Session 8 of the 2019 season: Crystal Lake with a fresh 3-5 inches

Gear:   13M Z-kite with Burton TT

TOB:    4:00-5:30

Winds:   SSW 10-20 mph 

Weather:  cold, near 15 degrees, mostly sunny mostly cloudy  

Surface: 3-5 inches of freshies with boiler plate underneath

13M kite, 2-4 inches of freshies on top of boiler plate.
Bluebird, winds S, 10-20mph, 22 degrees.

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 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

Day 14 of the 2015 season: Snowkite Crystal Lake - Freezing rain, 1/4 inch of ice on top of whatever was there before

 

Freezing rain on top of small amount of snow. Wind scoured bare ice spots with frozen ice spikes sticking through. Horrible conditions for snow kiting. Cut my time short due to these conditions.
At least I got to try out a new venue, the beach on the southern end of Crystal Lake. In the town of Beulah, MI.

Highlight of the day: Ice carving
TOW:  .5 hour
Gear:  11M and Burton Hero
Water Conditions: Diamond Plate Ice.
Weather:   30ish degrees and a black and a white day, blowing snow 
Wind:  Up to 25 MPH from the NNW - just enough
Schooled:   Nothing

Energetic Session at Crystal Lake

Day 23 of the 2013 season
That's 4 for 7

A disappointing day at Empire beach with whitecaps and the wind blowing 18 plus from the SW good enough for the 5.5. Problem was the beach was so crowded at mid-day that parking was impossible.
Since it was a pack up and head back home day it’ll have to do.
All packed up and ready to go I decided to take the route that goes by Crystal Lake.
Forecast called for 10 – 20 from the SW and it was above that when I left Empire.
At Crystal Lake I drove by the favorite launch spots on the south side of the lake. Saw the lake was definitely white capping so I stop in at the White Street launch and saw Al ripping along.
After talking to Al I rigged the 6.0 on the 100 liter board launched at 4:30 and sailed non-stop until 6:30. Some decent ripping with some nice jumping swell outside.
Al, like me likes to practice different moves so it was fun watching him and trying my moves that I need practice on.
This was a feel good energetic session, it seems like I had more excited energy after the session then before - got to love these sessions.

Sail Time: 2.0 hours from 4:30 – 6:30
Gear: 6.0 with 100 liter board
Conditions:  Jumpable outside, with flat on the inside
Weather:   Sunny, Air 70s water 70s
Wind: SW to 18-25 mph
Schooled: Slashing, jumping, hero jibes, 360s, heli-tacks
Image: The view