Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w. d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a . c o m 15 CONTINUED Snowkite pioneering in the northern Rockies has moved from its infancy into energized adolescence. In the early years of the last decade, local kiters started in rolling farm fields, ranch land, and snow-covered lakes. As kiters began to look around and visit new areas, the number of choice kite spots exploded. With over a decade of winters behind them, Montana snowkiters have amassed an impressive cache of world-class kite locations. For the increasing num- bers of kiters who chase the wind all winter, the experience grows larger and larger each year. The list of choice riding locations has developed with the sport. Whether one wants to freestyle in natural terrain parks, shred wild backcountry ridges and bowls atop the Continental Divide, or kite laps on gentle hillsides of un- tracked powder, it's all here. Still yet, there are many more new kite spots that await discovery. My winter mornings in Bozeman follow a predictable pat- tern: surf a couple dozen weather links on the Web, power down a double espresso, make a lunch, and hit the road for a day of snowkiting. Some sessions can be five minutes' drive from my home; others may require a two-hour drive. As I drive south on Montana Highway 87 and approach Raynolds Pass, I see a huge roiling cloud suspended and dumping snow at a favorite destination on the Continental Divide. A mile before I arrive at the Pass it's nuking. I can barely contain myself. I say, "O.K., stay calm, you'll be there soon." Sure enough, at the Pass the wind is howling. A fusillade of flakes pummels me as I leave my warm truck. gEar Snowkiters use a large nylon wing, between 6 to 15 square meters in size, to pull oneself on skis or a snowboard across the snow covered landscape. Kiters use a harness to attach themselves to the kite lines and are able to control the power of the wing through precise kite flying and by sheeting the kite's control bar: sheet in for more power, sheet out to spill the wind's power. Choosing what size kite to fly is determined by wind speed, snow depth, the rider's weight and their experience. High winds and harder snow: choose a smaller kite. Deep snow and lighter wind means a larger kite. Most kiters have a quiver of two or three kites to ensure they have the right size for the day's conditions. Most of one's time snowkiting is spent cruising around on the snow. Going uphill, downhill, and across terrain features is the more meditative aspect of snowkiting. Enjoy the scenery and marvel at the wind-powered ride. However, because the kite is so very powerful, one can easily boost off the snow and immerse oneself in intense sessions of pure aerial freestyle. Front rolls, back rolls, sky-high boosts, and long floaty glides quickly become part of a kiter's adrenaline-filled airborne repertoire. Snowkiting imports skills from many sports and synergizes them into a new realm of personal wonder and amazement. Mount Haggin

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