Red Grade

• Wind directionNE (45°) → SE (135°)
• Ideal speed5–15 mph
• Upper limits≤ 18 mph base · gusts ≤ 22

East-facing launch on the front (foothills/escarpment) of the Bighorn Mountains, west of Big Horn/Sheridan, WY, accessed via Red Grade Road. The Bighorns rise to the west, so the launch faces out over the plains to the east. Works best in light easterly onshore flow combined with thermal/anabatic lift; it is primarily a thermal/XC soaring site rather than a pure ridge-soaring site. Ideal arc NE-E-SE (roughly 45-135 deg). Marginal/cross edges toward N (~0-45) and S/SSE (~135-160). HAZARD: westerly winds (from behind, ~225-315) put the launch in the lee/rotor of the Bighorns and are dangerous - avoid any significant W/SW/NW component. Strong west-side mountain wind and afternoon overdevelopment are the main risks. Best time of day is midday: tracked average launch times run ~10:46 to ~12:22 across the June-Sept peak season as morning easterly/valley flow and thermals build. Established XC site - site record ~91 km (June 2021); averages a handful of XC days/year. Treat as an intermediate (P3/H3)-and-up mountain thermal site; confirm current access and any club/landowner protocols (Red Grade Road is a steep unpaved local road) and get a local-pilot briefing before flying. Specific wind-speed numbers were not published in an authoritative club/USHPA guide; speed ranges are inferred from the east-facing thermal-site character and typical mountain-front limits (light-to-moderate, avoid strong/gusty conditions).