Cliffside Update
Dave Gridley
(Sorry for the repeat post from the telegram channel, but I know a number of folks don't watch that closely or have it muted).
I've got to chat with quite a few of you directly lately, but I wanted to send this note to all the pilots around the area about Cliffside.
Before anything else, I want to thank Reed. For years, his efforts and personal investment are why the club and many of the sites we love are still flyable today.
It’s been a few months, but I wanted to officially share that I've decided to take on the next stage of things out at Cliffside and have purchased the property from Reed. My main goal is simple, to keep Cliffside operating as one of the main flying sites in the Pacific Northwest. Cliffside holds a lot of my most core community flying memories. From taking some of my first flights, first XC journeys, to working toward my own USHPA tandem certification and sharing freeflight with others.
To be clear, this is a true passion project for me. I don't see this as being a financial benefit (and I certainly don't want it to turn into a liability!). I took this on because I genuinely love the site and want to ensure its future.
The Future of Flying Access and Stewardship
I know many of you have questions about access and management.
The flying community's continued access, safety, good stewardship, and maintenance of the site will be managed by both an independent management agreement and the Cascade Paragliding Club. This is key: it will allow the site to be used for free flight even into the next chapters, granted we as a community are actively involved in its preservation.
To support this, the club has refreshed the site guide. Please take the time to review it for continued updates around site intros and known hazards. If you are new to the site or in your early P2/P3 days, please make sure you introduce yourself and ask questions of the folks that are out flying.
Working Together: Site Maintenance
While the CPC has the official responsibility for maintenance as part of our agreement, I want to lead the charge on some of these projects because I am part of this flying community! Since this is truly a passion project, I'll be diving into some upkeep and will be coordinating with the community soon.
We'll be organizing a few work parties (hopefully on those promising days that turn into parawaiting). For example, the road needs regular attention (I recently spent some time with a shovel and made some decent, albeit temporary, progress on the washboard), and the persistent Star Thistle near the launch and parking areas is a constant battle. Please watch for upcoming Club announcements. A new lock was also just added to the gate: combo is listed in the site guide (1519).
A Critical Reminder
Finally, one of the biggest areas of concern for me, and something I urge everyone to be mindful of, is ensuring all flyers have updated/current USHPA memberships.
This is crucial. The continued operation of Cliffside is maintained through a mutual agreement between the Club (CPC) and the landowner, which includes a formal written management plan. Proper USHPA membership is the non-negotiable component fundamental to this entire agreement, established with the dual purpose of maintaining the flying site and limiting liability for involved parties. The published site guide has more info on how this continues to be a collective responsibility as we welcome/chat with pilots we may not know while we are out flying.
I’m very excited about this new chapter for Cliffside and look forward to seeing all of you back up in the skies there soon! Cheers -Dave Gridley