Day 7 of the 2016 season: Challenging snowkite conditions with whiteouts, ice patches and cold wind chills

Challenging conditions on Little Glen Lake. Near whiteouts, unseen ice patches and cold windchills.
Even though it snowed several inches in this 2 day storm . The relentless winds scoured the surface and left ice patches and the old base that was previous froze into an icy hard pack. All the powder from Thusday's session was wiped out.
Played it conservatively to keep any mayhem/havoc from happening. A top speed of 18 mph showed the conservatively.
Made the session work but it was low on the fun scale  - more of a test of extreme conditions.

Gear:  11M Z with Burton TT
TOW:  1:30 - 3:00
Surface Conditions:  scoured from the wind
Weather: 9 degrees and dropping, LE blowing snow
Wind: 10 - 25 NNW
Highlights: Whiteouts, ice patches and unseen dangers

Day 6 of the 2016 season: EPIC Snowkite on Lil' Glen Lake (New 13M Z Kite)

A brief period of sun

After a morning of  downhilling at Crystal Mt. I hit up Lil' Glen Lake.
Epic snowkiting with 3-6 inches of pow on top of a mostly solid foam base rarely hitting the lake ice.
First use of 13 M Z kite - it felt big.  I don't think my 11 would have worked through the lighter periods of wind.

Gear:   New 13M Z with TT Snowboard
TOW: 3:30-5:30
Surface Conditions:  3-6 inches of pow on top of a mostly solid foam base
Weather: 15 degrees, partly sunny
Wind:  W to 8-25 mph
Highlights: Gliding on the pow,

MAX SPEED  25.49 mph
SKI AVERAGE SPEED  13.88 mph
SKI DISTANCE  24.21 miles
DURATION 2.0 hours

Day 39 of the 2014 season: Lil' Glen WS/Kite on small inland Lake and SUP at Empire -Trifecta Day



Kite

Kite

Didn't think it was possible to have a decent kite session on a small inland lake with hills surrounding it. Tried to windsurf with my new Ezzy 5.7 and100 liter board but the wind was not consistent at the water's level. Up higher it was surprisingly steady. I've snow kited here with success in the winter but didn't think the summer winds would allow kiting.
Great fun in the shallow flat water kite boarding, Plenty of freestyle tricks WS and a strenuous quickie upwind SUP session at Empire Beach


Highlight of the day: Trifecta - although all 3 were minimum
TOW:  Almost 2 hours total for all 3
Gear:  11 M, 5,7, 100 liter and  11 F Naish SUP
Conditions:  Flat water kiting/WS. Small swell for SUPing
Weather:   Partly sunny 82
Wind: SSE winds from 10-20
Schooled:  Mowing the lawn Kiting, lite wind freestyle WS and upwind/downwind SUPing






Windsurf

Windsurf




 



SUP Data

SUP Empire Beach




Day 27 of the 2013 season
Little Glen Lake 8/21/2013 Wednesday

I knew the forecast was to be good with SW winds forecasted to be 15-25, temperatures mid- 80s and sunny skies.
Left St Clair Shores at 10 am and headed straight to Empire arriving at the beach by 2:30.
Found it to be hot, sunny and lite south winds. Unable to find a parking spot and since the winds were lite I headed over to Little Glen Lake. Once there I found Mike and Amy resting from an all day long session and Tim Byrd rigging his Ezzy. Looked to 5.5, so by 3:30 I was on the water with the 100 liter board and 5.5 Ezzy.
Very gusty conditions estimated at 10-30 mpg winds from mainly south. Warm, sunny and ripping flat water speed runs with hero jibes. Some scary overpowered gusts lasting quite awhile.
Great meeting Tim and sailing with Mike and Tim. Those guys were ripping it up.


Sail Time: 3.0 hours from 3:30 - 6:30
Gear: 5.5, 100 liter board
Conditions:  Flat water, small chop
Weather:  Sunny, Air 80s water 70s, shorty for me
Wind: NW 15- 35 mph
Schooled:  Flat water recorded breaking speed runs
Image:  Little Glen launch and wind data from Empire

Flatwater Paradise

Monday 7/30/2012, Lil Glen Lake  

Found the Empire beach launch to lite to rig so headed over to my second choice of Lil Glen a flat water freestyle paradise.

Mike and Amy were there with Big Mike on the water tearing it up and Amy rigging her 5.5 and me rigging the 6.0. Saw a kiter east of our launch it looked like he was rippin it up also.

On the water by 2:00 with the 101 RRD. I enjoyed the next 3 hours of warm gustiness, with what felt like some record rippin speed runs on the flat water during the peak gusts.
I was able to perform every move I know how to do with ease thanks to flat shallow water.

Sail Time: 3 hours from 2:00 - 5:00

Gear: 6.0  Ezzy and 101 liter RRD.
Conditions: Side on winds of 5-30 flat on inside organized tiny swell on the outside.
Weather: Air mid-80s, Bluebird, water mid-70s.
Wind:  SSW winds inland with plenty of gusts

Schooled: Plenty of hero ducks, downwind/upwind 360s. heli tacks, swell slashing.
Images: Empire Wind Data, Peak wind of 25 mph at 5:00, The scene at Lil Glen Lake.

Easy Hero Sailing

Sunday 5/27/2012, Lil Glen Lake

Storms in the morning brought gusty inland lake conditions, Lake Michigan wasn't quite enough with a solid marine layer of stable air holding the winds down.

Finally around 2:00 the sun came out and the warm front moved in creating strong gusty warm winds over  Glen Lake.

With SE winds from 10-30 MPH directly onshore or down the shoot, at Lil Glen it made it hard to get out and harder yet to get in. 

Rigged and got on the water by 2:30 with the 5.5 and 100 liter RRD.

Once I got out through the narrow channel and into the deeper water the conditions were a blast I could sail from the sandbar on the north side to sandbar on the south side which is a short distance maybe a quarter mile at the most so lots of jibing and hero jibing it was. Flat water on the shallow sandbars and nice chop in the deeper water between the sandbars.

A 4 hour non stop session in up and down conditions..

Sailed 4 hours from 2:00 - 6:00.
Gear: 5.5  Ezzy SE and 101 liter RRD FSW.

Conditions: On Shore SE winds, 5-30 mph, flat water at the sandbar jibing marks and chop hoping in the deeper middle section

Weather: Air mid-80s, sunny sky, water mid-60s.
Wind: SE all day.
Schooled:  Just plan old blasting along, chop hoping and hero jibes.
Video: Easy hero jibes from a boom end view.
Picture: Chop Hopping

Welcome back to Windsurfing

Saturday 5/19/2012, Little Glen Lake

It's been exactly a month since the last recordable windsurf session.

A surprise session Lake Michigan with 5-10 mph conditions but inland things were firing up.

Good conditions at Little Glen Lake got me on the water by 2:00. A bluebird day with 80 degrees plus and strong hot gusty winds from the south. Called the Bonaire of the north due to the sandy shallow bottom.

Sailed the 5.5 Ezzy SE with the101 liter RRD.

Sailed 2.5 hours from 2:00 until 5:00

Felt good to be back on the water especially in 80 plus degrees and 65 degree water very warm for this time of the year. Overdressed with the full summer wetsuit I easily could have been in a shorty.

 

Gear: 5.5 Ezzy SE and 101 liter RRD FSW.
Conditions: Gusty south winds with flat water.

Weather: Air 80s, bluebird sky, water 60s.
Wind: South  up to 30 mph estimated.
Schooled:  Hero jibes, fast tacks heli-tacks, downwind and upwind 360s and just plan old blasting along.
Images: Sandy, shallow, flat, clear, warm water.
Video: Rare footage of a down wind 360 followed by an upwind 360.

Sunday 9/11/2011, Glen Lake
Lite south winds on Lake Michigan but the inland lakes were lighting up.
Great conditions for a small inland lake surrounded by hills and dunes. Warm south winds to 25 mph with shallow flat water "Bonaire" conditions.
Pulling off hero jibes on all tacks, slashing some nicely formed tiny swells, chop hopping on the Hatteras style chop and working on my 360s.
Forecast called for 10-15 but it was 10-20 most of the session.
I get at least 2 outstanding sessions a year on this inland lake.
Two others windsurfers, Mike and Amy and one kiter from Minnesota.

Session: 2:00 - 6:00
Gear: 6.0 Ezzy, 101 RRD
Conditions: Flat, shallow, last of the warmth
Weather: 80, bluebird, water 70 degrees.
Wind: South up to 25 South
Schooled: Downwind 360s
Images: Little Glen Venue.

Memorial Weekend Glen Lake Saturday, 5/28/11

Surprise session light winds were in the forecast.

Session: 4:30-6:30

Gear: 5.5 Ezzy Freewave and 101 RRD FSW.

Schooled: Down wind 360s, succeeded at 1 out of 10 tries.

Weather: Partly Sunny unexpected wind, 65 degrees, south winds 17 -25. Gusty inland lake wind.

Water: Cold 50 degrees. Flat to small 2 foot chop.

Wind: South17-25 recorded at GTL Bouy.

Perfectly adjusted harness lines make for a relaxed session on L. Glen Lake the “Bonaire” of Michigan.