We are spoiled around here (Western Washington) because we have some very good sites that have ample ridge lift most of the time. The guy we sold our little travel trailer to years ago held some sort of unofficial distance record in our state at that time. He launched just South of the Canadian border in Western Washington and flew all day until he ended up somewhere near Oregon.
I had heard about his adventure through the grape vine and assumed that on this side of the mountains that he had used mostly ridge lift, especially considering the distance covered. But he said that large portions of his journey were in thermals. It wasn’t a planned excursion... he just got very lucky that day. Fortunately he, his wife and his friends had good radio equipment.
He had knowingly violated class B, C, and D airspace along his route which is why what would have been a record flight will always be anonymous outside of hang gliding circles.
It would be hard to respect controlled airspace when you are having the flight of your life, as apparently he was.