Hogback Heaven in the Snowcrest Range

noah · Since 19 Oct 2006 173 Posts Bozeman, Montana Stoked

Maybe I’m crazy. Is it crazy to: Drive to a remote mountain town, miles from anywhere then continue further, twenty miles further, on greasy clay roads to where the road ends, then, load up your packs with skis/snowboard, food, water and (of course) a kite and continue on foot, four more miles up a couple thousand vertical feet to find snow and howling winds? I guess maybe I am crazy. But that’s what my crazy friend Cale and I did this past Saturday.

For some time now I have wanted to kite in Montana’s remote Snowcrest Range. It’s wild country. As I said; it’s many miles from any form of civilization and takes a fair degree of effort and time to get there. However, the reward was worth it!

After a spectacular hike up a long ridge we arrived at 8600’ and the snowline. Conditions were gusty - 20 – 40mph and snow was smooth Styrofoam. We had brought only one kite each: Our 8m Manta2. That one kite was the right choice. It was big enough to get us up the steepest lines and small enough to handle the largest gusts. Kiting in this mountain playground was especially tactical. Steep drops and sharp rocks were around every corner on this October day. Shifty, gusty storm winds played with us. It required all our concentration to fly the kites well and at times we were literally living gust to gust as we ascended the flanks of Hogback Mountain.

My hoped for goal was to ascend Hogback and ski steep lines of powder. However the storm winds and early season conditions forced a rewrite of the day’s playbook. We eventually found the best winds and snow conditions were on the massive lower slopes of Hogback. That was fine with us. We were rewarded with a full day of kiting and spectacular views.

See ya out there,

Noah

Nak · Mon Oct 26, 09 1:16 pm

Way Cool!!!! Thumb's Up

Sella · Mon Oct 26, 09 2:29 pm

Noah......you are winter's breakout bad-ass of the year. Respect.

Snowkiting came first for me because I lived in Idaho. I got so hooked I moved to the Gorge because I wanted it daily and year-round. I figured Hood / Meadows had year-round snow so kiting would be a close winter option but have been bummed that really isn't the case......yet. (still hopeful)

For those of you who haven't snowkited....it's mindblowing on so many levels try to get out and experience it this year. Aaron Sales, editor of Kiteboarding Mag, is a huge fan of the snow and has been giving good coverage and publicity to it's potential for years now. When the vid "Something Stronger" came out in late 07 early 2008 it helped spread the stoke for sure.

Prime snow kite areas in the Pacific Northwest are just waiting to be discovered so the time and effort Noah and his crew are putting in to chart MT terrain so the term "off-season" becomes obsolete is very impressive.

Boise/Camas guys had a breakout year last year it seems, S.O.K.A is always getting the goods and Utah Skyline and MT are now known destination spots Thumb's Up

but I think the goods are closer than we all think. I wonder what our neighbors up in Seattle/Bellingham, BC, Eastern WA. , Northern ID, ND, SD, WY, CO etc...etc...will discover this year?????

Thanks Noah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpjEopb2aLU

Wind Slither · Since 04 Mar 2005 2627 Posts The 503 METAL

Noah, you guys are kill, kill, killin it! Keep em coming! Pretty sure I'll be making the trip this year!

Sella, please keep me on your Dalles Mtn alert speed dial!

Very Happy

JMatic · Since 12 Aug 2008 252 Posts Boise, In Dat Ho Obsessed

Truly inspirational Noah, shitballs man you guys are deep in those MTNS. The Livin' gust to gust shot looks menacing with that monstrous wall of black clouds looming over the Hogback....it takes baaaaalllllss to do that shit.

Now what the hell is up with the Norway crew not putting out a Snowkite film this year? Who's got the 2009 version of this:

Link

shymac · Since 20 Jul 2005 919 Posts Home Valley, Wa. Bigfoot

always sick to go up the fall line... that shot is rad! Twisted Evil

Chooch · Mon Oct 26, 09 4:36 pm

buttersmoothcarver · Since 08 Oct 2008 246 Posts Stoked

Noah, Nice to see the MT is getting the goods early as usual.

Sella, I've snowkited all over WA, ID,WY, UT, OR! We have some incredible local snowkiteing in the NW, especially out near Waterville plateau in eastern WA. It's not that we don't have it good out here, it's just simple better to keep locations on the low down. Sounds greedy but snowkiting to me is all about solitude and tracking out fresh powder....the less the better. One things for sure it that timing is everything and just plain getting after it when snow levels are low. Last year as you may know we didn't receive any snow for 8 weeks straight, then when it did come the snow levels were much higher so we had a tough year around here. Places like Camas, MT, Skyline, Strawberry will always be better due to there overall snow elevations.

Put your dashboard time in and you will find the goods!

Sol-flyer · Mon Oct 26, 09 7:01 pm

Yea Noah!

Give a shout out to cale for me, Dam i'm sooo pumped now for the winter. Razz

Those pics are absolutely amazing.

wylieflyote · Mon Oct 26, 09 7:18 pm

Sella · Mon Oct 26, 09 8:24 pm

Sol-flyer · Tue Oct 27, 09 9:31 am

Actually,..the Sol-Bus is prepped and ready for an adventure....I was thinking Baja Cool

But maybe we could arrange for a lil detour

Update for down south- Snow levels dropped to 4-5000ft last night. Area's such as crater lake got up to 6-8 inches. Even the great meadow got 1-3 inches. And with another front coming in over the next 5 days we should see even more by the weekend. I will keep y'all informed on when we go...just need a good freeze to get a solid base going.

here's a lil pic to "stoke" the fire

JacobBee · Since 26 Oct 2008 41 Posts Oregon Â

Hey I'm down with that....Kale and I kited in Krylua years ago. I need too contact him and meet up. Tell him Jacob needs his contact......

tekko · Since 20 Feb 2006 376 Posts White Salmon Liquid Force

Yes!! Noah always getting the goods!! Stoked to see the pics and reports noah.. keep em coming!!

Let us know when the snowpack is enough to get off the rock boards!

As for the snowkite films.. they were working on an instructional last winter, but I don't know what happened to it. I do know Petter shot with Morten a few times for this.

BUT.. there is no $$ in kite films. From what Petter has told me Morten went on to legit filming for paid jobs in another industry.

That is the bummer of a fact and it happens to all the good movie makers. Started with Tronolone in the early days, then Elliot Leboe and now Morten.. all moved on to use their talents to shoot for bigger industries with legit budgets.

We'll see if we can't get cineaptic to drop a feel good friday snow edit for us before the end of the year... maybe he'll just happen to get a bunch of footie dropped in his lap for it...