34--11M Lindon

Forecast looked good, but the clouds messed things up at ULLB.
On the way home after a skunking, we stopped at Lindon.
Kites were in the air when we got there.
We rigged and rode very turbulent winds for an hour or so.

33--15M Cab

Yesterday we watched for wind all day, with no results.
So for dinner the ladies came and cooked home cooking again.
Today we went to the Amber museum in Puerto Plata.
Most amber comes from Dominican Republic.
After the museum we went to an old fort on the beach.
While climbing up to the lookout tower, looking around, a guy we think we knew from the condo,
Made us paranoid with stories of tourist murders where we were standing a few days earlier.
We kinda ran like little girls out of there.
When we got back to the condo, the wind was light and northerly, opposite from normal.
We rigged big and got rides.
Then after dinner, we hung out at the Wabash Cabarete Concert for a while.

32--11M Cab

The forecast by the locals was for stronger wind in the afternoon.
Vern and Jim went out early on 17M. Kyle 13M.
After a short shopping walk gto LEK with the girls,
I optomistcly rigged my 11M, suprise.
It was good for a while, but as soon as i switched to the Skater (directional)
It started to lighten up and we all came in, hoping for strongerwinds in the afternoon.
That didn't happen, again.
We are kiting every day, but it's not normal to be the strongest early and weak later.
Cloudy every day at times so far. The Sun will make the normal winds come back.
The forecast is not sure when yet.
It's probably good that we aren't getting worn out by countless hours kiting at the first of the trip anyway.

31--11M CAB

WE started a little early because the chop looked not so bad.
My Jimmy has been great here but the boards Vern, Kyle and Jim are on,
are good but not as soft on the knees.
I glad I didn't wait for it to get stronger.
The waves aren't big but big enough for me and so much fun.
I'm studying them before I go out on my directional, and I'm ready.
I'm ready to put the Edge away and use my Catalyst for the lighter wind, in the waves.
Edges is not the greatest in the wave, to slow turning, and to much speed, it pulls me away from the wave.

I came in for a lunch break, and to change kite and board.
It started storming with some thunder. It never quit the rest of the day.

We had some local ladies come to Vern's larger condo and cook dinner for us.
Fantastic fish dinner with local trimings and desert, and they cleaned up after words
We gave them $100 to feed 7 of us, with tip and lots of left overs.
We're gonna do that a couple more tims before we leave.

30--11M Cabarete

I only kited an hour today after the long flight,
But I think this may be kite heaven.
Launching right in front of the condo,
Kinda choppy on the inside, like Maui
with some wave action on the reef.
The spouses can hang out on the lawn and watch of they want
Or hang at the pool or in the condo.
Most excellent.

29--10M Rush

Doug had the lake to himself for the early afternoon hours.
Kenny and I arrived for the worst wind of the day.
As time went on, the wind just kept getting better and better.
When I got off the water around 7 it was the strongest and fullest.
But looked to be letting up as I dove away.
C4 is fun, but it is no Edge.
Pop and drop jumping, but it's nice with the surfboard.
Took the lines off that kite, it's ready to pack for Cabarete.
Only taking 1 bar for 12M-8M, I can take an extra kite with the weight loss.
15M and 11M edge, for light wind. 12M Catalyst, 10M and 8M C4, for waves.

28--15M PV

4 days in a row at PV.
Another rip and schlog day, but the rips were pretty fun.
I mainly went to test my repair on my Kite to make sure it will hold for trip to Cabarete.
Not a perfect repair, but it will work until I get a professional repair done some day.
I need to tweak the strength of the hole patch in the strut sleeve.

27--15M PV

Ride then wait day,
I went in to change to a bigger board during a lull,
landed the kite to wait for more wind.
Put my new kite in the tree self launching when the chicken loop popped of my hook and got away from me. FUCK

26--15M PV

Ditto yesterday, except insert 15M
And Vern and Kyle.

25--11M Pineview

First session at PV this year.
Nice beach but soon the boats and people will tale over and we'll be done as quick as it started.
Pretty strong PV day, still blowing when we left.
I got to try my new little travel directional 4'8" Naish Skater. (fits into golf bag)
A lot more fun than I thought it would be, very slick, fast and nimble, I like it.



It could be a hoot in the tighter swell days in the gorge also.
Doug and Jim joined the fun.
Jim"s first self launch went perfect.
The day in the snow sitting and practicing kite up and kite down, landing and launching paid off.

24--15M-11M Skyline

Some super nice snow conditions, not just for April but for anytime of year.
Creamy 3-4" on top of cushy layer under the fresh.
Bosco had the smooth winds that made for nice boost and tricks.
We all headed to the west which was nice but gustier.
It picked up and all headed to the parking lot.
Half the kiters left for the day,
We rigged down and had another great session until it got to strong also.
Headed back to Bosco for the late session as the sun got lower.
Extra good day, not a hard, crusty spot to be found on the mountain.

23-11M LC

6-8" of new pow was what the Avy guys said was waiting for us in the western Uinta's,
ended up more like 3-4" but still freshies on top was nice.
Had an episode, the kite steering line touched a bush and pulled it down to get into more brush.
It would't break free and got more and more tangled,
it started looping and ground a middle line on a rock until it broke.
Matt kited back to the sleds and came and got me.
I took the bar and lines off my 15M and kited the rest of the day.
A little more west than usual, opening up some different angles to the terrain.

Bar in the Bushes

22--10M Lake Creek

Todd rode my old sled and we parked by Kevin and Doug up by the church gates.
It was windy, and gusty, and the snow was windblown, sastrugi on the ridges.
There were some softer spots to be found, but not as soft as mid season.
Sunny start then flat light, then good light, even with clouds.
I would have been happy on my 8M today.

21--11M Rush

Extra nice after work session.
Life would be one notch better if it was rush after work all season long.
Smooth laminar winds made for fun tricks, and jumping.
Trying hand drag, back loop transition, and smoothing out forwards.
Rode Twin, Vern's little Short Tuna, and my surfboard.

20--15M Rush

We were packed up to head to Pineview.
Got a wind text from Pennys, and off we went.
The plug and play kiting at Rush is so nice. So easy to kite there.
Warm enough day the the drysuit wasn't a necessity, but still nice when just hanging out.
The wind was a little fluky, at times it even lulled to nothing.
Surfboard and twin tip. 3 sessions.
Really liking the light bar pressure and the jumping with the new 15 Edge.

19-- LC 15M

It didn't clear out as early as we hoped for.
So we dumped the gear and went sledding in the new freshies.
After finally deciding we were done waiting for the clearing and started for home, it cleared.
The wind also really backed off, kind of OK cause I got to ride my new Edge.
(Don't tell Vern I got a new kite, not sure why, just don't do it)
It's gonna be an awesome big kite. Less Zephyr, more Edge!
The snow was very creamy and nice. The wind was light, but good.
The day was fantastic.

18--11M Rush

So yesterday was like 56 degrees and today was 40 degrees.
Yesterday I snowkited and today I kited water WTF is wrong with this picture?
Took the RV for a shakedown ride to Rush with Doug.
Very nice North winds, the best straight north wind in years.
It was so nice to be back on the surfboard, yum....
Nice and toasty in the drysuit, quit from thirst, not from cold.

17--11M LC

While many of the locals went to Skyline to hobnob with the rich and famous at the MaiTai event.
Matt and I choose to have tranquility and no crowds at Lake Creek.
The snow was a little beat up early, but as the sun warmed the snow it became soft on top and nice to carve around in.
Matt has found a very nice glide hill to practice on. Doug and Vern kited water at Rush today, maybe a double this year, snow then water on the same day.

16--Lake Creek 11M

Hands down the best day of the year snowkiting. Temps in the 20's kept the snow very nice, the NE winds yesterday and last night covered the kiting area with a fresh layer over the whole area. NW winds were very powerful this afternoon making for excellent boosting and power for flying over the area from top to bottom. We didn't even get there until 2 but still kited over 4 hours until sunset. I think I have some good video I'll edit and post up soon. Now I remember why I like the late season kiting at LC, Fucking Awesome. Matt was gliding bigger than ever off the terraces to the softies.

15--17M Strawbs River

Kinda punchy wind today, and only mediocre snow conditions over all, spots of nice creamy stuff but not everywhere. Got the bug to try some Rossy S7 skis. A day like today they could be the ticket. Gotta find a place to demo some.

14-- 8M-10M Monte

Back in the saddle again and my knee is stable but hurting.
I went small on the kites to test knee soreness and force me not to jump around much.
Jim joined me today for some strong winds. He rode skis and hated them, bet he is on a snowboard next time.
After the first session Jim chose to practice self launching, landing and all around kite control from the hot launch to pulling slack lines on a downed kite.
Great opportunity without floating down wind like in water.

13--VN 11M

When we arrived to no wind early in the day, we started the new name game, Viva Notwind, Viva Notfriendly, Viva notagain. But as usual in Wyoming, it just needs time before it blows. I'm still a little leery there and drove my sled up the hill to rig. After a few rides on the Zephyr, Eric came sliding down the hill with a fence damaged kite. I towed him back to the van and we found that the wind was actually stronger lower on the mountain. I ripped back up the hill, de rigged my Zephyr and rigged my 11M lower on the mountain, closer to the parking area. The snow is hip deep soft, almost hollow powder. Nice to huck and land in the super soft snow. I did a face plant on a kite loop gone bad and tweeked my knee. I had painful time trying to sleep and can't walk very good this morning. Hope it's temporary.

12-Strawbs Tour 11M

Matt and I started at the Ladders. Matt rode my old 11M Edge today. He must have liked it, I could see his grin through his balaclava.
I rode skis for the first session to get used to them more for backcountry kite tours. They felt good, but I still like the board better in the rough stuff.
We went from Ladders to the Marina, across to the South 40 along the shoreline to the view area to Ladders. We took a break, Then put on the snowboard and went up to Chicken Creek and back. Nicely powered for the long tour, until sunset when it lightened up. Thought about Moon lit rides, but the wind was to light.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4KwdltsqYg

I think you might be interested in this track:

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216315604195594105075.0004d6abbcf7f1b757e5b

Created by Google My Tracks on Android.
Name: 02/26/2013 1:22pm
Activity type: -
Description: -
Total distance: 45.57 km (28.3 mi)
Total time: 3:13:50
Moving time: 2:44:29
Average speed: 14.10 km/h (8.8 mi/h)
Average moving speed: 16.62 km/h (10.3 mi/h)
Max speed: 59.83 km/h (37.2 mi/h)
Average pace: 4.25 min/km (6.8 min/mi)
Average moving pace: 3.61 min/km (5.8 min/mi)
Fastest pace: 1.00 min/km (1.6 min/mi)
Max elevation: 2329 m (7643 ft)
Min elevation: 2277 m (7470 ft)
Elevation gain: 441 m (1446 ft)
Max grade: 9 %
Min grade: -11 %
Recorded: 02/26/2013 1:22pm

11--Strawbs 11M, 10M

Good winds and good snow, until the winds picked up in the afternoon and blew the soft snow away.
1st 2 hours had smooth winds and soft new snow. Second session I should have gone out on my 8M, but I didn't re rig because the snow blew away down to the hard pack. So I just did a short session searching for the "pillows in the gullies"

10--VA 11M

Took a little tour south of the View Area and found nice snow the farther south we traveled.
Very good winds today, very powered on my 11M.

I think you might be interested in this track:

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216315604195594105075.0004d5f7c9555d8d01637
Created by Google My Tracks on Android.

Total distance: 36.93 km (23.0 mi)
Total time: 2:39:10
Moving time: 2:34:42
Max speed: 64.82 km/h (40.3 mi/h)
Max elevation: 2347 m (7700 ft)
Min elevation: 2292 m (7521 ft)
Elevation gain: 464 m (1524 ft)

9-- Viva Naughton 11M

The pain is a toll I willingly pay on my way to the top,
for here, amid these mountains, I restore myself and lose myself, knit together my ego and then surrender it,
detach myself from the mass of humanity so I may learn to love them again,
all while coexisting with the creatures whose kind have lived here for millennia. PC

Huge snowkiting area north of Viva Naughton (Kemmerer).
Second time kiting there for us.
Big area to ride from the trail head, and endless possibilities with the sled.
We rode Beaver Creek up to Commissary Ridge.
Nicely powered 11M until sunset. — with Matt Dadam and Eric Gustafson.

8--Strawbs Mud Creek 17M 11M

No wind at river or Chicken Creek. Eric made the correct call to check out Mud Creek.
It was light when we arrived and the 17M worked fine. but as we descended off the mountain for a break the wind increased. After our break it was defiantly wind that called for a smaller kite.

7-- Strawbs CC 11M

One of those really fun days at Strawbs. Good wind and good snow. When I started I was powered very nicely, 10M would have worked. Did some fast touring of the area, boosting, climbing and just having fun. It did a lull just as most everyone was getting out. I took a break until it came back up again, just not as strong. I sure do like kiting at Chicken Creek so much more than the River.
Waxed my board tonight and ready for another one tomorrow. Call me if you want to go, you know who you are. VS DC JM. These NW clearing winds are what it is all about. It's play time.

6--Strawbs 17M

We didn't see lots of wind so we took the sleds as a backup.
We were loaded up and ready to head to Lake Creek when the wind picked up enough to kite.
The snow was very nice but the wind never got very strong.
We rode to the gliding hills, played for a couple of hours.
When the wind died we just rode downhill to the road and walked back.
My sled was ready to go so I went out a picked up the last few stragglers that didn't make it to the road.

5--Lake Creek 17M

Slawek is in town from CA.
Jake and I took him to Lake Creek for a nicely powered afternoon.
Still some soft snow up there, pretty nice day.
Wish I had taken my 11M

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=3709317231247&set=vb.1825081151&type=2&theater