Paraglide instructor Michelle Layton with a student

Michelle Layton's passion for baking began early in life when she helped her mother in the kitchen. In 1997, she started her own wedding cake bakery. Layton's business grew quickly over the next three years, but eventually the workload became too much for her, sometimes as many as 500 weddings in a weekend during the peak season.

Early in 2000, a paragliding school opened in her town and she decided to give it a try. She had loved hang gliding when she was younger, and thought paragliding might bring her some of the same joy. Paragliders use the wind, gravity, and pure muscle power to keep their aerofoil canopies aloft — and Layton was hooked on the idea instantly. Immediately after baking her last cake, she sold some of her equipment to buy her own paragliding gear and started working for a paragliding company. These days, Layton paraglides at least once a day, seven to 10 times per week on average

Thermal Dynamics Paragliding Adventures
P.O. Box 4726
Crestline, CA 92325
One flight, $150-$300/student; group rates offered
888-310- 8998
www.flyaglider.com