01/20 Powder Mountain & Pineview 10m Frenzy

[Augie]

I got to Powder Mountain about 11:00 with deteriorating visibility and it was looking like the very gusty 15mph north wind was going to increase. I headed out to the riding area and was able to ride until about 2:00 when the visibility really got bad. It was fairly gusty but the real story is the snow condition. The wind has blown away a lot of snow back to the top of the sagebrush. Although I didn't see any exposed ground, the surface is not as smooth as it was before. I was up there yesterday and was not able to see what the new snow did to improve the surface.
I was driving by Pineview on the way home and stopped to check the wind. It seemed fairly strong on the road and I knew it would be a lot stronger on the ice. Several ice fisherman were leaving because their shantys were getting hit hard. The wind was gusting to about 25-30mph out of the west and then dropping off to nothing and then 3-4 seconds later it would be 15mph then 25-30mph. I got slingshotted across the ice a couple of times when my kite woud repower in thew back of the window, to say nothing of the bowties and folded kite that I was experiencing. The kite always untangled without much trouble but it was too much hassle and I left after about an hour. I think the winds were the gustiest that I have ever tried to kite in.

[Marty Lowe]

The wind was gusting to about 25-30mph out of the west and then dropping off to nothing and then 3-4 seconds later it would be 15mph then 25-30mph.

That sounds like The Pineview I know.

(Spring and Fall on the water.)

-Marty