Sweet Little Vacation Zion,Mojave,Yuba,+U.Lake

[witt]

The week after the resort closed all the National Parks had free entry fees. So I loaded up all the toys and headed So. I got there on Weds. and got a nice campground all set up.My wife and son came down and we did some hiking and motorcycle touring @ the park. We did The Emerald Pools,Angel's Landing, and The Great White Throne hikes on 3 different days and 1 day I took my wife on a bike ride through the tunnel and over to Checkerboard Mesa. We had nice weather and saw bighorned sheep,bald eagles and lots of beautiful scenery. After 4 days there my wife and son headed back North to work and school and I headed to Beaver Dam Ariz.(between St. George+Mesquite)to ride bikes with an old friend.However,that evening looking at his computer they were calling for big So. winds for 2 days and No. after that. So I left my motorcycle at his place and headed for 6 mile. The first day was really good and steady 5.2 out of the So.The next day was 5.2 as well but had clocked @to the S.W. and got a little rip and schloggy but still fun.I was the only poleboarder amoung 8 or 9 kiters. The next day it switched No and I drove down to Catherines landing and used the 5.2 again. The next day was No. still but pretty lite. So I headed back to my bike. We rode for 3 days around the Arizona Strip and had a great time. After that, I headed back home and camped at Yuba for 1 nite.Tall Tim and Boarder Bob(who works for Windwing in Hood River) came down and we sailed at the west beach. Tim and I sailed our 5.2's and Bob rode his 9.5. The wind was really steady and we had a ball screaming across the lake with little swells in the middle. After a while it started to clock @ to the west and got pretty gusty. Tim and I stayed on our 5.2's and Bob traded his kite for my 4.7 for a while. We called it a day just in time as it switched No shortly thereafter.I spent the nite there and drove to Saratoga Springs the next day. I got there @ 10:00 and used the 5.2 for a while before it started to die off.I had to launch around all these divers from various sheriff's departments practicing their rescue skills. Not too fun being the onlyone out at U.L. Didn't want to pull a "Manny" out there.I'll be headed N.W.in a couple of weeks in time for the swapmeet and I hope warmer and windier weather up there. See you soon. Tom W.