New England isn’t on the radar for most people when they think of snowkiting destinations. Many people have never heard of the region but as it turns out, with four seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, Northern New England snowkiting is blessed with an amazing variety of places to kite.
Firstly, to be clear, if you’re looking for butter smooth winds and tree-less snowkiting ala Haugastøl or Skyline you may find the kiting here a bit of a challenge. As the saying about (everything) in New England goes: ‘If you can do it in New England, you can do it anywhere’. Snowkiting is no exception. Like New England ski slopes, powder days are rare with firm snow and ice being the primary conditions.
Most snowkiting areas are lakes surrounded by mountains, which make for generally unstable winds. You have to work a little bit more to get the goods here but the rewards are worth it and once you get used to the challenge you will actually start to love it. We promise, after kiting here when you go back to ride somewhere with steady winds, you’ll feel like a rock star.
The Big Three
With the concentration of population and the general lack of open space and public land most Northern New England snowkiting occurs on frozen lakes. Lakes provide the most open areas and the best winds and can be found everywhere. At Hardwater Kiting we have 40 launch sites within a 40-minute drive of North Conway, New Hampshire and many more beyond the 40-minute range. There are literally hundreds of kiting areas in New England.
That being the case we can’t cover them all but we can give you some insight into what we call ‘The Big Three’. The biggest and most easily accessible places for Northern New England snowkiting are lakes. If you want the smoothest New England winds, all day touring and stunning views, these three lakes will not disappoint.
Winnipesaukee
The first lake on the list is Lake Winnipesaukee in our home state of New Hampshire. With a surface area of 45,440 acres (71 square miles) it’s the smallest of ‘The Big Three’. The best kiting is on widest part known as ‘The Broads’. The Broads are home to some of the best and steadiest winds in the entire region.
There are multiple launch areas around Winnipesaukee but the most common and accessible is Ellacoya State park on the south west side of the lake. Ellacoya State Park is located off of Route 11 and is about a two and a half hour drive from Boston. There’s usually parking on the road or the driveway to the boat launch. Most people who park there are ice fishing and are the primary user group of the area.
The Ellacoya site provides kiters with direct access to The Broads for all day cruising and great touring for the more adventurous. Wind directions that work best at the Ellacoya launch are any that aren’t from the south and west winds give near limitless access to the entire lake. When conditions are good on Winnipesaukee, the riding is endless and phenomenal.
Much like a high alpine environment, lakes have their own ideas about weather and Winnipesaukee is no exception. Conditions vary greatly on every lake in the region and winds can blow as much as 60 mph on The Broads. Weather can change in an instant. Surface conditions can be deep powder drifts or hard smooth glass or both, due the size of the lake. If touring we recommend hiring a guide. At the very least be sure to have a map, compass as well as a GPS and know how to use them in all conditions.
Winnipesaukee has over 274 islands and at ice level if you don’t know the area it’s easy to get lost – especially in poor visibility. If launching out of Ellacoya we recommend keeping an eye on Gunstock Mountain’s cell tower to the south as a reference point to get back. Winnipesaukee is surrounded by several townships and there are food and lodging establishments everywhere. Many are open year round, making it a great location for Northern New England Snowkiting.
Moosehead
The second lake on the list is Moosehead Lake in central Maine. The surface area of Moosehead is 75,451 acres and from the southernmost to the farthest point north is 29 miles. The easiest and most accessible launch area is located right in Greenville Maine about three hours from Portland Maine. The drive is desolate but also beautiful and the roads are in excellent condition for such a remote area. Lodging can be found at various places in Greenville and there are stores and restaurants, and the locals are all very friendly.
Moosehead Lake is huge. It doesn’t look very remarkable from the Greenville launch but once you get out to the first set of broads you’re treated to a sweeping, open vista from which you can see Mount Kineo to the north and Mount Manadnock, said to be the second most climbed mountain in the world, to the east. The wind coming in and around the islands when flying out of Greenville can be twitchy but once in the broads it’s awesome. Moosehead has over 70 islands and many coves that make for great touring and exploring.
North West winds are the best for getting up to the north end of the lake. From Greenville some highly experienced snowkiters have made the trip north and back – about a 120 mile round trip – in just a few hours with an upwind speed of nearly 50 mph. Unlike Winnipesaukee, Moosehead is more of a wilderness/backcountry experience. There is very little wintertime population and cell phone coverage is poor or non-existent in many parts of the lake, so being prepared and self reliant is very important.
As with Winnipesaukee, be sure to keep tabs on landmarks to avoid making a wrong turn. Kiters have made wrong turns on Moosehead and have been forced to kite an extra 20 miles just to get back to where they made their mistake. This can really be a drag at the end of a 100 mile day.
Champlain
Our last lake and the biggest in the region is Lake Champlain. It’s located on the border of Vermont and New York State and crossing the Canada/US border to the north. With a surface area of over 313,000 acres, nearly 500 square miles, and some of the smoothest inland winds around, Champlain has been a prime destination for snowkiters visiting New England for almost fifteen years. It’s also the former site of the Stormboarding Kite School’s ‘Kitestorm’ event – one of the largest snowkite events in North America.
The most popular access point is Sandbar State Park, north of Burlington, Vermont. It has ample parking and you can launch just a couple hundred feet from the car park. To get there just head north on interstate 89 and take exit 17, ‘Champlain Islands/Milton”‘ and follow Vt. Rt2 to the park.
Some of the smoothest wind in the region can be found on Champlain – winds that rival onshore ocean winds. So, if there’s enough snow Sandbar can be a snowkiter’s paradise. There are approximately 80 islands on Champlain, many are park land with historical significance and plaques or kiosks describing the local history. Just another element that makes Champlain great to pack a lunch and go touring.
Tour the various islands on a lake surrounded by picturesque farmland, with the occasional stop in the lee of an island to have a meal in the sun, all surrounded by natural beauty. As with all Northern New England snowkiting, it’s definitely a worthwhile experience.
This article is written by Chris Krug who runs Hardwater Kiting providing snowkiting lessons, guiding and gear in New England.
