My friend Jason runs a swing dancing school in Abbotsford - http://www.suburbanswing.com - and each year they hold their popular Hallowe'en dance, complete with prizes and trophies for best costumes.  Jet Set Paragliding got involved this year by sponsoring the "Scariest Costume" prize.   Why?  So you can all see…this costume is a lot more frightening than paragliding (as if clowns aren't scary enough!).

On a 2010 winter trip to Ecuador, our group went looking for refreshments after our flight into a small village.  Paul and I decided on Pu-Pu.

Looks like we may have a short yet flyable window this afternoon.  The ground will be wet from raining all day so anyone who comes out will probably have to dry out their paraglider before packing it up.  Building a fort is a functional and fun way to take care of your wing!

With all the weather systems moving through these days, it's a good time to practice your sky knowledge.  This chart shows the most common types of clouds we're likely to see.

I don't think any Canadians did the trek down to Chelan for the fly-in this year…with the weather looking gloomy it's a long drive for no paragliding!  Here's a pic from 2010 (?) when we had sunny skies and nice flying for the event.

Another shot from Friday's hike and fly.  At this point, all struggles of the hike are long forgotten.

One reason I chose to move out to the Valley from The Big City was to take advantage of living close to the mountains and to be able to catch last minute flights.  Yesterday was a perfect example!  Kevin (another local) called me up and convinced me to go for a hike and fly up Elk Mountain.  We timed it perfectly, after the strong outflow winds of the morning and before the next weather system moved in.  After an hour and a half of hiking, we arrived up top to light winds.  Soon we were gliding back into the valley with huge smiles, landing softly beside our vehicles.

A question I get asked a lot is, "What is your favourite flying spot?"  It's impossible to pick just one, as there are so many wonderful spots that I've been lucky enough to paraglide at all over the world.  One of my favourite experiences though is in Lienz, Austria.  You meet early at the landing zone, then drive up and hike in to a mountain hut to eat breakfast and watch the sun rise over the Dolomites.  Then you launch in the still morning air to glide across the valley and watch the town wake up below your feet. After landing back at your car, you are ready to start your 'normal' flying day...

There are so many spots to discover in the Chilliwack area, if you have a rugged vehicle or a desire for some good hiking.  Found this picture of "Sowerby" a few years back, a spot discovered by a paraglider as he was logging in the area.  Landing areas were pretty sketchy so the launch never really took off, but on this day Alan gave it a try.  

According to the weather site recommended to me by a local, the weather looks fantastic for flying in Chelan, WA this weekend.  Check out the Chelan weather link  to stay in the loop and plan for your trip.  And don't forget your flying costume!  More info on the Chelan Fly-In here.