4-1, Skyline, 12m

[matt dadam]

Kind of odd at skyline all the way around. Drove down with fingers crossed, thinking that if it clears enough to see it should be epic. Met with some kiters in San Pete Valley who were "right behind me." Got to the top at 2pm and it was a whiteout. Then at 3pm it cleared off... plenty of sun and blowing low 20's with a nice fresh coat... this should be good. I put up the 12m and could barely hold it together... and at times couldn't at all. It was the most turbulent air I've ever flown. "Snow Devils" constantly swirled through the area. Small jumps turned into big jumps, big jumps didn't get me off the ground, and underpowered kiteloops sent me lawn darting down wind and overpowered. Just awful air really. The new snow was also drifted around in a really disorganized way with large areas of firm crust and soft waist deep drifts in unusual places. Boscoe and the west ridge were mostly wind scoured crust. Good snow lay in between. Did not venture too far out the west ridge for fear they would never find the body. My friends from the valley never showed up and the place was eerily quiet all day... no other kiters, no sledders. Not one other vehicle in the lot all day except near the end... a water kiter from Mammoth CA, with a full mod 350 horsepower snowmobile, who was there for the shootout this weekend. He'd never kited snow before and didn't seem too interested. He was wondering where all the sledders were as we chatted. The whole thing was really ironic and played out like a big April fool's joke.