0423-20

Brenda says that I never reported that I made it home so I have to make one more post.  I made it home on Wednesday @ 0100.  Since then I packed, had a tire repaired and a brake job, drove to the OBX and sailed for a couple of days so far.  It's been 80f and good wind so far.  Yesterday the wind was blowing 25 at best, 20 today.  Everybody has been getting in plenty of sailing.

0418-20

Flight from Maui to LA got canceled last night.  Sat on the plane for  a couple of hours then waited around airport for some more hours before getting vouchers and transport to a hotel.  Got to bed at about 2am.  They sent us to a resort about 30 minutes drive from the airport.  It's a nice place but pretty isolated.  It felt like one of those executive prisons.  Nice beach and all that but surrounded by woods.  After paying $26 for the breakfast buffet, I figured that it would be cheaper to rent a car for the rest of the day than hang out there. 

I went to Naish beach and unpacked all of my very tightly packed kite gear and got about an hour of kiting in on the 9m kite before the wind dropped off a bit.  I laid my harness and pfd on a log to dry out and when I went to pick them up, somebody else already had.  The upside is that it made my golf bag a little easier to pack and now I get to buy more new crap.  I'm at the airport now and will make another attempt at flying in about an hour.  See yous guyz on the water soon.

0416-10

I was off on Wed and Thu.  Paraglided for the last time on Thu.  Wind was dead on Wed and deader on Thu and Fri.  I've been jogging on the beach for lack of anything else to do.  Turned in my cable modem this morning so no internet at home any more.  Tomorrow will be my last day here.  I fly out at 9pm.  Wind reports have been going back and forth between 10 and 15mph easterly.  10 means calm and 15 usually means either a 9 or 7m kite.  I'm looking forward to getting home and then to the OBX.  Will be nice to hang out with some friends for a change.

412-30

I haven't had much to past lately because I've just been paragliding in the morning and working in the afternoon.  Same thing every day.  I went kiting on Saturday on a 9m and it was good for about 20 minutes until the wind died and I just made it back.  Tried again today before work.  It's hard to read the wind on the beach.  I struggled out to the wind line with a 9m kite and found the wind to be too strong.  I was sailing along fine with the kite depowered and flapping.  Only went out and back.  No time to change kites and get to work.  That's why I haven't been kiting before work.  You can't get on the water until after 11 and I have be fed and cleaned up and at work by 1:30.  I'm off work for the next couple of days and should be able to get out.  My last day here is Sunday.  Looks like it might be sailable in Marquette by the time I get back.  Does anybody need anything from Maui?

401-30

Paraglided in the morning and kited this afternoon.  First time on the water in quite a while.  The wind was ENE and just a little gusty on the beach.  Flew a 7m kite and it was always powered enough to stay up wind and often very powered up.  It's funny here.  When they say the wind is 15, they mean that is the base and every gust is above that.  Today they said the wind was 15 but my legs were getting sand blasted on the beach.  Most people were on 6m kites and some of them were jumping 20-30 feet in the air.  If the wind was 15 at home, I'd be using a 13m kite or I'd be slogging on a windsurfer.  There were about 100 windsurfers out today and they were flying.  I think the wind was actually about 20 to upper 30's.

Most of the beach parking lots are still closed after the tsunami.  The lots look fine.  I don't know why they aren't open and they don't seem to be in any hurry to do what ever it is that they are going to do before reopening them.  Not only are the lots closed but they've put up no parking signs on the street so that people can't even park there and walk in.  Everybody does anyway, but I heard that they've ticketed some cars.  I'd be really bummed if I came here for a week to windsurf and found these conditions.  Actually the parking lot for the windsurfers down at Kanaha is open.  I guess it's just the scummy sewer sucking kite surfers who really don't matter.

For the last couple of weeks they've been burning sugarcane at night.  This is what it looks like in the morning before they get the fire put out.

                                                               Burning Sugarcane

331-25

Been either paragliding or hiking every morning since last entry.  I haven't been able to make myself jog so I've been walking up and down the Waihee ridge trail for excercise.  Checked my log book this morning and I've done 64 flights here.  I'm just starting to get comfortable with a little rougher air.  I'm off tomorrow and will paraglide in the AM and hopefully the wind will be good for kiting in the PM.  Haven't been on the water for quite a while.  The wind has been blowing >20 every day for the whole month.  It's supposed to turn SE and get lighter this weekend.  That means the Vog will probably return.

Below is a description of thw Waihee ridge trail.  No pictures because I'm at work.

Route: Beginning at 1,000` elevation, trail climbs the windward slope of west Maui through a brushy guava thicket, a young stand of planted trees, and wet native scrub forest. Views of Waihee Gorge and Makamakaole Gulch can be seen along the way. On the peak, at 2,563` are panoramic views of Wailuku and central Maui, the Kahakuloa slopes, and Mount Eke. Weather at the summit varies from clear to overcast with showers. No drinking water is available along the trail. Camping is not permitted. Wear bright colored clothing. Be aware thay you may encounter hunters who may be hunting off trail. Stay on trail.

325-25

Paraglided in the AM.  Tried to kite in the PM.  The wind was East and real off and on on the beach.  I launched my new 7 and it alternated between picking me up and luffing.  Tried to get out 3 times with no success.  Might have made it if there hadn't been so many other people around.  On the other hand some of those people helped relaunch and catch my kite.  The wind is supposed to be east for the next few days.  Hopefully it'll back a little north and be a little steadier on the beach. 

I guess there'll be no more windsurfing adventures.  I haven't heard anything about my lost gear.  Time here is getting short.  I'll have to overcome my tendency towards laziness and get more water time.