Beartooth Pass Memorial Day

I know that the Rock Creek campground is Quite a bit wetter than the Sheridan campground. The Sheridan campground is located about 6mi out of Redlodge. If we plan this thing for next year we should reserve the group site there. Rock Creek works as well. Just plan on a possible wet camping trip. Who knows it might be 70 degrees or full on winter warning and 20 degrees! If you want to make a camping reservation go to www.recreation.gov the camprounds are located in the Custer Nat. forest

I'll be out from Minnesota for the long weekend. Looking forward to kiting the Pass again and checking out the Ozone gear.
Joel, can you bring a size large Montana Kite Sports t-shirt for me to buy?

See you guys there !

Hey guys, it was nice to see everyone on the Pass. Here are my journal entries from the weekend. I hope you guys caught some of the wind on Monday somewhere.
Have a great summer.

The Final Days of Snow
Beartooth Pass 2009

I’ve always thought it was best to share good karma, especially on road trips.
My karma was tested immediately on arrival at the Billings Airport at 11:00 on Thursday night as I waited for the National Rental Car agent to explain to the elderly German couple where they could find their rental car in the parking lot… three times. I smiled at the agent and waited patiently. Patience is not one of my virtues.

I was rewarded when I found out my compact rental car had been upgraded to an all-wheel drive SUV. The perfect vehicle for all my snowkiting and ski gear. I was heading up to my vacation home in Red Lodge, and more importantly, to the Beartooth Pass for a Memorial Day weekend on the snow.

I awoke on Friday morning to the sounds of birds chirping and the sun shining through the blinds. The Beartooth Highway had been plowed of snow and was open for the summer. My excitement surged as I drove up the highway, gaining altitude with each switchback until I reached the top of the snowy plateau and saw the steep mountain chutes with cornices reaching out over the ledges.

With no wind I decided to park and ski at Gardner Headwall. The Memorial Day crowd had not fully arrived yet but the rocky parking area was slowly filling with music, lawn chairs, and beer. The skiers and boarders showed the diversity of the mountain culture. They were men and women, they were young and old, and they were ready to challenge themselves and enjoy the final days of snow. I made three runs down the 45 degree pitches and three long hikes up and out of the basin. After the third run I began to wonder if the 40 minute hikes were worth the 7 minutes of skiing… they were.

On Saturday morning as I rounded the bend at the Twin Lakes headwall I smiled at the sight of kites flying on the plateau across the road from Gardner. I quickly parked my SUV on the shoulder of the road and launched my 10 meter Ozone Frenzy kite. I joined a handful of kiters sliding along the ridgeline, climbing the hills, riding down, and boosting small air in the light winds to the enjoyment of the tourists who had pulled off the side of the road to watch.

The inversion generated winds shut down by Noon as the top of the Pass got warmer.
While waiting for wind I was introduced to the Montana crew of Joel Beatty, Brian and Suzi, Nate and his fiancé, “snowkite license plate” Brian, young gun Josh, and a guy I’ll call the owner of Super-Dog. Brian and Heather Schenk of Windzup/Ozone also joined us, making the drive from their home in Utah, to round out the crew.

Super-Dog brought drama to the afternoon when he was clipped by a speeding Subaru. The thump of the bumper and the squealing yelp had us fearing the worst. Fortunately and to our surprise, Super-Dog recovered from the trauma without the need of medical attention. What appalled us the most was the driver of the Subaru did not even slow down, he just kept driving! With no wind and a sore dog, the snowkite crew called it a day.

Sunday morning brought more sunshine but no wind. The crew met at Gardner and drove over the Pass in search of wind. We stopped at a pull out facing Reefer Ridge to admire the view of the Absaroka mountain range to the north. After a few minutes of discussion, Brian, Nate, Brian & Suzi, and I decide to book pack to the top of the ridge and ski down.

With no wind on the horizon, the crew broke up. Some went in search of hot springs in Yellowstone, some went to explore around Cooke City, and others went back to Red Lodge. I ended the day going back to Gardner Headwall where I made a ski run and enjoyed the festival atmosphere of spring skiing. While hanging out I noticed a slight breeze building. I drove up the road to a pull-out where two kiters were standing. I recognized young gun Josh from yesterday and met Jay from kitesites.com. The wind meter was pushing 10 miles per hour. With optimism, we decided to put the kites in the air. We worked the kites to generate power in the light winds as we made our way across the ridge. Josh found a nice lip to launch from at the top of the ridge near an outcrop of rock. He defied gravity and the light winds with several spinning jumps. Looping the kite to pull me up the hill I struggled to get upwind to the lip. Reaching the top of the ridge I kept the kite high above me and let my ski’s glide me back to the road as the wind died.

Memorial Day Monday dawned cloudy in town. As I crested the Pass I was surprised to drive into a bank of fog. I pulled off the road at Gardner just as the sun burned through the fog. Stepping out of the car, expecting to make a ski run I felt the wind on my face.
Without hesitation I pulled my 10 meter Frenzy out of the car and walked onto the snow. Sinking up to my knees on occasion, I dropped the kite and unwound the lines. Much to my delight, the cells filled with air and the kite came to life. I looked around for my fellow kiters but saw only skiers and boarders arriving across the road. I flew back and forth across the snowfield. With each run I would set the kite at 2:00 in the wind window, gaze up into the blinding sun, mentally count 1,2,3 and send the kite back in the window to 11:00, edging my ski’s into the wind, and popping like a champagne cork into the air. Occasional hoots from the tourists watching from the roadside boosted my energy level and widened my smile as I floated down to a fully powered landing. I felt like a rock at the end of a pendulum swinging back across the snow with every change in direction. I flew all morning with a couple of breaks to refuel. By 2:00 I was exhausted, and decided to call it a day even though the wind was still blowing at 16 mph.

Sitting at the airport on Tuesday morning I reflected back on the weekend. Mother Nature provided good snow conditions and enough wind to have fun. The Beartooth Mountains provided a beautiful playground, and the crew of kiters provided humor, camaraderie, and new friendships. I decided good karma was on my side as I closed out the winter with a great weekend.