Paragliding High Above the Chuckanut Range

The launch site on the shoulder of Blanchard Mountain at the southern end of the Chuckanuts is a popular hangout for Para gliders and Hang gliders from across the US and Canada.

Winds coming in off of the Salish Sea drive up and over the Chuckanuts, thermals generated in the fields create the updrafts that can keep skilled pilots aloft for hours when conditions are just right.

I've sat and watched as para gliders, hawks and eagles shared the same thermals, lazily circling and rising almost effortlessly.

©Paul K. Anderson