4450' runway at an elevation of almost 7000' - could be challenging for a decent percentage of private jets.


Highly recommend Craig, good runway, friendly people

Craig gets two thumbs up. The scenery on a flight west from there to Dinosaur National Monument / Vernal UT should impress anyone.

On Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 6:28:11 PM UTC-7, John Good wrote:
I Haven't flown out of the municipal airport, but believe it's got lots
of private jets.
It has one 4450' runway at an elevation of almost 7000' - could be challenging for a decent percentage of private jets.
Highly recommend Craig, good runway, friendly people
Craig gets two thumbs up. The scenery on a flight west from there to Dinosaur National Monument / Vernal UT should impress anyone.

One consideration would be to download and fly potential locations on Condor. Most of the Western US is now covered by various maps/sceneries on Condor2. For MT that would include the Yellowstone and Ronan sceneries.