Ro Troia

Flying High In Boulder Colorado

Need another reason to live in Dakota Ridge Village in Boulder Colorado? With the great views of the Flatirons, access to trails and parks, close-knit community, and shopping availability, you’d think you had all you needed. Well, you haven’t experienced this neighborhood fully until you’ve seen the brightly colored paragliders swooping down the mountain. Yes! Paragliders, right in your backyard. Just one more unique characteristic of Boulder and it’s extreme mountain living.

 I have enjoyed watching the paragliders for many years from my own backyard in North Boulder.  In the photo above, you can see Wonderland Lake.  It’s taken from one of the launches that Parasoft Paragliding descends from above Dakota Ridge Village.  Not only is it a welcoming sight for me to see the beautiful sails breezing down the foothills, but imagine what it’s like for the paragliders.  They have the most amazing views as they fly down.  As far east as the eye can see, along with the Flatirons, foothills, Wonderland Lake, and the wonderful city of Boulder.  Find out more.

 Parasoft Paragliding is one of the local companies right here in North Boulder who can train participants in this magnificent feat.  They explain that paragliding is the newest and fastest growing form of foot-launched flying.  What is it?  Paragliding is the simplest form of human flight. A paraglider is a non-motorized, foot-launched inflatable wing. It is easy to transport, easy to launch, and easy to land. The paraglider itself is constructed of rip-stop nylon from which the pilot is suspended by sturdy kevlar lines. The pilot is clipped into a harness and oriented in a sitting position for maximum comfort. With a paraglider, you actually fly like a bird, soaring upwards on currents of air. Paragliders routinely stay aloft for 3 hours or more, climbing to elevations of 15,000′, and can go cross-country for vast distances. 

I spoke to several paragliders.  I discovered that their packs weigh up to 40 pounds and it takes about 25 minutes to hike to the launch spot in Dakota Ridge Village.   The company suggests that the best way to start is with a two-day Introductory Course designed to give you a taste of real flying. Under radio supervision, you will fly solo from the training hill and progress to higher flights, all in the first two days. The basic techniques of paragliding — launching, turning, landing — are fairly easy to learn. The two-day length of the course is designed to compensate for weather constraints and different learning curves. If after your introductory flights, you want to continue with paragliding, the next step is to enroll in a Para 2 Certification Course which will teach you about micrometeorology, different launch and flying techniques, safety procedures, etc.  Below is a photo of one paraglider landing in the park. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To live near this extreme sport and witness the beauty of the paragliders is another reason why I love living in North Boulder and the Dakota Ridge neighborhood.  So, do you need another reason to move to this neighborhood?  Check it out for yourself and discover why so many families have decided to live here.  Contact the Troia Team to learn about available properties in this area.

Tags: Tags: Boulder real estate, Dakota Ridge Village, Mountain Living, paragliders, wonderland lake

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 2nd, 2008 at 9:19 am and is filed under Boulder Subdivisions and Neighborhoods, Dakota Ridge Village, Focus on Boulder, Mountain Living, Wonderland Hills. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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