Mille Lacs...Yep, Crossed that today...

Boardsports USA · Post by **Boardsports USA** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 2:40 pm

Since I'm kind of the local guy for the Mille Lacs Lake area, I figured I was obligated to be the first to cross on the hard water with a kite & board. Although I don't know for sure if I'm the first to go coast to coast on the snow, I haven't seen anyone on LAKAWA claim a coast to coaster. Did I miss it? If you have crossed or know of someone who has crossed, please forgive me for claiming to be the first. I figured it was time to set the bar for many future crossings by myself and surely many others. The stats of my first cross are merely a testament to the infancy of our sport and will surely be demolished on all accounts in the near future.

Here we go...

Arrived in Garrison on March 16th 8:00 a.m. in much anticipation, after one full days preparation for my crossing. Look over my checklist and pack every thing in my backpack. Not knowing what to expect I went overkill on my supplies. Forecast called for a steady SE wind all day from about four different online wind sources. Stepped out of the truck and didn’t even feel a whisper, no problem it will come. I needed about ½ hour to pack and set-up and get dressed any ways. 8:30 A.M. All packed up and ready to rock, still just the slightest breeze that you could ever imagine. Not even enough to blow out a candle. I get on the cell phone and have my wife check the forecasts again. By the time she could get accuweather.com’s hourly up on the screen…I felt a little, whoosh…yep a nice little breeze had come up. She confirmed 11 mph SE all day long. I could hardly wait to get off the phone once I felt it come up. It was on…and I was off. Drop the cell phone in the pocket next to the GPS keys and a whole mess of other crap, lock the truck, strap on the board, grab bar and pump center lines…kites up and I’m off. Wind is light but I’m moving! Yeah! I’m on my way to Hunter Point. Slowly probably about 10 mph. I’m pumping my 12m Frenzy up and down in the window really milking the breeze. Before you know it Garrison is getting smaller and smaller. 10 mph don’t seem like much but straight offshore on Mille Lacs and before you know it you are making progress. Cruisin’…legs already starting to feel a little burn around the calve area. Switching back and forth now and then…toe, heel, toe, heel. Mainly heel though as it seemed I could move way faster and more upwind. Time to stop and check my progress on the GPS. 3.5 miles out and averaging 10 mph. Pretty slow pace, this speed record is not going to last long at this pace. Call the wifey tell her my progress, tell her to call channel 12 to see if they want to come with the chopper and tape an idiot in the middle of Mille Lacs flying a kite. She tells me they will not come, I agree and drop the subject. However, with the morning sun shining the way it was, from birds eye view my location could have easily been confused with somewhere in one of the Arctic Circles. I was loving the scenery, It was serene. Time to move on…Starting to pick up a little it seems…I cruise another few miles in a shorter amount of time. Stopped again, don’t remember why…Checked the GPS. 7.? Miles logged. Cool, I’m like halfway already. Sweet. Starting to seem like I might be heading towards Malmo instead of Hunters Point. No problem Malmo is still a legit cross at the exact same distance as Hunter’s. Call my wife again and give her a PR. As soon as I push end on the cell phone it seemed like the wind picked up a couple mph. Pick the 12m Frenzy off the ground by hooking in and pushing the bar up….POWERED NOW! Now my 10-15 mph avg. has increased significantly and I’m juiced. Flying right over the hard pack, fast, bumpy, BUMPY white ice covered body we all call Mille Lacs. The bumps are more apparent now that I’m moving about 20-25 mph. Starting to really burn the leg muscles. No more switch a roo toe, heel, toe, heel. It’s all heel now baby. Fast…it’s gonna go quick now. Malmo is fast approaching. I remember the point and figure about where the Malmo access is and point towards. I start seeing snowboard and ski tracks here and there. Must be from weekend before last when we had a nice kite gathering at Malmo Access. More and more tracks. Mission success!! I’m standing 100 ft. from Malmo Access, kite parked, board off, eating a granola bar, looking over GPS stats. Interesting. The light wind for the first 7 miles hurt my average speed obviously. So F#%^ing what! I made it!

GPS Stats
Garrison N. 46° 17.481-W. 093° 48.865
To
Malmo N. 46° 20.134 – W. 093°31.681

14.8 miles
26.5 Max Speed
13.9 Average Speed
1:04 (time)

Via 12m Frenzy, K2 Recon Riser 161cm.

Return Trip

I will not bore you with the details as I did on the first leg. Yes, I did come right back to Garrison. Here are the stats. No stops. None. Not even a little sit down stop-NOTHING. Straight, fast, BUMPY. Legs are pretty worked! But it was a better crossing time. Faster everything due to: no stops and good wind. The hard snow bumps made it so you couldn’t accelerate 100%. I will beat this time in better snow conditions. Here it is…

Malmo N. 46° 20.134 – W. 093°31.681
To
Garrison N. 46° 17.481-W. 093° 48.865

41:48 minutes
14.3 miles
20.5 Average Speed
27.8 Max Speed

Via 12m Frenzy, K2 Recon Riser 161cm.

HOME BEFORE NOON

BSMITH · Post by **BSMITH** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 5:50 pm

It looks like it's blowing good up there now (4:00). Friday and Sat looking good.

Eric S · Post by **Eric S** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 6:08 pm

that's awesome. I've never crossed on a kite but did last summer on a windsurfer from Malmo to Garrison. It was so fun.

I know that Vojta has done many crossings on on snow and the Krew did a Reddy to Garrison last weekend.

Way to go Jason, snowboard one way is a ballbuster. I'll get up there this weekend or next year and try it.

It's really hard to have a "record" since the wind is variable and the start finish change. It's best to race in a group that all experinces the same conditions.

You have the advantage now since you've done it twice!

way to go!

Boardsports USA · Post by **Boardsports USA** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 7:41 pm

You know, that was so much fun I can't wait to go again.

Here was what I packed. Could have got by with nothing, but ya never know...

7.3m Frenzy
Extra Lines
T.P.
GPS
Cell Phone
Extra Gloves
Extra Goggles
Snacks-Granola Bars
Hydrater W/ about 50 Fl oz. gatorade & water mixed
Ice Screw
Laminated Lake Map W/ Coordinates
Screwdriver & wrenches for bindings (compact)
Wax, cork, tef pad
MP3 Player
Extra Batteries for MP3 & GPS

Eric, What would your survival pack be for going across M.L.L. on the snow? Others? Just want to know if I left anything out for next time. I hope to go more across the heart of the lake next time. I just want to see what it feels like to be right in the middle of that sucker.

Eric S · Post by **Eric S** » Wed Mar 17, 2004 12:01 pm

I think you've got it covered well. Robae' brought some spirits to celebrate the halfway mark.

I think one other important thing you did was file a flight plan with your wife. Let someone know you are doing it and that you expect to be back by X. make X enough time to have some daylight for folks to search for you.

I think the worst case would be that you'd have to spend the evening hours walking off. A magnetic compass would help keep you on a heading if all your batteries failed.

Mike Fox handled the crossing by accounting for riders at the finish. This year Doc Smith had some trouble and ended up in the water long enough to get VERY cold.

I think the worst thing that could happen to you is falling into the water and not having dry clothing. That could be bad. I don't know what the ice conditions are like as we keep getting closer to spring but this winter I saw roads and cars all over the lake.

Have fun!