Featured Outing: Tierra Amarilla

The Wind is Your Lift Ticket

We’re in a wide snow-covered meadow beside the Brazos Pass between Tres Piedras and Tierra Amarilla, 80 miles west of Taos. Stuart Penny (both photos) has just sped toward me on his snowboard, the large yellow kite above him catching the wind to pull him forward—like a sail—and launch him into the air. He glides effortlessly over my head before making a perfect landing in the snow.

“Nobody ever started snowkiting and then gave it up,” says snowkite instructor Penny. “Being connected to the power of the wind is the great thing. It’s thrill-inducing, but it’s actually safer than regular snowboarding or skiing.”

For one thing, Penny points out, the kite instantly depowers if you drop it. Because you’re likely coasting across flat ground with no trees or rocks, if you do fall, you’re unlikely to crash into anything.
Snowkiting enthusiasts describe it as the fastest-growing winter sport—and it’s taking hold in New Mexico, with more than 50 regular kiters in New Mexico, Penny says.

Penny, a certified instructor, has taught students aged 20 to 63 through his company Snowkite New Mexico, and says that one four-hour class is enough to get people moving under control.

He provides all the necessary gear for lessons (except for skis or a snowboard). If you get hooked, a beginner’s kite and harness costs around $750—and you never have to pay for a lift ticket. Most classes take place at Eagle Nest Lake, off U.S. 64 west of Taos, an excellent location to learn, with reliably steady winds, a flat area with no obstacles, convenient parking, and access to facilities. In February, when the conditions are right, Eagle Nest Lake hosts the Southwest Snowkite Festival, offering free clinics, demonstrations, music, food, and other activities. Brazos Pass offers similar conditions and has snow even in the driest winters.

Stuart goes for one more run, leaning back and gaining speed before he takes to the air, turning upside down above me. He lands smoothly before coming back wearing a grin.

“I’ve done a lot of sports, but snowkiting is the most amazing thing I’ve ever done,” he says.—David Moore

Snowkite New Mexico: www.snowkitenewmexico.com. Southwest Snowkite Festival: February 3-–5, 2012, www.swsnowkitefestival.com