Walt s Point - Horseshoe (Owens Valley- Lone Pine- Bishop)
📍 California , Inyo County · Nearest city: Lone Pine (16 km)
51 XC score / 100 · takeoff at 2771 m · 📍 View on map
Coordinates and external links
36.47270, -118.11500Forecast next days
Updated: 2026-05-02 16:21 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo · Thermal window 10:00–18:00 local time
Not recommended for flying, cloud base ~944 m, wind 11 km/h, precipitation 6.2 mm.
base ~944m · wind 11 km/h · precip 6.2mmVery favorable day for XC, cloud base ~672 m, wind 18 km/h, precipitation 0.9 mm.
base ~672m · wind 18 km/h · precip 0.9mmComposite flyability score (CAPE + LI + wind + precip + low clouds). Cross-check with local pilots before flying.
🌬 Daily wind (next days)
Daily summary (10m wind). Full hour × altitude chart is being added progressively.
Takeoff orientations
Green = good orientation · Yellow = possible · Gray = not suitable
🗓️ Best season to fly (2024 climatology)
Monthly climate score: historical avg of temp, wind, rain and cloud cover. Green = optimal month.
⭐ Best month: Aug (100/100, 21°C, 15mm lluvia) · Worst month: Feb (20/100, 152mm lluvia)
Why this site has thermal potential
| Factor | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspot density (5 km) | 4 | Medium |
| Avg thermal probability | 0.81 | Based on thousands of aggregated IGC flights |
| Solar orientation | 0.28 | Slope faces south in northern hemisphere |
| Own flight history | 0.00 | Thermals detected in platform IGC tracks |
Takeoff description
Launch is either known as Walt's Point or Horseshoe. This is more a HG site than a place for PG - as the launch requires a special technique: lay out your glider across the TO with the right wing tip right at the edge of launch; the bring up the right side first... After TO turn right towards the small saddle (but don NOT fly across) - normally the thermals are right there.
Nearby sites
Black Eagle (Bishop, Owens Valley) (16) · Nine Mile (31) · Lumreau (33) · Lake Isabella (15) · Flynns (Bishop - Owens Valley) (55) · Gunter (Bishop - Owens Valley) (58)