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Potato Hill ("The Spud")Season: Spring through fall. Only experienced pilots should fly mid-day on most summer days. Bring plenty of water as it gets very hot during the summer. Access: Dirt road; 2WD with good clearance. There is a short (15 minute) walk to launch. Watch out for poison oak and rattlesnakes. There is plenty of parking at launch and in the LZ. Wind Direction: Northeast; Check the "true" wind direction from the parking lot on top before you walk out to launch. Restrictions: The launch and LZ are on national forest land. There are no restrictions to fly here. Novice pilots should fly early or late, especially in the summer. It can get blown out mid-day during the summer and the LZ can be quite "active." You should have good descent techniques, as it can be hard to land mid-day during the summer. Glass-offs have occurred. Launch: 3,400 MSL - N39°20'27" W122°41'06"
(1042m)
Vertical: 1,700' MSL
The LZ is large enough for novice pilots and there are plenty of alternate bail out areas. Landing in the youth facility is OK in an emergency, but try to avoid it and get out fast if you do land there. The LZ can get very turbulent during the summer. Facilities: There are several campgrounds in the area. There are no toilets at launch or in the LZ. The closest town is Stonyford, where there is a store, gasoline and a restaurant. Emergencies: Take radios and cell phones, as there are no pay phones nearby. In case of emergencies, call the U.S. Forest Service in Stonyford: 530.963.3128 and 911. The best place to find cell phone reception is on launch. There is no cell phone reception in the campground or in the LZ. The nearest trauma center is in Chico. Other: There is off-road motor biking on the mountain. There is a nice hiking trail that starts from the Dixie Glade campground. There is a creek near the LZ and, if you continue on the paved road past the turn-off to the launch, you will find Letts Lake. Directions: Take I-5 north to Maxwell. Exit at the first Maxwell exit and then go west to Stonyford. In Stonyford, turn left at the stop sign. Go about 1/4 mile and then bear left on Fouts Spring Road. Go over the hill, down the valley, past the Youth Facility and up the other side of the valley. The LZ is directly across the road from the Youth Facility. Watch on the right for the sign for Dixie Glade campground, about five miles past the Youth Facility. Accommodations Dixie Glade Campground Lat - 39° 20' 10.5936"; Long - 123° 42' 8.9244" Dixie Glade Campground is 13 miles west of Stonyford on M10. It serves as one of the trail heads to the Snow Mountain Wilderness, accessing the Deafy Glade trail. Nestled among the ponderosa pines, douglas firs and oak trees, Dixie Glade has 8 campsites with picnic tables, bar-b-que grills, fire rings and a vault toilet. There is no potable water and and no trash removal, so you must pack out what you pack in. The campground is set up for horse camping, with hitching posts, corrals and watering troughs and is dog friendly. There is no fee for camping. There are other campgrounds in the area, but we like Dixie Glade because it is usually quiet and has cool shade on hot summer days. The Fouts Spring campground, which is on the left before you get to the Youth Facility, has water and you can use their dumpster to dispose of your garbage. The road to launch is the first turn-off on the left after you pass Dixie Glade. |
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Galvin |
The launch area is only large
enough to launch one wing at a time. There are small bushes on both sides and in
front of launch which will slow things down if you abort your launch and your
wing falls into them. Star
Thistle can tangle your lines on launch and in the LZ.
LZ:
N39°21'00" W122°39'43" (523m)
USHPA Advanced Paragliding
Instructor & Observer