On a gently breezy day, from anywhere in Golden, look up towards the mountain with the giant white “M” on it and you’ll likely see at least one large winged thing floating in the air with a person suspended below it. It’s not a skydiver, it might be a hang-glider, but most likely, it’s a paraglider.

A paraglide is a specially-shaped parachute-like tarp that the wind inflates overhead. The “wing” is connected to the body harness by what seems like hundreds of little breakable threads. Upon close inspection, the entire paraglide contraption seems very fragile, but,

depending on the model, these contraptions are able to hold up to 2 adults in flight.

Golden is a paragliding hotspot because the winds and the launch sites around town are just right for paragliding. The mountain with the white “M” is Lookout Mountain, and the “M” is the symbol for the School of Mines, which is a very prestigious engineering and science college located two blocks from the Washington Avenue shops.

Although driving to the top of Lookout Mountain or Buffalo Bill’s grave provides