Marginal Milner Beach Snowkite Session



 

 

 

 

Milner Beach Snowkite, Sunday 1/26/2014

Very marginal at best with bare ice spots and thin snow over covered ice.

Hard to keep an edge on the ice and the wind was fluky, kite dropped several times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conditions:  Bare ice to covered ice with 2-3 inches of snow
Gear: Snowboard
Weather:  Cloudy, snow flurries, 14 degrees SE-S-SW wind to 17 MPH
Schooled:  

Time:  2:00 - 3:00

 

GPS Data:
Average Speed 13.06 MPH
Top Speed: 13.05 MPH
Distance: 4.05 Miles
Duration: 60 Minutes

 

 

 

Sunny Ice Crystals

Crystal Mt. Tuesday, 1/21/2014

 

Groomed hard pack - finally some sun and what a difference it makes. The hill took on a completely different feel with the sunlight.
Lot of spin moves, heel side 180 backsides, 180s front side, 180s butters, some 180s I cant even describe.
 

Time:  11:00 - 12:30
Conditions:  Hard pack Groomers, 1-3 inches of fresh fluff.
Gear: Snowboard
Weather:  Sunny, Ice Crystals, 9 degrees
Schooled:  180s of all shapes

 

 

GPS Data:

Maximum Speed 34.4 MPH
Distance 4.3 mi.
Vertical 7234 ft
Slope 19°
Duration 1:34

Average moving speed 11.25 MPH

 

Crystal Mt - groomed hard pack

Crystal Mt. Monday, 1/20/2014

 

Groomed hard pack - decent day 2 hours on the snowboard and 1 hour on the skis.

Time:  9:00 - 12:00
Conditions:  Hard pack Groomers
Gear: Snowboard and skis
Weather:  Cloudy, Snowing, 14 degrees
Schooled:  180 backside over small lips. 

 

 

GPS Data:

Maximum Speed 33.9 MPH
Distance 9.7 mi.
Vertical 7234 ft
Slope 21°
Duration 03:09:20

Average moving speed 9.9 mph

 

So far best SKB of 2014 (9 Meter kite flown)

Sunday1/19/2014 Lake Leelanau
Broke my 6 meter foil bar so I couldn't fly it. Luckily I had my 9.0 and found it worked good.  Could not self launch nothing to hold the bar - needed assistance in launching.
Ended up as the best SKB day of the season so far. Decent snow, easy kite flying and lot's of toeside action. Eventually wind died down and kite could not stay in the air.

Weather: cloudy, 30 degrees,
Conditions: Up to 8 inches of untracked snow lite wind session. Winds were lite probably at best 18-20 mph,
Gear: 9.0 Slingshot and snowboard
School: Toe side

Maximum Speed 17.0 MPH
Distance 5.1 mi.
Vertical 174 ft
Duration 01:12:28
Ave speed 10.07 mph 

Boyne Mt with soft Groomers

Saturday 1-18-2014 Boyne Mt Good day with easy conditions and nearly 7 hours of non-stop action. Weather: Mostly cloudy, snow flurries, 25 degrees. TRACK:
MAX SPEED	33.11 mph
SKI AVERAGE SPEED	10.38 mph
SKI DISTANCE	19.2 miles
SKI VERTICAL	14210 ft
MAX STEEPNESS	42% / 23° / 1:2

Crystal Mt Soft Groomers with a fresh 2 inches

Friday 1/17/2014  Crystal Mt.

Great energetic day, felt good in the soft groomers some with a couple of inches of fresh stuff.
Skied the last hour  - feeling better with the skis.

Time:  9:00 - 2:00
Conditions:  Soft Groomers
Gear: Snowboard
Weather:  Cloudy, Snowing, 29 degrees
Schooled:  Still working on the180 backside over small lips.

GPS:
Max Speed 32.4 MPH
Vertical 8457
AVE Speed 7.0 MPH
Duration 4:05

Crystal Mt Soft Groomers with 3 inches of fresh

Thursday, 1/16/2014 Crystal Mt

Fun day late in arriving due to fresh snow.

Time:  10:54 - 1:11
Conditions:  Soft Groomers with 3 inches of fresh
Gear: Snowboard
Weather:  Cloudy, Lite Snow,  29 degrees
Schooled:  still working on the180 backside over a lip

GPS:

Maximum Speed 35.4 MPH

Distance 7.7 mi.
Vertical 4661 ft
Slope 21°
Duration 02:18:02 
Ave moving speed 9.91

Crystal Lake Snow Kite Session

Crystal Lake Snow Kite Session 1/16/2014

Wet and wild snow kite session. Deep packed powder was causing water to leak onto the ice surface. Occasionally after running thru the deep packed snow my board would hit the water/slush and then the water/slush would instantly freeze when I hit the snow. Talk about sticking it was like trying to ride with Velcro on the bottom of the board.
This water/slush was everywhere but as long as I stayed on top of the snow and didn't have to edge it was all right but that was a rarity.
Overall a decent session, wind was good, some snow depth was to much - causing pearling of the nose and usually crashing. By the time I was done I was totally soaked.


Time:  2:50-3:52
Conditions: Deep Packed snowdrifts knee deep to slush spots.
Gear: 6 meter foil and snowboard
Weather: Cloudy with snow, 20 degrees, lite wind session
Winds: S 10-18
Schooled:  Staying alive
GPS Data:
Maximum Speed 17.2 MPH
Ave. moving speed 10.92 MPH
Distant 7.90 miles

 

Fresh Powder Day

Crystal Mt. 1/15/2014

2 - 12 inches of the fresh stuff just what the hill needed after yesterday's icy conditions.

Plenty of good runs down groomed slopes covered with powder.

 

Time:  9:45 - 1:30
Conditions:  Fresh snow 2-12 inches
Gear: Hero Board
Weather:  Lite Snow,  20 degrees, lite winds
Schooled:  The180 backside over a natural jumps

GPS:

Maximum Speed 28.4 MPH
Distance 10.9 mi.
Vertical 7088 ft
Slope 22°
Duration 03:48:35

Average Speed 6.5 MPH

Icy hard pack

Crystal Mt. 1/14/2014
Icy, fast conditions.
Brought out the 1989 Elans 190s for a test run. Found out that I'm very rusty with the skis after all it's been 12-13 years since I downhilled skied. I did enjoy it....Maybe some new skis in the future?
Powder day forecast for tomorrow heavy snow during the drive home with up to 6 inches forecasted by tomorrow morning.

 

Time:  9:00 - 1:30 (skied for an hour)
Conditions:  icy hard pack
Gear: Hero Board
Weather:  Lite Snow,  29 degrees
Schooled:  still working on the180 backside and brought out the 1989 Elan 190s to see if I could still ski.

GPS:

Maximum Speed 32.9 

MPH Distance 17.6 mi.

Vertical 11071 ft

Slope 22° Duration 05:37:35

Ave Speed 6.9 MPH

Images: 190s 1989 vintage skis. And snowy conditions see the deer crossing?

 

 

Spring Conditions

1/13/2014 Crystal Mt.
Fast, soft, forgiving conditions perfect for trying new stuff.
Many180 ollies at higher speeds.

Time:  3:00 - 5:00
Conditions: Warm, soft, fast conditions
Gear: Hero Board
Weather:  Mostly cloudy 40 degrees
Schooled:  still working on the180 backside
GPS:

Maximum Speed 37.4 MPH

Distance 6.8 mi.

Vertical 4360 ft

Slope 22°

Duration 01:53:13

Ave 8.2 MPH

Snow Kite session at S.River Rd. DNR

Wednesday 1/8/2014

Marginally day at best but good to practice toe side moves.
Solo session.
Deep packed crusty snow drifts.
Mainly stayed on top of the hard packed snow.

Time:  2:45 - 3:45
Conditions: Deep Packed snowdrifts knee deep to bare ice.
Gear: 6 meter foil and snowboard
Weather:  Bluebird day, 16 degrees, lite wind session
Winds: WSW 5-14
Schooled: Toe side
GPS Data:
Maximum Speed 13.4 MPH
Distance 5.4 mi.
Duration 59.34
Image: GPS and LSC almost 100% ice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mt Holly -Wet heavy powder

Sunday 1/5/2014

Mt Holly -Wet heavy powder.
Slow sticky conditions, good Mt Holly powder runs.
Craig, John and I.
 
Time:  10:00 - 1:00
Conditions:  2-6 plus inches of fresh heavy wet powder
Gear: Hero Board
Weather:  Snowing,  29 degrees
Schooled:  Everything I know and still working on the180 backside.

GPS:

Maximum Speed 26.0 MPH

Distance 11.2 mi.
Vertical 6450 ft
Slope 16°
Duration 03:08:03

 

 

Milner Beach Snow Kite session

1/2/2014/ Milner Beach Snow Kite session

After 30 hours of continuous lite snow with total amounts of 6-8 inches. It was time to go Snowkiting. Walked out on the ice about 50 yards and thought it looked doable. So I rigged the 6 meter foil and buried it in a snowdrift to keep it from blowing away. Launched it and got underway and soon realized conditions were not too good. Too much wind, hard packed knee deep snow drifts and no grip boiler plate ice. Struggled for 2 hours before calling it quits with sore and tired knees.
I felt like I down hilled snowboarded for 30 hours straight. Ouch!

I'm beginning to figure out that conditions for snow kiting have to be nearly perfect for me, 10-18 mph winds and snow covered ice for good gripping. Glare ice is to much work trying to keep an edge to stay upwind especially in overpowered conditions.

Time:  2:00 - 4:00

Conditions:  Either knee deep pack snow drifts or boiler plate ice.

Gear: 6 meter foil and snow board

Weather:  Cloudy, lite blowing snow 14 degrees

Winds: NNW gusty to 25, slightly side off shore 

Video: Launching the foil kite