May 12th: North Padre and Mustang Island

Today I did a nice photo and film shoot with Mike Blomvall. We drove to North Padre Island. While the wind picked up, I went to the ocean side on Mustang Island and captured the beaches along the island for kitebeaches.com.

Pictures:
pod/Texas__USA___2008_05_12.html

Action Video:
http://www.kiteforum.tv/video/The_Packery_Session.html

Location Videos:
http://www.kiteforum.tv/video/Packery_C ... s_USA.html

May 13th: San Antonio, Texas

Leaving Corpus Christi with nukin 30+ winds, unfortunately no time to ride, since Mike had to catch a plane in San Antonio. In the afternoon I had time to drive to Canyon Lake and check out the spots. A lighter wind was blowing. The lake just looks excellent for riding!

Pictures:
pod/Texas__USA___2008_05_13.html

Location Videos:
http://www.kiteforum.tv/video/Canyon_La ... _Park.html
http://www.kiteforum.tv/video/Canyon_La ... _Park.html
http://www.kiteforum.tv/video/North_Bea ... s_USA.html
http://www.kiteforum.tv/video/Oleander_ ... s_USA.html

May 14th: San Antonio, waiting for the guys in the plane...

May 15th: yes, we are flying! Made it to El Paso!

Here we go! My first day of flying in the private plane! Today we flew from East to West Texas until El Paso for 5 hours. We wanted to fly further, but a storm front made us stop in El Paso. Tomorrow we will try to be at Hood River, which is at the famous river "The Gorge". Hopefully we will make it in one day!

Pictures:
pod/Texas__USA___2008_05_15.html

May 16th: Flying from Texas to Hood River, Oregon

Today we flew from El Paso all the way to Hood River! We had a beautiful flight, clear sky, so I got many shots from different lakes (not sure if ridable, but I will check over the next weeks).

Pictures:
pod/Texas__USA___2008_05_16.html

Videos:
http://www.kiteforum.tv/video/Flying_to ... regon.html

May 17th: Hood River, Oregon

Season opening at the Hood River sandbar in Oregon. Nice 30°C air, but cold water with about 13°C. The wind came in the early afternoon and blew with about 15-20 knots. Beautiful day with great landscape and many know riders around.

Pictures:
pod/Oregon__USA__Columbia_River___Hood_River_Sandbar_2008_05_17.html

Video:
http://www.kiteforum.tv/video/Season_Op ... regon.html

May 18th: Hood River, Oregon

The wind started early, and then got lighter around noon and was very gusty. Not much riding possible. But nice sunshine, 28°C. The water is still cold, lots of melting ice in the mountains rushes down Hood River and meets the Columbia River in Hood River at the sandbar. A long wetsuit is needed.

Pictures:
pod/Oregon__USA__Columbia_River___Hood_River_Sandbar_2008_05_18.html

No video today.

May 19th: Hood River to Anacortes (south of Vancouver)

Flying from Hood River towards the Pacific Ocean. From here along the coast towards Vancouver. Unfortunately the weather wasn't the best.

Pictures:
pod/Washington__USA___2008_05_19.html

Video:
http://www.kiteforum.tv/video/Flying_to ... regon.html

May 20th: grounded in Bellingham

Charming...grounded at the coldest stop...too dangerous weather to cross the Rocky Mountains today. We flew from Anacortes 10 min to Bellingham, since it is bigger and had more stores so Scott could shop for long pants and Dariusz could buy a new laptop.
Let's hope for tomorrow that we can leave to get to warmer weather...since here it has only 12°C and rain!

21 st: Flying from Bellingham to Salt Lake City

Today we started our crossing over the Rocky Mountains to fly to the East coast.
We try to be in New York City Friday night, and be able to kite on Saturday and Sunday.

Scott left us today and therefore Josh joins the plane to be the co-pilot.

Scott - Dariusz - Josh

May 22nd: Flying from Salt Lake City to Garden City, Kansas

I'm so happy to have left the gray 7°C Salt Lake City and being in Garden City now with nice 22°C!
We crossed the Rocky Mountains, and Dariusz and Josh did a great job in finding a route through the bad weather system...but 15 min before we passed the Rockies we got spanked big time!
My head still hurts, since we had some hard bumps, and at the end one 500 feet drop! No air, sank down for 500 feet and then the air cached us again...and we all hit our head on the ceiling...damn, that was a tuff one! Dariusz never experienced such a deep drop within 700 hours of flying...
We were so happy to get on ground in Pueblo for a fuel stop, no more Rockies! We flew on towards East, but another storm/hurricane system stopped us so we stopped for the night at Gardeb City, Kansas.

And while we fly, Mark Shinn is working...
pod/Canada__2008_05_22.html