Kite-o-rado Snowkite Conditions

[RomeUtah]

Need Beta help:
Going to the huts below aspen in 2 and a half weeks for a boys BC ski trip. has anyone snow kited up by pearl pass? Base of operations will be tagert hut. I want to bring my 15m closed cell foil for some gliding and towing fun as I imagine we wont be able to bag any really good descends in feb.
Cheers,

Rome Utah, I've only been up that way in the summer but it could be wild! It seems way out there. If you see a day with a very North forecast (try NOAA point forecast or CAIC zone forecast), I'll bet you could score some kiting just about the hut at treeline. For anything south or southwest I think you'd have to get up over Pearl Pass proper to get clean wind. Let us know how it goes.

it looks doable on north north west. Im looking at this upcoming week as a forecast example and it looks like it goes around 1 pm every day for a couple of hours with a bit above 10 kn which is more than enough for my wing. The west, south west shoulder of Greg Mace peak and the big pearl pass bowl both look doable. Will send updates when I come back.

[Anthonyshopguy]

Okay, Folks:

Back in town and ready to go kiting!!

As to the plan for the first ever kiting gathering on the Grand Mesa, it will be the 12th through the 14th of March on the top of the mountain. That will be a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, with kiting going on each day, plus Sunday.

Lodging at the Grand Mesa Lodge is filling up fast. There are only 6 cabins left for these days, so please let me know if you are interested in sharing with someone, or try to get together with others who have expressed interest in coming. There is simple bar food at the lodge and also an excellent bar area for nighttime get-togethers. The lodge is only two miles from the Park and Ride area. Information on the lodge, including phone number for reservations are on the first picture. There is also a large parking lot for the snowmobiles (Mesa Top) less than a mile from the Park and Ride area, where overnight or camper parking does not seem to be a problem. Tent camping would not be an option, but RV, van or car parking might be feasible. BE AWARE, however, that this lot is at 10,500 feet and it can easily drop to single digit or lower temperatures at night. There are vault toilets available, but no water or other amenities.

Areas to kite (Park & Ride Area) is about one mile from the snowmobile lot. We have to limit parking along the road for safety reasons, so people are encouraged to shuttle back and forth from the Snowmobile lot. The immediate Park and Ride area by the road is relatively flat terrain with a few trees and obstacles, with the major danger being the road itself. This area is approximately two square miles. Kite Lake (as we have lovingly named it) is about 4 miles off the road and not accessible without a snowmobile. We hope to have several snowmobiles there that can shuttle from the roadside area to the lake. It is a frozen lake that typically provides good kiting conditions and favorable wind direction and speeds.

No-Wind Options abound in this area, and as all kiters know, wind is never guaranteed. The Grand Mesa typically has fairly light winds, so be prepared with various sized kites if you have them. March is not the windiest month but it usually has a fair amount of good days. No-wind options include world class cross skiing a mile from Mesa Top (one area dog friendly, one not), with many miles of groomed trails. A donation of $10 is suggested to help with the trail grooming. Powderhorn Ski Area is about 20 minutes from Mesa Top and a lift ticket is $75 a day—least expensive in Colorado. Grand Junction, CO is about an hour away, and is home to some of the best mountain bike riding in Colorado. Snowmobile riding on the Grand Mesa is also a big attraction, with hundreds of miles of beautiful trails, and tours are available through the Grand Mesa Lodge.

Make Plans Now, please. Only 6 cabins are left at the Lodge now, so the sooner, the better. There are other motels and lodges fairly close, but we are only working with Grand Mesa Lodge at this point. If you plan on coming and have a snowmobile you plan on bringing, please let us know, and let us know if you would be willing to help shuttle people from/to the parking lot, or out to Kite Lake.

Please message if you have any questions, and we’ll try to reply as quickly as possible with answers to any questions you may have. Really looking forward to this event, and hope we have a lot of kiters interested in joining us.

Thanks in Advance!!

Event Coordinators

[Anthonyshopguy]

n0 idea how i get these double posts sorry folks.

[Anthonyshopguy]

Absolutely NUTS at kite lake GM today. Really need to get a camera any suggestions for reasonable price? Had at least 10 10'+ jumps. 37 mph speed record and I forgot to turn the GPS on for the first 45 minutes . Also found 6" slush pond's near the dam, the hard way. Post slush session everything went down hill. Ending in toe front catch after landing a jump. Hard head first tumble. Recovering at SB party.[attachment=0]Screenshot_20200202-190822.png

[matthepp]

We are weather softies down here in the San Juans. I went up to Ironton yesterday for a lunch break a little less than prepared. Single digit temps (I know, the northerners must be scoffing as I imagine you guys wear shorts down to around ten below). Wind was good and the snow was soft and fast. Started blasting laps through the tundra and bushes with my pup chasing me as best she could in the deep snow. My hands turned into ice blocks and the pups feet froze so I dropped the kite to put her back in the car to warm up. I got whacked with the worst case of the screaming barfies that I've has since climbing the Talisman years ago. After 5 minutes doubled over in the snow breathing heavily, I had a great second round of powder tracking! I am ready for some warm sunny spring corn snowkiting!!

[Matteo V]

We are weather softies down here in the San Juans. I went up to Ironton yesterday for a lunch break a little less than prepared. Single digit temps (I know, the northerners must be scoffing as I imagine you guys wear shorts down to around ten below).

It's a wet cold. Takes a lot to get cooled down when your at high humidity and something above 0 Kelvin.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... 1026286926

Good old Bill Paxton. Everybody misses him.

[matthepp]

Good old Bill Paxton. Everybody misses him.

GAME OVER MAN, GAME OVER!

[Matteo V]

Good old Bill Paxton. Everybody misses him.

GAME OVER MAN, GAME OVER!

Maybe we could build a fire, sing some songs???

[mmclimbhigh]

Not too cold at Lizard Head the other day Matt. Hard snow made for some fast laps! Clocked in 18 miles in a little over an hour. Good times! And yes, sunny corn kiting sounds pretty good..... or, warm Caribbean waters Heading to Tobago in a couple weeks! Stoked

[matthepp]

Mark, you bum! Tobago sounds perfect right now. Ridgway Reservoir froze over solid with 3-8" ice. Just enough snow sticking on top to hold an edge. Nothing too exotic but go ahead and throw your skis and kite in the car if driving by and blast a few laps.