Silver Star, Washington

topozone.com link Centered over the trail junction, expand the view to see how to get there.

Second topzone.com link to Squaw Butte west side approach

Link to topo map with quesses. 664x539 168K

Link to panorama view from below the main ridge. 1440x467 200K

Link to wide view of northwest ridge. 1080x139 105K

This site is about 15 miles east of Battle Ground, Washington and can be seen from downtown Portland on a clear day. Go to the mountain with a map. You can come in from Lucia Falls - Sunset Falls - Dole Valley roads out of Battleground.

(1) Go to Battle Ground and follow signs to Lucia Falls Road, which is beyond Battle Ground Lake. There are several ways, but look at a map to keep from getting lost. One way is to take State Route 503 to Battle Ground, go east on 219th St., turn north on 142nd Ave. which becomes 147th Ave., turn east on 279th St.., turn north on 172nd Ave. which crosses a bridge and meets with Lucia Falls Road. Turn east onLucia Falls Road, going past Moulton Falls County Park .25 miles, turn right on County Rd. 12 (Sunset Falls Rd.). At the junction of County Rd. 12 (Sunset) and Dole Valley Rd., turn south on Dole Valley Rd. 2.5 miles and turn left (east) on gravel 1100 Road which connects with 4109 Road in about 6 miles. Follow 4109 Rd. to the parking.

(2) Approach from the west, Squaw Butte trail. Drive to Dole Valley and then turn onto the gravel (1100 Rd.) at the sign saying Tarbell picnic area. The new area is a right turn (east, uphill) about 5 mi. from Dole Valley (about 1 mile before the 4109 Rd. to the other, north ridge, parking). Drive as high as you can on the road keeping to the right. There are couple of steep sections, but 4WD is nor required. From the parking lot (about 2700') you hike uphill in woods a couple of hundred feet to meadows on the NW ridge between Silver Star and Squaw Butte. Follow the trail on the ridge to the main ridge (3800'), then on up to the launches at 4100'.

Weather: after NOAA I like the mm5 soundings. I usually check Cosmos WN and Vancouver WN. You want the inversion above 4500 ft (roughly 850 millibars)and winds from W or NW and not over about 10 or so mph at that altitude. So a forecast that would be good for the Toutle, but needing a bit more height under the inversion. Also, Silver Star usually turns on 3-4 P.M. 2 P.M. is pretty early. (Update by Pete Reagan, April 27, 2005)

Photo©2003 Pete Reagan

The first photo shows LAUNCH and it is from here that one can fly east or west, depending on the wind direction. East winds are usually too strong, but late in the evening flights have taken off the "back side" and gone down the ridge toward the parking area. The brush is higher now so landing zones are more difficult to pick from the air. Scout 'em on your hike up.

Launches: There is a short, wide, soarable hill about 25 minutes walk up the road from the parking area. Top-landings are possible. Upper launch is at about 4100' and another 25 minutes up the road or along the ridge trail. Preferred wind direction is west, though north to northwest work on the lower launch.

Launches to the east have been made for flights from the back side of the upper launch to landings at the middle area below the tor, and all the way to the parking lot. Wind from the east is required for this, of course.

This is at least an intermediate site due to many obstacles and hazards in the launch and primary LZ, the probable side-hill landings, and the possibility of rotors in the alternate LZ's and during top landings.

When the site was first flown, however, we were all beginners. Some bad landings in the brush, some blowbacks on launch, and some rotored landings in the flat spot between the parking area and the summit were experienced.

The small cliffs on the west of the flat spot have been soared. Top-landing skills, sidehill-landing skills and an ability to guess where the problems will show up, are required here.

Silver Star soars best in evening. Wonder winds, at the end of a clear day, with a good soaring index, and prevailing winds, from west to northwest, have been good winds for flights. Most of the good flights to date have been during June and August, in the afternoon hours and at glassoff.

Don't land in the large flat area above the parking lot (halfway up the ridge toward summit launch) in any but the very weakest conditions. Strong rotors exist there. The parking lot is a reasonable choice for an LZ if the wind is light. Silver Star is a sprawling mountain mass with many ridges and clear areas and much exploration of its airspace remains to be done.

Site Protocol: This is a hike-up site. Do not attempt to drive beyond the parking area.

Landowner Info: The launch and landing areas are on USFS land in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. No specific permission has been given to fly here, so don't exert rights you don't own.

Local contacts:
Reed Gleason
Pete Reagan
Steve Roti
Ancil Nance

Submitted By: Ancil Nance
Last Revision Date: 7/17/04

More site photos:

	Photo©2003 Pete Reagan Looking southeast at the summit and then the Columbia River Gorge.

	Photo©2003 Pete Reagan The parking lot, showing what you hope will be the landing pattern.

	Photo©2003 Pete Reagan The foreground shows a flat are with cliffs on the west that are soarable. Then, in the center is a lower launch area that has been launched and soared in light to moderate northwest winds. A trail follows the ridge on the east side and a road goes up the west side. The flat area at bottom center is the rotor zone that has been mentioned.

	Photo©2003 Pete Reagan Launches have been made all along this ridge starting from about the middle of the photo. The hike to the 4100' launch area at the top of the main ridge is usually a good choice. Landings have also been made in many places along this ridge. The northeast facing bowl (lower center) has been used as a late evening LZ after departing the east side of the 4100' launch.   NEW The left side of the photo shows the northwest ridge that leads to Squaw Butte and the road up from 1100 Road. Launch and land along the west ridge. The road to the Squaw Butte parking may be a shorter trip than to the one at the end of 4109 Rd. The trail from the SB parking begins at an elevation below the 4109 Rd. parking lot (ca.2700' vs. 3100'), but it is a nice hike through bits of forest and meadow with plenty of wildflowers in season. On the other hand, the possibility of launching before getting to the 3800' junction makes this a feasable alternative.