Paragliding Larch Hil Canoe Area Larch Hill 1, BC

Elevation: Approximately 1060 meters, Height Difference: Approximately 715 meters. No flight logs found. For more information, visit: [FlyOK](http://www.flyok.ca). Old data from 2010: Note: Bring brushing equipment to maintain the site. Launch Direction: Northwest, North. Suitable for Hang Gliding (HG) and Paragliding (PG). Site Type: Mountain. Flying Type: Thermal and ridge soaring. Elevation Details: - Northwest Launch: 3690 feet above sea level. Landing Zone (LZ): 1175 feet above sea level. GPS: N 50 44 30.7 W 119 11 00.5 - North Launch: 4700 feet above sea level. Landing Zone (LZ): 1200 feet above sea level. GPS: N 50 46 12.8 W 119 09 21.9 Site Regulation: Informal. Cross Country potential: Excellent. Location: Between Salmon Arm and Sicamous in the North Okanagan Valley, South Central British Columbia, Canada. Skill Level Recommendations: Intermediate to Advanced (HPAC Rating). Flying Season: - Spring: Good - Summer: Good - Fall: Good - Winter: Not recommended Vehicle Requirements: High clearance 2WD needed for crossing ditches to the Northwest launch. Launch Description: - Good clean launches. Some trees below the launch could be topped for improvement. - A scenic alternative to Mara with valley winds funneling up the launch face. Launch Road Directions: - Turnoff is 4 km east of Canoe's Federated Co-operative Ltd's Lumber Mill up the 110 Forestry Road (paved for the first 100 meters). - West Launch: Turn right at the 7.6 km mark and continue for 2.4 km, totaling 10 km. Carpeted HG (advanced PG) launch off a large parking area. A small, higher cleared area 20 meters above the roadside launch is a bare minimum PG launch that needs raking and carpets. - North Launch: Follow the main road for a total of 8.7 km into the launch. Take the left forks at the 7.7 and 7.8 km marks. This is an advanced site due to the long glide to the largest LZ. The bomb-out LZ is very small and usable only during low water periods. Great smooth thermals well away from the hill. Finding the launch can be difficult; go with a local pilot the first time or print out these directions. Best Times to Fly: Late morning onwards. Earlier with north winds at the north launch, westerly winds at the west launch. Soaring Information and Weather Notes: During stable summer days, often has the only cumulus clouds in the valley. Landing Zone (LZ) Description: - West Launch: Large fields south of Canoe. The primary LZ for both launches is immediately south of the Canoe Federated Co-op Lumber Mill when crops are down. Check first. Alternative LZs include the public beach 2 km west of the Canoe Mill. - North Launch: Advanced rated site due to the main LZ being a long 5:1 glide west to the Canoe LZs, which can't be seen from the launch. The bomb-out emergency LZ is a very small, narrow beach. Landowner: Dave Goodridge. Work Phone: 250-260-7937 (Vernon Fence and Gate), PO Box 375 Canoe BC V0E 1K0. Access road to the North Launch bomb-out LZ is immediately west of the 110 Forestry Road access off Hwy #1. Drive past the house and pick up pilots from the path from the beach (chained gate). This is a narrow residential road, so do not block the residential road and park retrieve vehicles beside the highway only. Other Information: - Class 'E' Airspace above 2200 feet AGL with several Victor Airways overhead. - FIC Advanced Weather Briefing and HAGAR Notification: 1-866-WXBRIEF (1-866-992-7433). French service: 1-866-GOMETEO (1-866-466-3836). - Radio Frequency: 123.400 MHz (Aircraft) & 173.640 MHz. Local Club Radio Frequency: 146.415 is the most commonly used. When flying at Mara on very stable days, you will likely see beautiful cumulus clouds over the ridge to the west, forming right above the Canoe launches. This site is kept open in case we lose Mara, as further upkeep of its access road has been abandoned by BCFS. Primary Contacts: - Tim Staal: 250-833-4349, tim_staal@REMOVE.THIShotmail.com - Fred Wilson: 250-309-6651, ftlwilson@REMOVE.THISshaw.ca - Rick Carr: 250-836-0276, 250-804-0276 (Sicamous), rnj22@REMOVE.THIStelus.net - Cliff Rempel: 250-571-3620, csrlt1@REMOVE_THISsunwave.net Canoe's Federated Co-operative Ltd's Lumber Mill has been a terrific supporter of OSA. They assist with logging plans, stump and grade launches, and have offered to take men, machinery, and trucks back in for maintenance. For more information or to contact the British Columbia Paragliding and Hang Gliding Association, visit: [BCHPA Contact](http://www.bchpa.ca/contact-us.html).