12/23 Skyline 19M Silver Arrow 192 Tanker

[Kenny]

Got up at 5 AM so that I could get in an early morning session and report back to the UWA (don't you feel the love?). The early morning sacrifice was rewarded with face shots, deep pow, and good gliding conditions from all parts of the hill.

Arrived at 7 AM to light wind out of the west. The parking lot was not plowed yet, so I parked on the road and launched my kite in the middle of the parking lot. The lot had about a foot or so of new. Rode in 1 - 2 feet of new. The wind steadily picked up and was around 15 at the parking lot and 20 on the hill when I left. It was also snowing lightly. Just as I was about to pull out, a car pulled up and 3 guys from Chicago jumped out. They looked like they had just landed on the moon. It was their first time snowkiting - talk about an initiation - Skyline on a powder day! Hope you all get some rides!

Kenny

[Weston Youd]

Kenny,

I think I passed you just before Birdseye. I arrived at the parking lot at about 12:00 to whiteout conditions. The parking lot was finally plowed, and the folks from Chicago (one was actually from Florida... He was COLD) were rigging a 7M. I thought about rigging in the parking lot but instead humped through the thigh high powder and rigged. Wind was steady at the 15 range, but the snow was flying and you couldn't see the hill.
Having to fight the powder to rig, I was beat before even kiting. I sat in the truck hoping that the snow would break and I could have a bit of visibility. at about 1:00 I hooked up and launched. The skies did start to clear up, but with the clarity, the wind was dying down too. I wasn't able to get up on plane from the powder and kept fighting it. after about an hour, the wind would gust, but not stay steady enough to stay up, and so I slogged back to the truck and talked to the guys from Chicago (They were actually Russian, pretty cool).
All in all, the amount of powder was above my abilities, and a bit more visibility and more steady wind would have made it a great session, but any session I get in is a good one for me. I still need to work on kite control and board work.

Thanks to Mark J. your suggestion to rig on a lower knot helped out.

Hope the rest of the week has more kiteable days, I want to get in at least 1 more session, cause I have no work!!!

[Kenny]

Weston,

Sorry I missed you. Yeah, the guys from Chicago were originally Russian. They told me that they had a 19M Silver Arrow, but I guess they were a bit scared to fly a big kite the first time they went snowkiting.

A big board really helps in the deep stuff. I hope to see you up there.

Kenny