Session 7 of the 2017 Snowkite season: Crystal Lake with the bare minimum of snow

TOB: 2:30 - 3:45
Gear:  13M Z Kite with Burton Hero board
Water Conditions:  (snow conditions)  fresh powder 2-3 inches,  on top of smooth ice, just barely enough
Weather: cloudy,  20ish degrees
Wind: steady 12 - 18 from the south, some drifting snow on occasion
Highlights: lite wind with low friction, made it worked

Not to much hard carving with 2-3 inches of fresh snow on a solid plate of smooth ice.

TRACK Crystal Lake Snowkite 1/30
MAX SPEEP: 20.94 mph
SKI AVERAGE SPEED: 13.44 mph
SKI DISTANCE: 15.24 miles

Good lift at times

Session 6 of the 2017 Snowkite season: Freshsie day on Lake Mitchell

Not much snow in the Empire area so I went with where I know conditions were doable. Lake Mitchell, nearly a 60 minute drive from Empire.

I drove through the Cadillac area 2 days earlier during a heavy snow fall and I saw a lot of snow cover on Lake Mitchell and the surrounding area.

So I did the drive and arriving at the launch site I found the conditions were nearly excellent. Solid WNW winds and excellent snow cover. No bare spots, yes you could scrap down to the ice during a hard carve.

Overall a great day with 5 minutes of sun to nearly vertigo conditions in whiteouts. Excellent snow cover on the lake with more snow in the forecast.

11 M Z1 kite and Burton Hero board

TOB: 2pm - 5 pm
Gear:  11M Z1 and Burton board
Water Conditions:  (snow conditions) 3-6 inches of fresh, untracked snow, heavier then normal
Weather: mid-20s sunny to whiteouts
Wind: NW 10-25
Highlights:  Excellent conditions, no bare spots, although during some hard carving some ice could be felt

Brief period of sunlight

TRACK Lake Mitchell  Snowkite 1/28
MAX SPEED: 19.74 mph
SKI AVERAGE SPEED: 12.46 mph
SKI DISTANCE: 24.23 miles

Session 4 of the 2017 Snowkite season: Lil' Glen snowkite

A bare minimum session, wind came up briefly and dropped off quickly.

TOB: 3:00 - 4:00 (1 hour)
Gear:  13M Z kite
Water Conditions:  (snow conditions) packed drifted snow (0-8 inches), with many wind scoured bare spots
Weather: bluebird day mid- 20s
Wind: 10 - 20 mph from then WSW
Highlights: new angle for Go-Pro camera

Carving? up the snowpack

Session 3 of the 2017 Snowkite season: Lil' Glen snowkite

Bluebird day with drifted packed powder

TOB: 1:15-4:45 (3.5 hours)
Gear:  13M Z kite
Water Conditions:  (snow conditions) packed drifted snow (0-8 inches), with many wind scoured bare spots
Weather: bluebird day mid- 20s
Wind: 12-22 from then WSW
Highlights: Kited with Pete Fisher a local from the Glen Arbor area.

Brent Smith acquired some drone footage that should be interesting.

Session 2 of the 2017 Snowkite season: Fresh snow cover on Lil Glen Lake

Gear can get buried quickly with all of the blowing snow. 24 hours ago this was rock hard bare ice.

IT'S SUNNY !

Nearly epic snowkite conditions, fresh 2-8 inches drifting snow. Sometimes you'd scrap the ice below the snow, other than that it was a powdery, quiet ride.

TOW:  (Time on the snow) one hour and forty five minutes from 3:00 - 4:45

Gear:   11 M Z1 and TT

Surface Conditions:  3-8 inches of freshies with no base

Weather: finally I can see some sunlight, 26 degrees and dropping

Wind: west to 30 mph

Highlights:  nice smooth dryer powder - just 24 hours ago this was down to bare ice.

Session 1 of the 2017 Snowkite season: Fresh snow for a snowkite session on Crystal Lake

After tracking out Crystal Mt in the heavy freshies I headed over to Crystal Lake to do the same.

Rigged up the 11M Z1 and rode from 12 - 1 in moderate snow changing to a soaking rain.         

A full on grey and white day luckily after a few tracks through the freshies I added some contrast so I could see much better. Moderate to marginal wind conditions. Fresh snow on top of a base in most spots. Some chunky pack ice below some of the snow - overall a fun soaking session.    

Snow changed over to rain

24 hours later all of the snowpack is gone - bare ice remains

TOW:  (Time on the snow) Barely made it from 12:00 - 1:00

Gear:   11 M Z1 and TT

Surface Conditions:  3-8 inches of freshies with some base in most areas

Weather: 32 and rising degrees with moderate snow changing to all rain

Wind: SE to 15-19 mph

Highlights:  nice smooth powder, although wet and getting heavy as the temperature rises

TRACK Crystal Lake Snowkite 1/30
MAX SPEED: 20.94 mph
SKI AVERAGE SPEED: 13.44 mph
SKI DISTANCE: 15.24 miles