A high pressure ridge is bringing above normal temps to Montana this week and the high country snow is going fast. With an easy drive to 8000’, four of us met atop the Gravellys at for a Monday afternoon snowkite session. My call: It was going to nuke. So, everyone took small kites with us on the mile-long hike to the Crockett Lake spot.

Jeff and I both flew sixes. He had last year’s Access II and I flew a new Access XC. We should have brought along some backup kites in the 10m range as the winds were a notch or two (or three) off of what I predicted. Oh well, just when I thing I know something… …I get schooled.

Anyway, we kited and looped our way through the afternoon and got out of there around dark. Partway through the afternoon we even kited/trudged over to the ridge west of Crockett Lake (Fine Ridge) in hopes of stronger wind. At times it was stronger. Other times one could hear the wind, high up above us, while there might be little at the surface; Weird.

As expected, the Access XC flew great. I was really impressed how well it flies unhooked; no back stall in this kite! The Megatron chicken loop is ergo and efficient. It makes hooking and unhooking simple and sight free. This was the kite I should have flown last week when it was hitting 40+. I can’t wait for another one of those days. All in all, the XC is a very versatile, confidence inspiring kite.

As expected when it’s above freezing, the snowpack is beginning to thin. We need another dump to keep up the coverage.

See ya out there, Noah