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