Wind junkie looking for locations

[Gustbro]

Hey all,

I'm an avid snowkiter that recently moved back here to AK after living in Colorado for a number of years. My Bro and I spent some time scouting good backcountry locations in CO for places to kitesnowboard, using our RMK's to get us to some crazy terrain. When there was no wind, we would just have fun on the machines. I'm not much for "lunge counting" and hiking in for my backcountry sessions. I have a 2000 RMK 700 with a shorty 136 track, but it is a rocket from hell. I had to basically de-ballz the machine when I moved back to sea level.

Wondering what the hell snowkiting is? Go here to see some friends from Norway that are the future and pushing this sport.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpjEopb2aLU

Oh yeah, and of course Chasta has to be seen to be believed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHQyzhahBNQ

I would love to scout some locations and get these guys up here to film soon, Chasta is coming up for our trip to Valdez in March.

I thought this might be a good forum to ask around for opinions on places to scope out for wind and fun kite terrain. I'm mainly looking for locations with clean slopes, sparse trees, or above treeline with fairly steady winds of 8mph or more.

Last March we had an epic week at Thompson pass kiting all over the valley floor and up on the slopes and we had perfect wind. Gunsight and Eureka right off the road looked epic as well, but there was no wind, and I'm not sure when it gets much consistent wind. One guy I know mentioned Belanger's pass as well?

I also did some early season kiting at Turny, and that place is a friggin kiting terrain park from heaven! Curbside kiting. Borat like! High Five!

I've never been up to Paxson/Summit, but that place sounds like it might be perfect as well. Pictures and articles about Arctic Man have me drooling to kite there.

Caribou Hills interests me from some things I have heard as well.

Since I now live in Palmer, Baldy is another place I gotta get out and scope. I know nothing about it though, don't even now where the access points are, and how hard a climb it is.

I know a few kiters from Anchorage, but no one yet that has a sled readily accessible, so I am looking for some new riding buddies here.

Anyway, long post, um, long. I'm living in Palmer and I am up for doing some riding, as well as scouting areas for kiting potential. Just here to introduce myself. Drop me a line if you are looking for another rider and machine for a session. For wasting your time, and if you have any interest in snowkiting I can trade ya with some intro kite lessons...or beer? Or hell, both!

Thanks for your time,

-Jeff Brown

 

[furthur]

I was back almost to baldy about two years ago...wind blowing almost 40...ripping chunks of crust off the flats. Windiest ride I've ever had. For access try Yoder road, off the Talkeetna spur road, just in from the highway.

I used to like sailboarding at Eklutna lake, 'cause it was close, and blows there 10-15 pretty frequently, but not epic.

Hatcher pass can blow pretty good, and it's close to home for ya, so you'll know when it's going off.

You might try pinnacle trail. Up in the pass might be good, especially up on top. Not sure about the wind, though.

FPAK51PAFC_AKZ145
-----------------
AKZ145-190100-
SUSITNA VALLEY-
INCLUDING...TALKEETNA...WILLOW...CANTWELL
720 AM AST TUE DEC 18 2007
.TODAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS ZERO TO 10 ABOVE. NORTH WIND 10 TO
15 MPH. LOCAL GUSTS TO 30 MPH NORTH OF TALKEETNA WITH AREAS OF
BLOWING SNOW REDUCING VISIBILITIES AT TIMES.

Sounds like Petersville is blowing now. If you haven't found it yet, watch http://www.arh.noaa.gov/ for weather and snow cover. For snow cover scroll down to hydrology under specialty areas.

Welcome to Alaska, I'm sure you'll find your favorite secret places. I'm too old to take up another hazardous, expensive hobby, but I'll look for you out there...have fun.

John

 

[Gustbro]

John,

Thanks for the reply and the link, I added that to my ever-growing weather bookmarks folder. This sport doesn't actually require much wind, 8-20mph is plenty, depending on the size of the kite.

I actually kited up at Hatchers a couple weeks ago right by the skiers parking lot but the wind was weak (snow was great tho), but I have not seen what the snowmachine areas look like up there..yet. I wonder if the wind is really gusty there though when it does blow. Seems to me "up top" as you say may be the key. The more curbside kiting I can find the better, but I suspect some of the best stuff is to be had in secret gardens that require a little effort to find.

Another thing I didn't specify was the need for wind to be blowing uphill for the real fun on slopes. So, Hatcher probably needs wind coming out of Knik to funnel up the valley I think. We will see, I live close enough to check it out more often.

Eklutna..yeah, I was busy working on my house all summer, but I hope to ride that lake in the summer. I will definitely hit it up this winter too.
Thanks for the info!

If anyone on the forums here comes back from a ride and wants to complain about the wind, I'm all ears

 

[akmclean]

I think the place your looking for may be Lost Lake, on the Peninsula. There is some incredible terrain up there and lots of wide open areas with large up and down spots. And usually wind of some sort.

I would be interested in giving this thing a try, or just showing you the area. I just like to ride. Lots of people on her know this area well.

 

[AkSummit]

Hell you live in Palmer. YOu should just hang out on the front porch and catch a ride!!! The wind blows great in the valley.
;beer:

yeah- I have seen some good wind up at hatchers and it doesnt get much closer to you.

 

[AkSummit]

Hey all,

I'm an avid snowkiter that recently moved back here to AK after living in Colorado for a number of years. My Bro and I spent some time scouting good backcountry locations in CO for places to kitesnowboard, using our RMK's to get us to some crazy terrain. When there was no wind, we would just have fun on the machines. I'm not much for "lunge counting" and hiking in for my backcountry sessions. I have a 2000 RMK 700 with a shorty 136 track, but it is a rocket from hell. I had to basically de-ballz the machine when I moved back to sea level.

Wondering what the hell snowkiting is? Go here to see some friends from Norway that are the future and pushing this sport.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpjEopb2aLU

Oh yeah, and of course Chasta has to be seen to be believed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHQyzhahBNQ

I would love to scout some locations and get these guys up here to film soon, Chasta is coming up for our trip to Valdez in March.

I thought this might be a good forum to ask around for opinions on places to scope out for wind and fun kite terrain. I'm mainly looking for locations with clean slopes, sparse trees, or above treeline with fairly steady winds of 8mph or more.

Last March we had an epic week at Thompson pass kiting all over the valley floor and up on the slopes and we had perfect wind. Gunsight and Eureka right off the road looked epic as well, but there was no wind, and I'm not sure when it gets much consistent wind. One guy I know mentioned Belanger's pass as well?

I also did some early season kiting at Turny, and that place is a friggin kiting terrain park from heaven! Curbside kiting. Borat like! High Five!

I've never been up to Paxson/Summit, but that place sounds like it might be perfect as well. Pictures and articles about Arctic Man have me drooling to kite there.

Caribou Hills interests me from some things I have heard as well.

Since I now live in Palmer, Baldy is another place I gotta get out and scope. I know nothing about it though, don't even now where the access points are, and how hard a climb it is.

I know a few kiters from Anchorage, but no one yet that has a sled readily accessible, so I am looking for some new riding buddies here.

Anyway, long post, um, long. I'm living in Palmer and I am up for doing some riding, as well as scouting areas for kiting potential. Just here to introduce myself. Drop me a line if you are looking for another rider and machine for a session. For wasting your time, and if you have any interest in snowkiting I can trade ya with some intro kite lessons...or beer? Or hell, both!

Thanks for your time,

-Jeff Brown

ok the video sold me-- how much and where do you buy the stuff???


It looks like alot of fun!!!!

 

[nuckinfuts]

Kool

I'm with AKsummit where do I sign up!!??

 

[Gustbro]

Yo, thanks for the replies.

Lost Lake:
I'm not familiar with the Lost Lake area but I will look into it. How much of a haul is it to get in to the good riding? I'd love to meet up with someone and scope it out.

Palmer riding:
Yeah, it gets windy in Palmer for sure, but my place is pretty sheltered over by Lazy Mtn., so I have to actually watch the weather stations online to see what the heck is actually happening across the river. Kinda nice.

Where to get kites:
Shoot me an email and I can give you some numbers to call.
My buddy John over at KITEALASKA.COM, and even NORTHWIND KITES in the 5th Ave mall carries some OZONE kites. OZONES are great on snow, and they are making sweet kites for water too. Year round sport, iz niiiice!

Some good info from friends of mine out in Utah.
http://windzup.com/rideguidesnow.html

How much:
Kite/Bar/Lines, $500-$1500 depending on size of kite. (I carry two snowkites for various wind, 7m Ozone Frenzy and a 14m Frenzy)
Waist or Seat Harness, $60-$120
Snowboard/Ski Helmet, $50-100
Snowboard/Skis, and cold weather gear.
Add wind, snow, shake or stir.

Lessons, I really recommend lessons. Just to learn the basics and reduce the initial frustration and risk of injury. This sport can kill. I have lost one close friend already..helmet most certainly would have saved his life. Many of my buddies have had close calls and injuries from "kitemares". That being said, the safety systems are much improved from when I started back in 2000. Shoot me an email and I can hook you up with a couple locals or even myself to give a cheap lesson or two with a trainer kite. Or, like I say trade for guiding services

My brother is coming up this weekend from CO and he is working on a new Snowkiter magazine called DRIFT and there will be a ton of info in that mag. We will be scoping out some curbside kiting around Xmas, maybe Hatcher, Turny, Summit Lake, Eureka?

THE KITEBOARDER magazine is cool too, my bro was the graphic designer and snowkite editor for them for a few years. We just had an article published in the latest issue, covering our R/V trip from Portage around to Valdez last March. We are doing the same trip with the guys from OZONE this year March 22-30th if anyone wants to come hang out and we should have a few demo kites. Chasta, the crazy frenchmen in that one vid might be coming too. We will see.

I will post more info when I get the details, but I may be doing a couple lecture/presentations at UAA, Feb 20th and March5th.

Anyway, I don't mean to hijack this forum and talk smack about kites too much, but I'm a kite geek and I think the potential here in AK with machines is just sick.

Seriously, feel free to drop me an email for more info,

Jeff

 

[Nikolai]

Just watched the Youtube video and holycrap does that look like fun.

 

[Winter Project]

waaaay sick video.

 

[akmclean]

Lost Lake has not been opened yet, but when it does there will be some great snow for sure. There are two access points, the Snug harbor side wich is on the west end of the Kenai lake, and Primrose, which is on the east side of the lake, towards seward, depending on what you like, and if the trail in is good you could be at the good stuff in probably like 30 minutes. The trail can be sketchy at times. Primrose is probably closer to an uphill wind, but who knows, its alaska weather.