Tomcat Summit is on! Look for a clear high pressure system, because you want that stellar Snake River Plain down slope wind under your sail. Wayne, Chaz, Pascal and I all busted there Friday morning when we saw the 2nd day of the high pressure sitting strong over head. It’s hard to drive by Ririe since it’s going off on the same kind of days. We strategically hit Tomcat Summit with the kataFATabatic NE wind which you can see on the gauge in the parking lot usually between 9 and 15 steady.
At the base it was 9 gusting to 12, and once we were up there it was on with a steady 20mph for longer than we could hang in our harnesses. The NE wind happens to blow up the wind loaded slopes from the SW storms. It’s a thing of beauty. Bring your skills though, there’s some inconveniently placed barbwire fences at both launches at the bottom and some rocky ridges to maneuver around. For the experienced kiter I’m saying a 5 star experience, especially if you like to glide. You’ll freak when you see Waynes pics, until then here’s my good ones. Cheers!
Attachments
Chaz on the way to his record air time
Wayne hauling up camera gear and speedwings
Chaz at the glide launch area
Wayne passing by
and then climbing away
Chaz just landed
Wayne launching at halfway and Pascal just getting back.
Me climbing out of the gully and up to halfway
Wayne and Pascal going for more
Last edited by knewschool on Wed Dec 22, 2010 12:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
Just incredible. Hard to believe terrain that wide open is that well covered on virtually all aspects. Do bilers hit it hard too? I really want to get down that way but this is 25 miles from my house.
Those spots look awesome. Tomcat isn't really covered on every aspect. It's the W or SW storms blowing snow onto the NE faces. When it blows Katabatic it blows on the NE slopes and is steady and lighter barely breaching 20mph at the most so the snow doesn't blow away. The other sweet thing is that the NE facing slopes are protected from the sun preserving the snow as well. When we were just there the SW facing slopes were blown right off, but so what...that's in wind shadow anyway. We haven't seen sleds there yet (that didn't belong to a kiters).
I'm watching Friday for now, I have to be at Wayne's for Dinner at 6 with the lady. So if I can pull it off I'd love some sunny day gliding if anyone else can hit that up in the morning it should be fresh snow and good flying wind.