Snowkiting is appealing to me because I can ride in snow-covered fields located only minutes from where I live (this is only one among many, many reasons I love snowkiting). That's likely a top reason why snowkiting is so popular in the Great Lakes Region & the Upper Midwest --- It can be done close-by. In the Rockies, there's a different appeal --- Climbing mountains, perhaps? I'm curious; Is snowkiting a 'destination' sport in the Rockies, but a 'backyard' sport in the Midwest? Who drives more than 30 minutes to get to a good snowkite location?

Here in S.Oregon most of the land is tree's, we have to seek out any open area's rather than just huge open backcountry. But we do have a nice mix of every type of terrain.

I used to drive an hour to the Ski Resort when i snowboarded all the time, Now that I kite i only have to drive 30 minutes to get to the goods. But anytime i want to ride new terrain its about an hour drive.

depends on how much traffic is in front of you, and if you're driving a subaru

I live near Boston and there are very few open fields of any size within a 1 hour drive. Access is a pain since allmost all fields are private.

Lakes are available to anyone but you've got to wait for safe ice. Once the ponds and lakes freeze we've got lots of choices within half an hour to an hour of Boston. I use both skis and skates so as long as the ice is safe I don't care what's on top of it. Ice is usually in from around X-mas to the end of March. The best lakes [wider than half a mile with good wind and solid ice] are at least 2 1/2 hours away in New Hampshire.

Ahh... Yes, the 'Subaru Effect' always makes the trip seem shorter.

It's cool to hear that you can snowkite closer to your home than you can downhill, even in Southern Oregon. Do you find yourself snowkiting more than you ride downhill because the drive is shorter, or does the fact that gravity is constant (and wind isn't) make riding chairlift a more frequent activity?

Eastern North Dakota is so flat that you could balance a carpenter's level on any land within a 60 mile radius. Since gravity + flat ground doesn't = movement , snowkiting is more than an alternative... it's the only way to snowboard / ski out here.

I'm wonder if snowkiting carries a different appeal in different parts of the country; For example, people living near great ski resorts in the Rockies might view snowkiting as a more extreme 'fringe' sport... Because only the most devoted adventurer would climb above the timberline and wait for wind when there's a chairlift nearby. Far from the ski resorts, in the Upper Midwest, snowkiting may make more sense to the 'average' citizen; there aren't nearby resorts for skiers / snowboarders, and the wind isn't obstructed by terrain features.

I've got a spot about 20 minutes away. Otherwise gotta wait for the lakes to freeze. There are a couple big lakes within 30 minutes that I'm looking forward to trying this winter.

My parents live in Southwestern NH and there are some massive corn fields in the Connecticut River valley near them that I'm really hoping to try this year as well. I'm hoping that they get solid wind blowing down the valley there. That reminds me that I have to do some scouting and find out who the heck owns them so I can try to get permission.

I live in SW Colorado with three resorts in the area(30min-2 hours) and I would skip the resort any day to go kiting. No lift lines, no parking hassle, no "scene" . I have kiting spots any where from 5 minutes from my house to a 2.5 hour drive and then a snowmobile ride in. The more snow we get, the more options we have. Its a bit more selective in the mountains as it depends on which direction the wind is blowing determines where we are going to "get it"...I'll drive as far as necessary to get a good ride!

I live about 10 minutes from Powder Mountain Utah, 5 minutes from a frozen reservoir, and 20-30 to another great place. This close proximity is enough to keep me here and not driving to the more popular areas. I like to ski in bounds one day, kite another, and backcountry ski another. Wind, weather, and snow conditions help dictate the days activity.

I am a lucky dakota farm boy. I'll take a long lunch over noon. Go right out my back door on to bean stuble. Shred away. How ever if I want terrain i have to drive 15 min. to the lake Oahe hills.