I am being sent to MPLS the first week in February with no day light available.
Does any one ride Calhoun at night? with the city's light pollution does the lake light up pretty well?
Calhoun Night Riding
Moderator: MK
There were 3 of us riding in the darkness tonight: Mike B, Al, and myself. You can see OK with a little cloud cover. Mike had a couple of blinky things on his kite and a red light on his helmet. Al and had head lamps so we could be seen by other riders.
Looks like better wind tomorrow.
Jeff A
Looks like better wind tomorrow.
Jeff A
Jeff Adamski
Windsurf/Snowkite Instructor
Sail & Kite Repair
Windsurf/Snowkite Instructor
Sail & Kite Repair
We night ride out at Kite Island on Minnetonka every Tuesday. You can drive your car out to the island. You'll want a helmet light. The links below are lights that work well.
Headlamp:
http://www.rei.com/product/751757
Red-Lense Kit:
http://www.rei.com/product/699298
Headlamp:
http://www.rei.com/product/751757
Red-Lense Kit:
http://www.rei.com/product/699298
I am not a kiter, so maybe I don't have much to say about this. But did anyone just ready Terry's kitemare story???
Does kiting at night really seem like a good idea???
From my standpoint as a windsurfer, it sounds really romantic to go windsurfing at night and would seem like a lot of fun. To be honest, though, I probably wouldn't do it because I CAN'T SEE.
Has anyone been to White Bear and sailed into those rocks right off of Ramsey? Well, they are hard to see even in daylight.
Kiting is a pretty rockin' sport with lots of speed and danger. I think doing it at night might have some of the same dangers like hookin' up to a car and towin' yourself up. Right?
Does kiting at night really seem like a good idea???
From my standpoint as a windsurfer, it sounds really romantic to go windsurfing at night and would seem like a lot of fun. To be honest, though, I probably wouldn't do it because I CAN'T SEE.
Has anyone been to White Bear and sailed into those rocks right off of Ramsey? Well, they are hard to see even in daylight.
Kiting is a pretty rockin' sport with lots of speed and danger. I think doing it at night might have some of the same dangers like hookin' up to a car and towin' yourself up. Right?
Fred
Stillwater, MN
Stillwater, MN
Sorry Fred MPL, Kiteboarding is not all speed and danger, this is the problem that us kiters have, we have an accident and all of a sudden all of US kiters are put into one catagory. Kiteboarding can be speed or it can be slow and relaxing, it can be dangerous but it's normally not. I would think that all windsurfers would not like to be put into the same catagory as fast and dangerous. I have been at Waconia an seen some really fast windsurfers but I didn't consider them fast and dangerous. You would be amazed at how much you can actually see at night on a white snowcovered lake or field, you can actually see pretty good, not perfect by any means but I doubt very much that any kiter who couldn't see a pressure ridge or a pile of snow in front of himself or herself while kiting at night would be kiting at warp drive. Calhoun is a great place to kite at night, it's usually pretty lit up at night, so I don't see a problem with this at all. So I suppose my point is, I don't belive it to be Dangerous, I do kite and I have kited numerous times at night on a lake snowcovered I didn't and don't consider it Dangerous. What happened to Terry is a completly different situation all together and I think a lot of people realize that it's just not safe to do Towe up's on a frozen lake, example has been made and Terry I wish a speedy recovery and I as probably a lot of poeple wished it would have never happened but it did and it's over, lets not compare everything to this unfortuante accident.
Just my 2 cents.
Just my 2 cents.
North Regional Rider.
Ride til it hurts!!!!
Ride til it hurts!!!!
Yep, not a kiter that's for sure but I do know that kiting commands respect from the pilot.
If it's plenty lit up at night and you can see clearly it probably makes sense, but not being able to see increases the odds of an accident.
Again, I would love to windsurf at night because it seems pretty tranquil and a fun thing to do, but I wouldn't do it because of potential equipment failure and inability to see objects clearly.
But you can't see 20/20 at night and weren't we just talking about hindsight being 20/20?
If it's plenty lit up at night and you can see clearly it probably makes sense, but not being able to see increases the odds of an accident.
Again, I would love to windsurf at night because it seems pretty tranquil and a fun thing to do, but I wouldn't do it because of potential equipment failure and inability to see objects clearly.
But you can't see 20/20 at night and weren't we just talking about hindsight being 20/20?
Fred
Stillwater, MN
Stillwater, MN
I have kited at night a bunch of times. When the moon is out and the sky is clear, your eyes adjust and you can see pretty clearly. I could imagine that all that light pollution in the cities helps matters too.
I am not worried about not seeing things at night. What worries most is people (snowmobiles) not seeing me. Bring a head lamp or a blinky bike light on your butt. And all the common sense things apply even more... Kite with others and don't go unless the ice is very safe.
I am not worried about not seeing things at night. What worries most is people (snowmobiles) not seeing me. Bring a head lamp or a blinky bike light on your butt. And all the common sense things apply even more... Kite with others and don't go unless the ice is very safe.
-
steveb
- Posts: 2146
- Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2002 3:31 pm
- Location: sblain@frontiernet.net
I've been a sailor all my life, first crewing job was when I was 4. Over the years I've done many night sails.
In the UK there's a famous sailboat race called the Southport 24hr race,wicked event.
The cool thing about any water /wind sport at night is you don't have the visual reference for speed, so you can feel you're moving but don't have the usual visual stimuli. It's a surreal feeling.
During windsurf escapades at night if it's really dark I found my balance was effected, again the visual references gone.
I have to agree with the guys that at night there's far more light refracting off the snow than you'd expect.
February 16th there's a cross country ski race in Ashland Wi at night, it's the something or other by candlelight, they get about 1500 skiers.
Digressing , one of the coolest memories in my life was sailing at night. In England in summer we get a twilight, it's a sort of half light all night, about the same light as 15 minutes after sun set here. I was sailing with some buddies from Guensey in the channel islands back to Lymington in southern England. My buddies had gone below at I was early watch, it was about 1 am. The tall ships race had started that day from the Cowes yacht club. I was in this half light sailing down wind on a run , when I saw this 4 masted square rigger on the horizon sailing from my right to my left crossing my bow. I have since learned it was the russian naval training vessel which is about 300 feet long, lord knows how many crew.
It felt like being transported back to the early 1800's watching this huge sailing ship with all sails pulling ghosting accross the horizon.
I watched the thing for about an hour and was gobsmacked the whole time, one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Like a moron I just sat and watched and didn't think of the camera that was 10 feet away from me, but to be honest I don't need the photo to bring back the image, it's one of those burned into the eprom kind of memories.
In the UK there's a famous sailboat race called the Southport 24hr race,wicked event.
The cool thing about any water /wind sport at night is you don't have the visual reference for speed, so you can feel you're moving but don't have the usual visual stimuli. It's a surreal feeling.
During windsurf escapades at night if it's really dark I found my balance was effected, again the visual references gone.
I have to agree with the guys that at night there's far more light refracting off the snow than you'd expect.
February 16th there's a cross country ski race in Ashland Wi at night, it's the something or other by candlelight, they get about 1500 skiers.
Digressing , one of the coolest memories in my life was sailing at night. In England in summer we get a twilight, it's a sort of half light all night, about the same light as 15 minutes after sun set here. I was sailing with some buddies from Guensey in the channel islands back to Lymington in southern England. My buddies had gone below at I was early watch, it was about 1 am. The tall ships race had started that day from the Cowes yacht club. I was in this half light sailing down wind on a run , when I saw this 4 masted square rigger on the horizon sailing from my right to my left crossing my bow. I have since learned it was the russian naval training vessel which is about 300 feet long, lord knows how many crew.
It felt like being transported back to the early 1800's watching this huge sailing ship with all sails pulling ghosting accross the horizon.
I watched the thing for about an hour and was gobsmacked the whole time, one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Like a moron I just sat and watched and didn't think of the camera that was 10 feet away from me, but to be honest I don't need the photo to bring back the image, it's one of those burned into the eprom kind of memories.
Regional Ozone Team rider