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Go
Fly a Kite!
Some fun on a windy day
©
Outdoor Adventure Canada
 Kites
bring back fond memories of my childhood, from my first plastic
kite that crashed into a large tree to the clunky kite I built
myself in a 4-H outdoor living course. The kite that crashed into
the tree was unrecoverable and the one I built was less than perfect
but I still loved the adventure of trying to get them off the
ground and into the air.
You'll want
to watch for trees and other obstacles, especially hydro lines
as these can be dangerous. One of the best places to fly a kite
is on a beach in the early spring or late fall. Generally, there
are no overhead hydro lines and trees are usually set back from
the water's edge. You usually get nice breezes off the water.
Some cities even have kite festivals that are great fun.
The nice thing
about interior camping, hiking and canoeing is the lack of power
lines. I've even been known to fly a small kite right from the
bow of the canoe. Be careful when you are doing this, if the winds
are too high you could drag the boat in a direction where you
don't want to go or end up in the drink. If you are tandem paddling
you might want to warn your paddling partner before launching
your kite into the wind.
There are
so many kites available now and they come in a wide variety of
styles and colors. A great kite for backpacking and canoeing is
the type that folds into itself and has no frame. I use a "Go
Fly a Kite" model* that I picked up from a local toy store.
When folded into its pouch (which is part of the kite itself)
the whole thing is only about 6 x 6 inches and about ½
inch thick.
If the conditions
are right, you can fly the kite from your campsite. Next time
someone tells you to go fly a kite so should take his or her advice;
you'll have great fun.
The
photo for this article is of me giving my "Go Fly a Kite"
some line on Algonquin Park's Galeairy Lake.
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