DEMERS RIDGE HIKE AND FLY LAUNCH

• Wind directionE (90°) → S (180°)
• Ideal speed4–12 mph
• Upper limits≤ 15 mph base · gusts ≤ 18

No dedicated club/USHPA site guide exists for Demers Ridge as a free-flight launch; it is a backcountry hike-and-fly off Demers Ridge Trail #266 (North Fork Road, west of Glacier NP, near Columbia Falls/Polebridge MT). The trail climbs ~2,760 ft in the first ~2.5 mi and is described as a sun-exposed ascent FROM THE SOUTHEAST, indicating the primary flyable face is SE/E-facing toward the North Fork Flathead valley. Ideal arc inferred as SE through S (roughly 90-180 deg, wind FROM) to give clean ridge/thermal lift on that face; E and SW treated as marginal cross/edge. The paraglidingEarth orientation hint listing all 8 octants is the generic default (no real data entered) and was NOT treated as authoritative. Speed numbers are general mountain hike-and-fly conventions, not site-specific: light cycles best, keep base wind modest given high launch elevation (5,906 ft MSL) where true airspeed/penetration is reduced. HAZARDS/CAUTIONS: classic NW-Montana valley terrain — expect lee-side rotor and venturi if wind has any W/NW component (would be over-the-back/cross), strong midday thermals and convergence near Glacier's peaks, and rapid afternoon overdevelopment/gust fronts in summer. Best flown morning or smooth evening glass-off; midday can be too thermic/turbulent. No road access (foot only), no formal club oversight — treat as advanced/exploratory P3+/H3+ terrain; check FVSA (Flathead Valley Soaring Association) and local pilots before flying. The nearest documented FVSA site is Checkerboard (Jewel Basin), which is a separate SW-facing launch.