Michigan road trip

[Mike D]

Did a Michigan/Wisconsin road trip last week (mostly Michigan). Just me and my girlfriend, she's a pretty good sport with the whole kiteboarding thing. I highly recommend this tour, although it wasn't very windy for most of the trip. I did get a couple good days in - one at Muskegon and the other in Ludington. Here are some photos, but I'm no Jens, so don't expect any 40 foot airs...

Muskegon on day 1 of the trip:














Muskegon has a roped off kiteboarding only area of the beach, sort of like the dog beach at montrose, only better. The Mackite kite shack is here. I broke my harness that day, then bought another one right there on the beach, pretty convenient.













Windless at the dunes:












Lone kayaker:








Windless at Crystal Lake:








Windless at LSP:










Rode out the end of that storm for a quick 15 minute session in Ludington:















Good wind all the following day in Ludington. I rode behind the south pier for some flat water on a north wind, then did an upwinder out around both lighthouses back to the town beach, where Lindsay met me with the car.




Getting ready to launch:








Ludington Piers:








Windless at Lake Charlevoix:












Took the SS Badger from Ludington to Manitowoc. Slower than the Lake Express, but a very good trip. We took the sunset cruise...












Windless in Manitowoc:








Windless at Lake Winnebago:








Had to make it to Madison for a wedding last weekend at the end of the trip. I did get one very underpowered 12m session at Zion on my way back to Chicago on Sunday. I didn't have the time to come back in and set up the 16.

Hope you enjoyed the photos.

[splash]

Nice photogrophy.
Sweet lighting.

[adseguy]

Nice Photos. That dune is really cool. Never seen that before.

[jensmadwind]

yeah man nice pictures, god damn that shoreline is beautiful. In that picture of manitowoc you guys are poised over one of the best stretches of shoreline that wisconsin has to offer. When it is nuking out of the south south west (which almost never happens there) there are the best waves that just go on for ever. Good luck getting it though i have twice in the last two years.

[Rorke]

thanks for putting those shots up. They're excellent.

[Ben]

Great Pics, looks like a fun trip. Those Dunes at silver lake will kick your butt!

[noabacca]

True, Silver Lake has some dunes, nice soft sugary ones,

Mikes pictures are from the Sleeping Bear Dunes, about 100 miles NOrth
of Silver Lake.

Mike, did you make it to the Sand Bar?

-Noah

[Mike D]

Didn't make it to Sand Bar before the boat ride, we went to the photography shop in downtown Ludington instead. They have some amazing photos of lake michigan that are definitely worth checking out. Thanks for the tips on the area Noah, I'll keep your kiting/drinking advice in mind for next time.

That spot in Manitowoc (actually Two Rivers) looks like an incredible place to ride. I was actually thinking the waves would be really clean with a wind out of the northeast, but I've never ridden there so I don't know. Either way, I'm going to bypass Sheboygan one of these days and head up a little further north for what looks to be great riding. That's a great pic Jens, I still don't know how you get as much air as you do. Very impressive.

[snowball]

those are some nice shots

i havnt ridden for way too long

[jarch]

Sweet! I've always wanted to take a week or two off in the summer and tour around lake Michigan with the kite gear. Where is that picture of the wind farm?

[jensmadwind]

north east of fon du lac.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Great Pics. She shure is a pretty lake isn't she?

[smpl]

amazing. does anyone have info on Beaver island?

[DP]

amazing. does anyone have info on Beaver island?

Try this: http://www.mackiteboarding.com/forums/i ... topic=3581

I've been there (haven't kited there) and it is an interesting place, to say the least.

[Rorke]

Is it still hijacking if the thread has been dead for 2 years?

Stang, Windmill, Annie and I went last year.
Very rocky.
High Island has a sick spit that sticks out, but it's off limits because of the Piping Plovers.
Would be excellent to hit the other islands, but a lot of work. There are no places to rent a boat worthy of getting to the good riding spots in good riding conditions.

There are better spots.

[smpl]

thanks guys.

my friend has a place and a boat to get to Beaver Island.

some of the bays on Garden Island and spots on the island to the east look amazing.

what to look for in wind and best time of year?