Utah Windriders Association

So, the snow isn't falling yet, and neither is the rain. So this means that landboarding might be the ticket. Those guys who went out this last week saw that Burm doesn't give up the best rides in the fall.

I'm thinking that so long as we don't get a storm in the next two weeks, then rather than rally out to Skyline, we should hit up some of the dry lakebeds in West Central Utah. Namely Sevier and Ibex. It's a longer drive than to Skyline, but still only about 3 hours from SLC. Daytrippable, even if it is a long day.

I checked the nearest wind meter, and it looks to be kiteable at least 4 out of the last 7 days, although I can't say for sure since I haven't been out there myself. Lakebeds are fast, so as long as there's wind enough to keep the kite up, then you can build apparent wind and get some rides in.

So, that's my backup no-snow plan.

December 8th
Sevier Dry Lake

This is all provided I get my kite back from getting it repaired in time.

Here's the closest wind meter:
http://www.met.utah.edu/cgi-bin/droman/ ... i?stn=KMLF

Oh, and Brian, if you're still reading this, can you give a bit of beta on Sevier lake? I thought you said you'd been there ...

Thanks!

-J

Justin,

I am curious, why drive 3 hours when there are several locations that are less than 1 hour away? Better wind, better surface?

I like Burmester because if you screw up a landing at least there is some give.

Kenny

For consistent wind! Look at the difference between the last 7 days at Burm and the windmeter I posted. It looks like (assuming the meter is indicative of the dry lakes' wind) there's rides to be had nearly every day out at Sevier, while Burm turned 2 days of riding in the last 7. Also, because Burm is soft, you need more power to ride. You may be equipped with the silverarrow, but most of us aren't. I agree that Burm is world-class when the wind is blowing, but getting the wind to blow there is the trick.

It's my suggestion. Feel free to take it or not. Maybe it will storm soon and we won't need to have a contingency at all. I know that I'll be doing my best to be at Island Park the next weekend. Snow is better than dry lake by far!

See ya.

-J

Misc. old info:

Used to land sail a bunch. Sevier never had a very good surface when dry. Sailed it just once from the west shore. Ibex had a baby-bottom smooth surface, incredible for sailing. But I went there last year in May and it wasn't quite so smooth. Still fun though. Bring a patch kit for the (very) occasional sharp rocks along the edges. Biggest was the dry lake directly south of Sevier, whose name I've forgotten. Surface was decent and it was much bigger and ideal for bigger land yachts. For the travel time and space needed for kitesailing, I think Ibex is the best. It has an island in the middle that was fun to sail around, too. Neat wierd place. If you go, take a drive to Notch Peak just north of there. Huge 1,500-foot (or so) vertical wall.

Good friend who spent a bunch of time land sailing ended up going to the Salt Flats, but the sections that are dry varied a lot. He also had full-on race-car tires that would work well. We sailed there during speed week on big skateboard-type rigs and that was OK, but the salt would cake to your tires. Finding good flats around the SW corner of the GSL is probably your best bet unless you wanna go to Ibex.

Justin,

Thanks for the explanation. I can understand why you would look elsewhere.

[/quote]Snow is better than dry lake by far!

I agree! I am going nuts waiting for the snow.

Kenny

Dimitri wrote:Misc. old info:

Used to land sail a bunch. Sevier never had a very good surface when dry. Sailed it just once from the west shore. Ibex had a baby-bottom smooth surface, incredible for sailing. But I went there last year in May and it wasn't quite so smooth. Still fun though. Bring a patch kit for the (very) occasional sharp rocks along the edges. Biggest was the dry lake directly south of Sevier, whose name I've forgotten. Surface was decent and it was much bigger and ideal for bigger land yachts. For the travel time and space needed for kitesailing, I think Ibex is the best. It has an island in the middle that was fun to sail around, too. Neat wierd place. If you go, take a drive to Notch Peak just north of there. Huge 1,500-foot (or so) vertical wall.

Good friend who spent a bunch of time land sailing ended up going to the Salt Flats, but the sections that are dry varied a lot. He also had full-on race-car tires that would work well. We sailed there during speed week on big skateboard-type rigs and that was OK, but the salt would cake to your tires. Finding good flats around the SW corner of the GSL is probably your best bet unless you wanna go to Ibex.

Excellent, Dimitri! Just the info I was looking for.

Ibex is also nice because if the wind doesn't turn up, I'll just haul out the crash pad and do some climbing on the nearby boulders.

So, I'm still hoping to take a kiting trip, and any kiters/climbers who want to join up are totally invited.

Making lemonade -

-J

I saw another west desert location that has a lot of landboarding potential this week. It is located halfway batween Wendover and Tooele at the exit called Lakeside Military Area. Get off and head north. It is then 17 miles to the military area and the whole valley is probably 10 miles wide average with lots of tabletop flat areas. There are also a couple of dirt roads to kite on without worrying about vehicles. It is so dry there that the sagebrush doesn't grow and therefore it also dosen't have hardly any gullies. For the most part it is just very low grass covering the ground. The valley is about 25 miles long and when I was there for the last 3 days there was kiteable wind every day. BLM land the entire way till the military area.

Augie,

I have noticed that the wind is usually stronger on the west side of the Stansbury Mountains when I am looking at the Mesonet. Sounds like a great spot. Just to clarify, you can kite right off the interstate, you don't have to drive to the military area - correct?

Can you give us a rough estimate of how long it takes to get there from Salt Lake City?

Kenny

Could you also give a sense of the quality of the ground? Is it loose sand? Hardpacked dirt? Will my tires leave a 1-inch-deep trench or a 3-inch-deep chasm? Lots of loose rocks on the surface?

Sorry about the spanish inquisition, but it sounds like a good spot.

Thanks for the info!

-J

It took us about 1 1/2 hours to get to the military area from Hill AFB so it is probably only about an hour from SLC. You can kite right from the interstate but it really looks too hilly from I-80. Get off the interstate and go about a mile north. There are a few small gullies close to the interstate but they disappear for the most part if you go a short distance. There is a dirt road on the right about a mile in if you want to try to kite on it. The valley if flat and the surface is hardpack dirt/sand but I don't think that you would sink very much if at all. The area is not entirely free of vegetation but there are very large grassy areas (low cheatgrass I think) some that go on as far as I could see. Unlike most of the west desert the water table appears to be fairly low so I didn't see any muddy areas in the 17 miles to the military area. I saw a paved road about a mile or two before the military area that went off to the west to who knows where. The entire area is BLM all the way to the gate at the end of the road.

I didn't think this would generate so much interest. I am surprised that the new snow doesn't attract people to the mountains. If anyone goes out there give a report. You could make a Wendover trip out of it since it is only about 55 miles further.