I took advantage of the opening weekend of the National Park Service campground at Oregon Inlet to make my first OBX pilgrimage of 2010 – and what a perfect weekend it turned out to be.  I started off with a nice 20 mile bike ride from the campground up to Nags Head and back. Later that afternoon, I drove up to Coquina Beach and flew the 1.9 meter Snapshot Power Kite.  Just before sunset, a thick fog rolled in with the tide and I could hardly see the kite.  The fog stayed through the night and didn’t clear up until well after sunrise on Saturday.

Saturday morning was spent on Jockey’s Ridge once again flying the 1.9 meter power kite.  Around noon it started to get a bit crowded so I headed back to the campground, put on the running shoes and went out for a little jog.  I’m not sure that I didn’t do a bit more walking than jogging – I never really got comfortable on the beach.  There wasn’t very much packed sand and the off-camber shore just didn’t sit well with my calves.  Later that afternoon, I headed over the Oregon Inlet Bridge where there’s a huge open beach area just east of the old Life Saving Station (which, incidentally, is apparently being renovated) and flew the HQ 3.3 meter kite.

Sunday morning found me back on the beach south of the Inlet for another couple of hours of flying. First with the 3.3 meter until the wind picked up and I tuckered out – and then a final session with the 1.9 meter.  Even the Snapshot was pulling me 4 or 5 feet down the beach.

After packing up and checking out of the campground, I parked just east of the Washington Baum Bridge and did a final 20 mile ride through Roanoke Island before heading home.

Beautiful weather, nice bike rides, lots of fun with the power kites – a great start to the 2010 summer season.

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