A bad day of kiting is better than a good day at work.



PAYDIRT!!!

I woke up around 5:00am and ran downstairs "Christmas Morning" style to check the weather radar to see what the deal was with the snowfall. I was excited and at the same time disturbed because I recognize it as beginning an all consumming morning ritual of waking up, turning on the weather channel, local weather, turning on the computer and opening pages from NOAA, Weather Underground and Ham weather. This routine will now go on every single day for the next five or six months.

It's really a sickness. I called our friend Matt at his camp up in Errol and he said they had just a dusting but that it had snowed all day in Pinkham Notch. Then I spoke with our friend Mike Elliott and he said he saw about a foot plus up in Crawford and that the wind was insane.

Between his report and what I was watching on the radar Molly and I decided to head up and see what riding was to be had.

After loading up the Odyssey we headed up to Crawford. I'm psyched on the new rig! I think it's going to be a perfect replacement for the 'ol Windstar. Tons of room and handles great. Although I'm leary of the cheesy Michelin tires that come on it.

We got up to the Notch in about 20 minutes and it was a different world. A little elevation goes a long way in these parts and it was looking like full on winter up there.(see the pic of Crawford Station above)

There was at least a foot of heavy, wet snow with a thick layer of wet windslab. Wicked grabby but I'll take whatever I can get right now.

The wind was blowing about 15-20mph with gusts easily in 25mph+ range. Not my ideal conditions for a first session but for this early and so close to home I'm not going to complain too much.

I borrowed Molly's 5m to start with but in retrospect I should have flown the 8m Venom 2. Something to handle the gusts and for the extra depower. A few times I was lit, dropped, tips under, lit again powered and hoping not to blow my knees. Not good in those conditons and definately a recipe for injury.

I flew for a while and bagged it before I got too tired and ended up hurt. It wasn't a stellar session but it was a session none the less and at least I got bragging rights. Molly got some shots (see above) and we got out on a pretty wild day weather wise.

We'll go back up tomorrow if the wind lightens up and try it again.

Gotta walk the dog.

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