Falling For Flying -- Tiger Mountain Offers Paragliders Thrilling Views Of Issaquah Valley

A thin membrane of fabric and a jungle of thin cords held the two bodies more than 1,600 above the valley floor. Desperate as the situation sounds, this was no rescue scenario. They were doing it for fun.

Paragliders routinely run off the steep face of Poo Poo Point on Tiger Mountain, Rampart Ridge near Snoqualmie Pass and just about any other high, open ridge in the state that hikers can reach.

Donna Meshke and pilot Mark Chirico were floating over the Issaquah valley suspended from a bright yellow gossamer wing.

"It was pretty cool," Meshke said. "It wasn't like jumping off a cliff or anything. We just ran down the hill and suddenly my feet weren't touching the ground."

Half parachuting, half hang gliding, paragliding is a sport like no other. Rather than leaping out of perfectly functional airplanes, paragliders launch from gently rounded knolls. Although some are several thousand feet above the valley floor, a miscalculation during takeoff usually means a harmless tumble on a grassy slope.

Hang-glider pilots have cumbersome, heavy equipment to haul up the hill. Conversely, a paraglider wing and harness weigh just 30 to 40 pounds and compress into a lumpy backpack.

Chirico, owner and chief guide/instructor of GoSkyHi paragliding company in Redmond, said the sport is nothing new.

"I've been doing it since 1986," Chirico said. "It's now my life."

Chirico was introduced to the sport in France, near Chamonix,

and was soon an avid participant and instructor. Later, Chirico moved to Cashmere, Chelan County, and established a guide and instruction service.

Shortly after coming to Washington, he moved to the west side of the Cascades and took to the air off Tiger Mountain. Hang gliders had been launching from Poo Poo Point since the '70s. Paragliders need the same basic launch characteristics as a hang glider: a high ridge, with a tapered, open slope down which pilots can run and take to the air.

"I've been here ever since, and it's been my own personal mission to make this as good and as safe a place to fly as I can," Chirico said. Along those lines, he convinced the Department of Natural Resources to allow him to bulldoze a smooth launch site on the north side of Poo Poo Point in 1991, and more recently, a second launch on the south face. "Now we have safe launches whether the wind is from the north or south," he said.

The work was worth it.

"Soaring over the Issaquah valley was an unreal experience," Meshke said. "After running down the slope to launch, you're just sitting in a chair with an incredible view - a chair that floats on the air."

An avid flyer of stunt kites, Meshke noted paragliding is like flying an aerobatic stunt kite. The biggest difference is being suspended directly beneath the kite.

To turn the glider to the left, pull on the left handle, to turn it right pull on the right handle. To go up, pull on both.

OK, it's not quite that simple to learn to fly but the sport is easy enough that it has a dedicated following. Hundreds of paragliders gather at Tiger Mountain on sunny weekends year round, but for many pilots, Poo Poo Point is just a place to practice and fly after work on weekdays. The real thrill for these folks is heading east, where mountains are taller and thermal winds more pronounced.

Hike up the valley toward Snow Lakes near Alpental some sunny Saturday and, by late morning, one might see brilliantly colored crescents floating down from the high ridge above. Rampart Ridge is a popular launch site because it is easily accessible, offers approximately 2,000 feet of vertical and has good thermal updrafts to lift flyers high above the valley and ridges for views of the entire Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.

"If you catch a good strong thermal, you can really soar," paraglider Barry Barr said. Chirico noted paragliders can reach altitudes of 15,000 feet and stay aloft for more than five hours.

"It's the most fun I've ever found," he said. "Flying takes kayaking or something like climbing and makes it invisible and three-dimensional. Flying takes river kayaking and flips it to the vertical, then makes you read the invisible currents in the air."

Many flyers spend weekends on the dry, open hills of Eastern Washington to soar with the hawks and eagles. Barr said Chelan Butte is a favorite destination, as are the hills near Leavenworth, Cashmere and Yakima.

"I've got to where if I'm driving somewhere, I'm scanning the hills going, `I could launch up there,' " Barr said. "I pretty much take it everywhere I go and, if I get a chance, I'll go fly for an hour. There's nothing else like it."

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WHAT IT TAKES TO FLY

Paragliding is not the same as parasailing. Parasailing is done above the water, behind a speeding boat. It requires a big parachute and a fast tow.

Paragliding, on the other hand, is all about soaring on the wind, or even climbing on thermal lifts.

Paragliders are classified as ultralight aircraft and therefore no license is needed. But, the paragliding community is fairly close-knit and self-regulating. Most instructors and guides require novices to pass a certification program so they learn the basics.

Many beginners start with a tandem flight to get a feel for the sport. Several companies offer tandem flights where the clients buckle into a harness in front of the guide.

Airplay, a Cashmere-based operation, is a top-rated paragliding school offering tandem flights and detailed instruction. Airplay's owner, Jabe Blumenthal, says Eastern Washington is best for flights - warm, sunny weather, good thermal lifts among the many peaks and an abundance of gentle slopes for smooth training runs.

Certified instructors provide training and frequently glider rental. The cheapest way to get into the sport is to buy a used wing, typically for $1,000 to $1,500. New gear costs $2,500 to $5,000.

For information, contact Mark Chirico of GoSkyHi at 206-467-5944. Or call Airplay at 509-782-5543 or visit their Web site at www.airplay.com