3/9 12.5m Strawb-Renegade

[mike loeser]

Didn't see much in the way of high pressure this morning, so decided to head up to Straw on Kenny's recommendation. Wanted to hit it early, but that usually puts me in skunk mode. Was pissed when I got up there only to find absolutely no sign of wind. I knew how that typically worked for me, I'd get too impatient and head back down only to find it picked up a few minutes after I'd left. I waited for a bit at Chicken Creek, then decided its the marina or home, next week I was headed to Skyline. The sky was overcast, so I'd hope something was going to happen. On the way to the marina I could see a few flags on the snow plow markers moving just enough to get my hopes up. By the fee station the flags were definitely moving, so I thought I might have a few puffs to ride. At the marina there was no wind at all. Pissed! this would make it about three weeks without a decent session for me. I finally decided to head back to where the fee station was and see if I could at least get some exercise. Parked at the bend in the road by the stop sign, rolled the windows down and lo, and behold a decent breeze. Figured it wouldn't last long so setup and launched. Rode along the ridge there about 500 ft above the lake. The hill is steep enough to play on and the wind was running directly up. Untouched powder. The wind held steady in the low teens, just enough to keep me it fun.
I've upwinded it a few times from the marina to reach a bit south of where I was, but I'd never reached that far north west. I don't know if anyone else has kited there, but I thought it had way better terrain than the marina. You can get down to the lake if you want the flats. Ever time I tried to reach the lake the wind was dead down there though. After a few hours of bombing the pow, I wrapped it up. Just out of curiousity I head down to the marina, still no wind there. Strawberry river had wind on my way out from the SW. The wind around Strawberry reminds me of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle! Once you know what is doing where you are, you don't know what it is doing where you aren't.
I will add this spot to my list of places to check before calling it a day.
As if that post wasn't long enough. Always wear sunscreen! I didn't think I'd be riding for more than a few minutes and got toasted up. Its getting warm out there.
Mike L.

[Ralph Morrison]

Congratulations on your patience. I made the same drive as you and went through the Marina at about 10:45. At that time the northwest was over and I didn't feel like waiting to see if the southwest would come up. What time did the wind come up?

[mike loeser]

I think it was around 11:30 when I actually started riding. Like I said if there there isn't wind at the marina check that spot out. It sits high enough on a ridge to get the most of what little wind there is.