Snow Kiting near Home depot in PC

[rob umstead]

Heads up. On 2/25 some riders at the "Home Depot" field were approached by a man who said he owned the lot south of where we traditionally launch. He asked that people stay off of his lot. Lets respect that and help spread the word so that we can continue to enjoy the areas where we have not any issues.
The lot is adjacent to old Highway 40 and from what I can tell, it starts in the arroyo to the south of the launch area and has has a North South fence line on its Eastern edge as well as a southern boundary fence line. Yesterday I saw older tracks that went over his fence at the NE corner of the lot. The fence is mostly covered with snow so it is easy to cross there.
There are plenty of other great places to ride so lets try to keep this guy happy and not rock the boat. happy kiting!!

[rob umstead]

Some new developments;
As of March 26/27,2019 kiters have been informed by the County Sheriff's deputies that snow kiting at this spot is not allowed.
I have reached out to the county council in hopes of generating some discussion to work towards once again allowing access to recreation on this county land. It is a real bummer that it has come to this. Our group has always been respectful, safe and for over a dozen years there have never been any issues with people kiting at this spot.
If you feel compelled to have your voice heard, you can reach out to the council at countycouncil@summitcounty.org Please be respectful and if you happen to be a county resident make that known. Anyone with good contacts at Basin Rec. could also reach out to them because it seems like this lot may fall under their leadership in the future.

[rob umstead]

I had a meeting with the Summit County Manager this week. The "triangle parcel" as they call it (Home Depot Field) is owned by the county and slated to be designated open space and recreation. They are in the process of purchasing an adjacent parcel as well as negotiating with the EPA about some mine tailing cleanup. The plan is for this land to get turned over to Basin Recreation so that the can link up some trails and use it for recreation. That is where we need to be involved to make this an official Snow kite spot.
Heres what we can do. Get in contact with the Summit county commission (email listed in a post above), and Basin Recreation and let them know that this is a unique spot for the sport of snow kiting. It is rare to find open space with great wind (and so close to home, if you live in the county). Let them know how you want to have the opportunity to pursue the sport on this land and that you hope the Kite community is strongly considered when planning for this space. If your from the County let them know your local. If you not then let them know how often this space would bring you to the area. If your from out of state then let them know that snow kiting is a consideration when you make your travel plans. The more people that get in touch, the more impact our group can have on the decisions.
I plan to attend a county council meeting during the summer to speak on the sports behalf during the public comment period and I will spread the word before hand if anyone would like to join me.
Perhaps someone with some Social Media savy could create a Face book page with a Park City snow kiters theme and we could show our solidarity there. No offense, but I do not think that a group called "Kiters with Attitudes" sets a good tone for negotiating with Municipal Powers.
The good news from my meeting with the County Manager, is that this land will be going thru some changes in near future and I think if were active and get our voices heard, there is no reason we should not be able to make this a legitimate spot. The other good news is that the is not slated for development and the county council has a passion for that as well as for recreational opportunities.

[rob umstead]

Update:;

Its official, the fields near home depot are a legitimate snow kite venue. Basin Rec posted signs there last week with a few rules and responsibilities for all to follow. There are plans to build a style/ladder to get over the fence but for now the gate is only secured with a chain so it is easy enough to open and close. Snow is still a bit thin and some tall reedy grass is sticking up in many places. This will get knocked down the more we ride there. Enjoy and be sure to thank Basin Rec for the privilege if you get a chance.