4/28 Lincoln's Backside and Lincoln Beach

[Jason Klein]

Left work at 3:15 and headed south from SLC. Wind had switched N there and was N at POM, but was still blowing S in UT valley when I passed thru around 4:00. Arrived around 4:30 to Lincoln's Backside (about 5 miles from LB following the road that wraps around the point). I had scouted this location last week and there are a couple of places along that road that the launch is decent. On a SW, the wind is side-on in that area. Wind was very gusty when I first arrived, about 10-30. Waited around a bit and it steadied up a little to more like 15-25. Rigged a 10, but an ugly cloud was making its way towards me, so I waited til that passed before heading out. Got about a 1 hr session in with very punchy winds. Not the most fun session, but good practice. Jake and Jason M. showed up while I was out. I came in for a rest and listened to both of them try unsuccessfully to talk the other into kiting the crappy wind and cold water. Headed back out for another half hour or so, when the wind shut and switched abruptly. Those guys headed over to LB while I was packing up. I asked Jake (jokingly - it was 7:15) if I should leave my struts pumped and he looked at me very earnestly and says "I would". Funny. Driving back around the point, I was surprised to see that part of the lake was roiling with 5' swell with frothy tops. On getting to LB, Jake had an 8m set up and was heading out. My meter showed avg wind of 38 with a high gust to 48 over the few mins I held it up. Looked like the wind was a bit much for the 8, mostly because it was punchy and a bit swirly, but he was holding it down (and throwin' down). Had to be 25' up on a few jumps and throwing up 15' walls of water powering thru transitions. Great fun watching Jake tear it up.

[Leo Chan]

Jason, glad you had better time in UL. Reading the wind logs here kinda scared me a little. I've never heard so many terms like gusty, punchy and lully to describe winds. I sailed in the east coast for 5 years and almost always had the best time when sailing around a big weather system. The same is not true here. I used to be able to hold down a 6.7 in 25 - 30 mph wind. Now I had hard time holding down a 5.5 in similar condition in Utah. I am heading back to the ocean. . .

[JimSouthwick]

Or on really big days, just head up to DC, where the winds are often "punchy" but rarely as intense as at Utah Lake.