Flying Weaver Bally last weekend

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Scott Harding

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Oct 24, 2018, 10:27:58 PM10/24/18
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Last weekend, Rick, Deb, and I met up to fly Weaver Bally with a couple of the local pilots. Upon Rick's request, here's the report.

Weaver Bally is a long-time flying site just outside Weaverville, CA, a 3-hour scenic drive from Ashland. The site hasn't been very active but there are now a couple paraglider pilots (Chris Kennedy and Paul York) in Weaverville and it is getting used again regularly.

Weaver Bally's stand out feature is its location at the southern end of the Trinity Alps and above the Trinity River. It's beautiful, rugged country with 9,000-foot granite peaks nearby. It's a full vertical mile from launch to LZ so it feels big (launch is at 7000 feet). You launch next to a staffed fire lookout tower on Shasta-Trinity National Forest, surrounded by the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area. The road to launch is well-maintained gravel and leaves right from the high school in town.

Last Saturday's weather was windy and the flying wasn't great but Sunday was much better. Six paraglider pilots flew from the east-facing launch at 11:30am (you can also launch west or south). Lift was nice, fall-like, and topped out near 10,000 feet. The views are stunning and you quickly find yourself flying above an alpine lake and craggy peaks right near launch. Even bigger peaks loom nearby. Thermals were smooth and the flying was very nice with fall colors below. The local hospitality was good too!

The site's XC potential is great but largely unexplored, although the local pilots have flown to Lewiston (12 miles) and a visiting pilot flew a super deep, high altitude loop over the Trinity Alps last year, landing back in Weaverville after a 3-hour tour of the most remote area in Northern California.

The only catch is that it's a bit of a glide to the better LZs to the east (but totally doable in the right conditions). The LZ to the south is closer but out of sight along the Trinity River. It's designated wilderness with no roads below the launch: there are no bailouts short of the main LZs so making it there is essential. That said, this isn't a site for beginners and a solid understanding of the weather is important but for the right pilot it isn't too daunting.

It's definitely a site worth checking out, and there's great lakeside and riverside camping plus all the amenities of town in Weaverville. I think we'll all be headed back.

Photos attached and links to video and more info are below.




Weaverville View.jpg
Weaver Bally Lookout View.jpg
Weaver Bally Trinity Alps View.jpg

Sam Crocker

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Oct 25, 2018, 10:30:52 AM10/25/18
to Scott Harding, RVHPA

Wish I coulda made it that weekend. Looks like a fun place to fly!



Soft Landings,

Sam Crocker
Tandem Flights and Instruction
Medford, OR


From: rv...@googlegroups.com <rv...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Scott Harding <river...@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2018 7:27 PM
To: RVHPA
Subject: {RVHPA} Flying Weaver Bally last weekend
 
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Steven Carter

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Oct 25, 2018, 11:48:20 PM10/25/18
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Scott:

Thank you for a fantastic report. I see that there are many more details in Paragliding Earth, some of which you supplied. That’s helpful too.

Steven Carter
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