The Dunes

• Wind directionW (270°) → N (360°)
• Ideal speed10–18 mph
• Upper limits≤ 22 mph base · gusts ≤ 26

"The Dunes" is a sand-dune soaring site at the Koocanusa Sand Dunes near Eureka, far NW Montana (Lake Koocanusa area, ~3 mi N of the listed coords; paraglidingEarth tags it loosely as N Idaho but coordinates place it in MT). Takeoff ~748 m / ~2454 ft MSL with low relief over the dunes. paraglidingEarth lists the working wind directions as N, NW, and W (each strongly weighted) plus SW (lightly weighted), confirming the orientation hint. IDEAL arc is the W-through-N dune face (~270-360 deg), wind FROM the west/northwest/north blowing onto the soarable dune slopes. MARGINAL is a SW cross (~225-270) and just past due-N. As a dune/ridge-soaring site it needs steady wind to stay up: roughly 10+ mph to soar, best ~12-18 mph; above ~22 mph base or gusts over ~26 mph it becomes sporty/unsafe given the small dune relief. HAZARDS: as a ridge-soaring dune, expect lift to die in light/wrong-direction wind; gusty thermic mid-day air over sand and possible rotor/turbulence behind dune crests in stronger wind; soft sand makes for forgiving launches/landings, suiting it as a training and low-airtime soaring site. No explicit USHPA/club site guide with published speed limits or access/rating was found, so speed and gust figures are inferred from general dune-soaring norms and the confirmed orientation; verify wind strength and any access/landowner rules locally before flying. Best window is typically when a steady westerly-to-northerly synoptic flow sets up onto the dune face (often afternoon when valley wind fills in).