Trip Report: Sunshine Meadows

This report just came in from Patrice.

Sunday started out bluebird, Franz and I went up Angel’s chair. Ski patrol was waiting for us and checked our ski pass!?!? I am under the impression the guy at the lift saw us with kite gear and he want to be “Employer of month” or supervisor…. What ever he called ski patrol. This tarnished my morning until I talk to the other chairlift operator, the one at the top. He read his anemometer wind average 30K and max 40K. That was it! Let’s go kiting!

We got to the meadow; look at the untouched field with anxiety. The wind was light. We launched anyway and did some back and forward pass along ski boundary, Franz and I were hesitant on going lower, we needed 3-5 more knots. We entertained our crowd. Snow kite creates lost of interest.

Franz decided to check at Standish, other spot where wind can be better. Because of my XC pass I decided to stay. After Franz left the clouds quickly blanketed the sky as I decided to launched …again…. The wind picked up 20K… quickly 30K. I was ripping the meadow all the way to Rock Island, little lake in the bottom meadow.

I climb back up the ski boundary to see Franz. He told me Standish was insane. He launched his Manta 12 and got catapulted 10M. then switched for the 7M but it was pulling then not then pulling again. So he wrapped up and came to Angel.

It snowed off and on all day mid afternoon it was hard to launch the kite because there were packed with snow. Unlike last weekend's whoomph the snowpacked seemed much more settled and very supportive (penetration 4 to 15cm). It was a great day in the meadow. I really wish Sunshine lift operator that is looking for ridiculous promotion or just frustrated by not being laid give us break!