With fun times, as with living: keep things simple

By Stephen Hlawaty
Outdoors Columnist

The month of September always brings with it both a sense of ending and beginning. Summer submits to the fall. It's during this passage from one season to the next that I find myself becoming a bit more reflective of my life, the lives around me and the world in general. And this year's passage is no exception.

Indeed, this year's transition from summer to fall has included the death of a friend's son, the beginning of an entirely new career for this writer, and the birth of a friend's daughter. With these events so fresh in my memory, I pause to consider the one substantive aspect to things that makes life meaningful, fulfilling and fun. And the answer is . . . keeping it simple. I have always found keeping it simple to be a steady and certain course to take during the transitional passages of life, much less the seasons. And so, may I politely suggest that you go fly a kite.

For many, kite flying stands as a childhood archetype. It is a classic, even ancient, pursuit that stands the test of time. One legend of the origins of the first kite in flight recalls how a Chinese farmer tried to keep his hat from being blown off his head by attaching a string to it. During a heavy gust of wind, the hat took flight, and the first kite was born. This legend and others like it date back over 2,000 years in the annals of Chinese history.

I recently took my Storm Dual-line Stunt Kite to the top of Middle Bald Mountain just west of Red Feather Lakes. At 10,700-feet high, Middle Bald Mountain is the second highest bald peak in the area and offers incredible southerly views of Rocky Mountain National Park's Mummy Range. With 80 feet of dual-line separating my wife Amanda and myself, a strong gust of wind quickly blew over us. The time was right. With a gentle toss of the kite into the wind, it took flight and raced into the sky until taking up all of the slack in the line. With an average elevation of 13,156 feet, the seven most prominent peaks of the Mummy Range made for bold relief against the blue, yellow and red 4-foot wingspan of my kite.

My son Ethan giggled uncontrollably as I maneuvered the kite in the sky, having it dart toward him, and then again, cut back to climb to its former heights. A most exquisite feeling came over me. I was able to read the wind through the kite and all points in between. In many ways, the kite was a kind of pneumatic transmitter. After receiving the power and strength of the wind, the kite transmitted its findings down through the strings and into my outstretched and welcoming arms. Its message was simple, but not one lost to me: Take time to enjoy the simple things in life.

Nowadays, kites come in all shapes and sizes depending upon how you want to use them. You may already be familiar with traditional flat kites, which are not bowed in any way and need a tail to fly. As such, they are slightly limited in design. Bowed kites do not need tails to fly. Their dihedral angle allows for easier lift of the kite. Parafoils resemble an airplane's wing and, much like a sail, require the wind to keep them full and aloft. Box kites, whose vertical and horizontal lines offer greater stability and strength, are great strong wind kites. On the other hand, Delta kites work well in light winds. The wind pushes Delta kites up and forward so that they lie nearly parallel to the wind. As such, Delta kites are very responsive to the slightest of movements.

My dual-line stunt kite is a kind of Delta that allows me to do dizzying loops, plummeting nosedives, and quick recoveries. By adjusting the tension on either side of the line, I can perform any number of tricks. These types of kites engage the flyer in a more active and participatory role than one would otherwise have with a flat kite.

No matter what kind of kite you fly, you'll be able to feel and read the wind through your kite. As such, you too will take part in the passage through the natural transition between earth and sky, between this temporal world and perhaps a more ethereal one. Enjoy the flight JB.