Keith Forsyth began his flying journey with skydiving, then speed flying and wing suit base jumping but the lack of margin in speed flying and base lead him to XC Paragliding, where he’s been drawing lines across the Pacific Northwest with what can only be described as a magical and inspired paintbrush. If you haven’t been to the Pacific Northwest think alpine rain forest and big, jagged glaciated mountains. Rain, lots and lots of rain. DENSE impenetrable forest, deep gorges, few roads, lots of bugs, and very few places to land. Keith has been laying down bivvy lines across the Cascade and Olympic ranges of Washington and Oregon and Coast Ranges of British Colombia the last few years that are ambitious, bold, and absolutely breathtaking. Keith waits for a good forecast, packs up to 7 days of food, sometimes adds a packraft and takes to the skies. Sometimes the mission involves some pretty memorable bushwacking, other times a glorious paddle out and some fishing along the way, other times he’ll find himself top landing an alpine meadow and sharing some space with a black bear. But each mission just inspires the next. What’s possible is only hemmed in by a lack of imagination. Need a little jolt for ideas this flying season? Tuck in.

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Takeaways

Keith transitioned from speed flying to paragliding for safety and exploration.
Thermal flying opened up new possibilities in the mountains.
Planning for XC flights involves understanding landing zones and safety margins.
Scouting landing areas on foot is crucial for safe flying.
The Olympics offer unique flying challenges and opportunities.
Packing for multi-day trips requires careful consideration of food and gear.
Weather patterns significantly influence flying plans in the Cascades.
Community interactions enhance the outdoor experience.
Pack rafting adds versatility to mountain adventures.
Close calls in flying highlight the importance of planning and awareness.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
03:04 Transitioning from Speed Flying to Paragliding
05:49 Exploring the Cascades: XC Progression
08:37 Planning and Safety in Paragliding
11:34 Flying the Olympics: Challenges and Strategies
14:27 Approach to Long-Distance Flying
17:23 Packing and Preparing for Bivvy Trips
20:05 Gear and Nutrition for Extended Flights
22:33 Exploring the Cascades and Coast Mountains
27:41 The Art of Pack Rafting
29:47 Future Adventures and Aspirations
31:13 Learning from SIV Clinics
33:30 Memorable Outdoor Experiences
37:25 Close Calls and Lessons Learned
40:14 Finding Purity in Adventure

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:18 — 45.1MB)