JAN. 2021,  Access has changed! it's not at Bear Canyon Rd anymore. Don't park and hike from there (see new access directions below). New landowners are requesting no trespassing. Do not cross the creek from Bear Canyon, you will be trespassing. 

Please, support the Gallatin Valley Land Trust (the new owners) and encourage  them to make the decision to reopen access.

Bear Canyon is currently the best beginner site close to town.  Access, however, is complicated and changing rapidly so please ensure you are up to date by checking in with the Bozeman Airforce.  Keep in mind that some neighboring landowners object to public access at Bear, so please give the locals and the land the utmost respect.  Contact us with questions (flybozeman@gmail.com) or local pilots on What's App.

Fly, land and return to the summit only on the state land, avoiding the nearby houses and farms.  

The launch and LZ are on state trust land. You must have State of Montana recreation permit to hike, fly on State lands.

Even though this is a training hill,  ridge soaring and thermal hops out and over MT. Ellis are not unheard of.

Access: (New, Jan 2021)

Park at MT Ellis trailhead on MT Ellis LN, Bozeman. Hike is aprox.  2 miles. There is no marked trail be sure to avoid crossing private property. Red line on map is approximate line to hike.

Weather:

• SW-NW winds flyable with westerly winds ideal.

• During high pressure, upslope winds will typically form with daytime heating in the valley

Hazards:

• The small ridge requires high winds to soar, you're on the edge, be cautious and push out.  There are no safe LZ's if you get blown over the ridge.

• Barbed-wire fence at the bottom of the hill, easily avoidable.

• Thermals....Mid day thermals here can rock you.      Be prepared for bubbles of lift as you get low.

• Powerlines...there is a powerline that crosses the far end of the LZ field, its rare that you get this far but be aware of it. 

PASS CREEK

You must have State of Montana recreation permit to hike, fly on State lands.

Pass Creek is a Launch/Landing on Montana State Land, along Rocky Mountain Road. 4-5 cars can park on the west side of the road at a bend in the road, 1 mile past Morgan Rd. Don't block the wire gate. There is an American flag in the cemetery on the northeast side that can be used as a wind indicator.  This site has cell service and In-reach/Sat-phone service. Pass Creek should not be launched in North winds.

 Hike

From the parking area, follow the road back south to the first large bush on the east side of the road where the fence is lower and easy to cross. Follow the fence line till  your on the south side of the 1st drainage, then head up the drainage to the Training Hill Launch or the Midway Launch. 

 Launches

The Training Hill Launch is a flat area on the hillside visible from the parking area with room to set up and kite before launching. The main LZ is  300 ft. below across the road. 

Midway Launch is above and north of the Training Hill Launch, it is launchable in west to southwest winds. This launch uses the same landing zones as the Training Hill Launch  and has an area behind launch with some potential for kiting. 

 Upper Launch (P3 recommended) can be reached by hiking south east, above the Midway Launch until reaching a deep ravine (here you’ll be able to see the Upper Knob Launch), then turn to hike up.  The primary launch directions here are West or South. From the southern aspect, the Cemetery landing zone (on public land) can be seen by imagining a line directly from launch to the intersection of Morgan Lane and Rocky Mountain Road, then another line 90 degree due east from this intersection. 

 Landing Zones

All LZ's are unimproved, not flat and have large growths of sagebrush. Pilots are advised to walk the LZ 's before flight.  The main landing zone has the largest gaps of open ground between sagebrush  growth. Located on the west side of the road, south of parking. 

 The north LZ  is across the road from the parking area. With good spot landing skills, it allows for landing  across from the parking area in west winds.

The cemetery landing zone is southeast of Morgan Cemetery. This LZ is intended for sledders and sinking out from the Upper Knob Launch. The LZ is mostly sage brush covered, and it may be difficult to land here without getting lines tangled in the sage. Notably, there is private land adjacent to this LZ without a visible indicator of the property line. The property line follows an imaginary line from the center of the Upper Knob Launch down to the intersection of Morgan Lane and Rocky Mountain Road.

HAZARDS

•  Barbed wire fences on  sides of the road and surrounding LZ areas.

• LZ's are not flat,  have clumps of sage brush and can produce bubbly lift when low.

• Target shooting occurs in this area, if you see shooters near the LZ,  let them know your plans to hike and land. Carrying a whistle and sounding it at your landing approach to alert shooters is suggested.

• Midday conditions can generate strong thermic conditions.

• Consider wind speed & direction to avoid rotor.

Story is closed indefinitely to all activities. 

Access: With the absence of an LZ, this site is now closed.

JUNE  2024, The LZ is now closed, the windsock has been removed and the gate is locked. Landowner has requested no trespassing.

 Disregard all references to any LZ.

 We recommend not launching here unless you are capable & plan on flying XC and landing far from the parking area. 

Hogback parking, & launch are on private land. We are thankful to the family's that allow us access to fly here. And thanks to the small group of hang glider pilots that have been responsible for this site over the years for sharing the ridge with us. 

 To reduce our impact, carpool whenever possible. There is livestock on this land, so ensure you close any gates behind you. The two dogs at large (Daisy & Boaz), live here and are part of our scene. One will roll rocks to you, the other will closely monitor your launch. 

Don't jeopardize our access by flying this site without a site intro or supervision for new pilots, this is not a beginner site.   There are many overhead wires, and the ridge can be crowded.  Pilots who are not familiar with sharing launch, & the air with hang gliders should obtain that knowledge before flying Hogback.

HIKE:

Begin your hike up to launch by passing through the small spacing between the fence posts (you’ll need to pass your gear over the fence, it won't fit through on your back.)  Follow the well-defined trail across the canal up to launch.  You’ll know you’ve reached launch when you see a picnic bench on your left and the weather station a bit beyond on the right.  

LAUNCH:

The north side of the ridge is where we launch and soar.  Avoid flying on south side as there are no allowed landing areas. 

 There are large open areas below launch that can be used as a "bailout" but should not be used as a primary LZ.  The wind patterns on the pond below can help you time wind or thermal cycles. Typically, ripples on more than half of the downwind side of the pond are an indicator of winds too strong for a paraglider. You may also see a windsock at the east bailout to the right across the road (northeast). 

Weather:

• Mission Field Airport, Livingston can be referenced for prevailing wind conditions.

Hazards:

• Winds can get extremely strong in this area and change rapidly.  

• Aerial wires must be crossed to reach LZ.

• Afternoon soaring will put the west sun in your eyes. With ridge on your left give a wide berth to avoid oncoming pilots.

• Before hiking up take a good look at where power lines are located (north of LZ and along road) and the irrigation canal.

• Buzzworms, it's not unusual to bump into a rattlesnake.    Give them respect and they'll respect you.

Access:

Drive to MT. Ellis Lane in Bozeman. Park off the road near the MT Ellis Trailhead. Please, do not block any ranch gates or driveways. Enter the trailhead onto State land at the gate. As you are hiking towards the timber you are in the large,  down sloping LZ.  Plan on landing in the field, west of the trail, across the line of bushes and away from the houses to the north. Do not fly or land near horses on the trail or near the houses. Landowners are concerned about a spooked horse causing injury. 

At end of day LZ often has early light katabatic winds, no windsocks are on site. Pilots should consider placing their own temporary wind socks while hiking through the LZ to launch.

 The trail to launch is approximately a 1.5 hour hike and not marked, it's advisable to be guided on your first hike.

 Because, launch is narrow with a steep drop off, the LZ is not visible from launch, thermal lift where peak climb rates exceed 200 fpm may exist. P3 rating is recommended with strong forward and reverse launching skills. 

P2 pilots should exceed recommended limitations only after thoroughly mastering all required tasks, and after acquiring a full understanding of the potential problems and dangers involved in exceeding these limitations. 

You must have State of Montana recreation permit to hike, fly on State lands. 

Weather:

• Soars in SW - NW with glass off and XC potential.

Hazards:

• Depending on time of day thermals can be strong. New pilots to the site should avoid launching during strong thermal activity. Generally thought to be between 5 Hours after sunrise and 2 hours before sunset. Consult with local P3 pilots before launching.

• Conditions can be dramatically different from the LZ, accept that you may need to hike down. 

• LZ is not visible from launch.

• Steep narrow launch.

• LZ has large areas of bushes, large rocks and wire fences.

• Overhead wires are in the area of LZ