NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/rec/skate/3633

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From: [e-mail] (Tony Chen)
Subject: Rec.skate FAQ: Where to Skate (Outdoors) (6/7)
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Posted-By: auto-faq 1.24
Archive-name: rec-skate-faq/part6


REC.SKATE FAQ - PART 6:  WHERE TO SKATE (Outdoors)


                    Compilation of Outdoor Skating Locations
                    ----------------------------------------
                          (last changed Sept 10, 1992)

Table of Contents
-----------------
  West Coast
    - Colorado
    - California
    - Phoenix
  East Coast
    - Boston
    - Cambridge
    - New Jersey
    - Washington D.C.
    - Atlanta
  Midwest
    - Chicago
    - Minneapolis
  Overseas
    - Australia
    - Hawaii
                                    WEST COAST

Colorado
--------

From: Phil Earnhardt, [e-mail]

Avoid the Seven-Eleven velodrome in Colorado Springs.  There is a banked 200M
Speed Roller Skating track inside the Cycling track (uneducated cyclists think
it's a warm-up track). Currently, only traditional (i.e. quad) roller skates are
permitted on this track, but that should change in the next year or so.

There's another 200M Speed Roller Skating track in Michigan. This one has the
added advantage of having no cycling track outside it. There are no cars,
trucks, dogs, squirrels, thorns, glass, potholes, gravel, sand, etc, but the big
advantage is that there are no cyclists! ;-)


From: [e-mail] (Jim Aites)
Subject: Nomination for 'blade-capital'

I would like to take this time to submit my nomiation for "blade-capital"
of the the world.  (what do ya' mean you didn't know we were voting?)

The city is Boulder, Colorado.

Last week-end I drove 50 miles (each way) to visit this famed area.  It is
as good as the rumors have indicated.  Every major road around town has a
'greenway' containing a 6 foot wide contrete bikepath on BOTH sides of the
road, and even the roads without 'greenways' still have the wide walkways.

The prettiest/best run in town is the Boulder Creek Bikepath.  This path
starts (at the top) about 2 hundred yards up the mouth of the Boulder Creek
Canyon, and windes for about 7 miles along the creek to the far east side of
town.  It's all contrete, mostly shaded by trees, about 5 bridges over the
creek allowing travel on both sides of the creek, and has at least 4 parks
along the way.

I didn't take the time to check out all the intersecting paths which lead
off to other parts of town. (next time!) I saw a blades hockey game in
progress, about 5 beginers (practicing in near by parking lots), almost as
many Bladers as bicyclists on the path itself, and even found some other
folks who had commuted (from Denver) to check out the turf as I was doing.

If any of you are ever in this part of the country, be SURE to bring your
blades!


California
----------

From: [e-mail] (Ron Drake)
Re: Where to blade in South Bay Area?
Date: Tue Sep 22 16:40 PM EDT 1992

>
The trail goes under the San Mateo Bridge all the way to the end of
Edgewater Boulevard in Foster City. As a matter of fact, the best part of the
trail is after the bridge. Makes eight miles, total. Traffic's not too bad
except for the occasional knot of cud-chewers and those kids who bike out ahead
of their parents and think nothing about turning right in front of you to see if
mom and dad are still visible. If you start and finish at Edgewater, you
can replenish your precious bodily fluids at Chevy's with a couple of cold
margaritas. From 101, take Hillsdale Blvd. or H'way 92 to Edgewater. Turn
right and follow Edgewater to its end. Park. The trail begins at the end
of the street to the right.

The best street skating I've found so far is through western Menlo Park
near the Stanford campus to downtown. There are a number of streets there
that have bike lanes and not much vehicular traffic. The streets are well-
kept so that debris and surprise bumps are at a minimum. The pavement
varies in quality from excellent to garbage. The area is bounded by
Sand Hill Road, Valparaiso Road, El Camino and Alameda de las Pulgas.

Those who go to Shoreline should be aware of the concert schedule. It's
always better to go when it's quiet. For those who want to get a real
workout, here's the prescription for doing 'laps' at Shoreline. At the
end of the stretch that parallels Moffett Field, there's that series of
double gates. Skate down the incline (WHOA!), out through the cul-de-sac
and make a right on Shoreline Boulevard.

-----

From: [e-mail] (bRYgUY K. Carter)
Subject: Re: Skating locations in the SF Bay Area?

Try the Los Gatos Creek Trail from Vassona Park all the way into
San Jose.

-----

From: [e-mail] (Diana Hirsch)
Subject: Bay Area Trails

I have two suggestions for skating trails in the Bay Area:

1. Sawyer Camp Trail - off 280 in San Mateo near 92.  Blader heaven on Sunday's,
lessons every other Sunday. The trail is about 6 miles one-way. The last mile is
very steep but fun coming down. However, they have radar out there and they will
give you a ticket for speeding, especially in the posted 5mph zones.

2. Campbell Par Course Trail - off Campbell Ave. near 17 and the Pruneyard. The
trail can be accessed in several places between Hamilton and Campbell Aves. This
trail is fun because it goes all the way through Vasona Park into Los Gatos. The
only caution is that there are several wood bridges to cross. (Stay on your back
wheels and use short horizontal strokes, it's good for the adrenalin.)

Have fun exploring and happy skating.


From: [e-mail] (Betsy Burton)
Subject: Re: Where's A Good Place to skate in the East Bay???

The park is a great social scene. It's a good place to meet up with other
skaters and play. However, there are some great places in the east bay for a
real work out. In addition to the places I can tell you about, there is a book
out from Karim Cycley that talks about some other places.

1) My personal favorite for a nice long run, is the back streets to Richmond.
There are a number of streets starting near Gilman and Albany. These streets go
through Albany and El Cerrito. In addition, Richmond Street goes out past the El
Norte Bart Station. This route has good small hills and allows for a good
workout.

2) The Nimitz trail takes off at the top of inspiration point and goes out about
4 miles. At the end of this path is a rather large hill, which after struggling
to the top, is great to fly down.

3) Tunnel road takes a bit of experience and some good breaking skills. I just
heard that someone biked up tunnel road the other day..so it  may be open after
the fire.

4) Berkeley Marina is good for a quickie. A full lap is 2.5 miles. The only
draw-back is that the view gets a little boring after a few laps.  My last and
most favorite is Bancroft Hill, next to the University. Late at night it is a
nice fast down hill.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

-----

From: [e-mail] (Eugene Walden)
Subject: Re: Long blading adventures in the S.F. Bay Area...

Another good place to go is Sawyer Camp Trail. It's only 6 miles long, so I
guess it doesn't qualify as really long, but there and back, you get a good
quiet 12 miles.

Take I-280 to Black Mtn Rd (just north of 92) and head west. Turn left at the
intersection and go another mile or so. It's on the right.

Follow the posted speed limits-- park rangers have radar and will give
citations for violators.

-----

From: [e-mail] (Jim Young)
Subject: Re: Long blading adventures in the S.F. Bay Area...

You might want to try skating around the Berkeley hills.  I usually go
up Euclid or Spruce, skate across Grizzly Peak, and then down Tunnel road.
If you go early in the morning, you might see Eddy Matzger and Sandy
Snakenberg there.

Also, I know many people from SF who skate across the Golden Gate into
Marin County.  They skate something called the "Paradise Loop."

On the peninsula, there are some nice, smooth trails at Crystal
Springs.  I know some guys who skate from Mountain View to SF, so I think
some of the roads that parallel 280 are fairly nice.

Finally, in the south bay, I have a friend who skates on the Los Gatos
bike trail (it runs parallel to highway 17).  It's sort of crowded with
joggers and runners, but it's better than skating in south bay traffic.

-----

From: HQPYR1:[e-mail] (Kimon Papahadjopoulos)
Subject: Re: Bay area inline skating areas and paths?
Reply-To: HQPYR1:[e-mail]

EXPERTS ONLY!  NASTY HILL CLIMB, NASTY DESCENT.

Path or area location:  TUNNEL ROAD on the Berkeley/Oakland Border
Directions:

From Berkeley:  Take Ashby out of Berkeley, past the Clairmont Hotel and
towards highway 13 and 24.  Turn left at the stoplight (As if going towards
highway 24, not 13).  When you get to the top of the hill, make a left
and Park.

Orida side of 24:
I believe you take the Tunnel Road Exit.

                 ^
                 |
TheRoute...__  To 24
             \   |
Tunnel Rd --> |  |
              |__|
              |  |
              |  |
   Hiller --> |  |
             /   |
            /    |
                 |
                 |
                 |
                 |
>From Berkeley ---S---- To 13 ->

>Parking information: On the the start of Tunnel itself
>Path length: ~6mi (I don't really know- cound be 7-8)
>Loop or non-loop: Loop: Up and Down.
>Average path width: Two lane street
>Minimum path width: Two lane street
>Average surface: Pretty good asphalt, some rough spots
>Worst surface: One very pitted rough spot for about 10 feet.
>Number of hills:  Up hill all the way
>Severity of steepest hill:  8 on a scale of 1-10
>Average steepness: 7 on a scale of 1-10
>Obstacles: One very pitted spot near the bottom, cars, occasional trucks
>Weekend pedestrian and bicycle traffic: Yes
>Weekday pedestrian and bicycle traffic: Yes
>Number of roads which cross the path: It is a road. It crosses several roads,
    but no stop signs or lights.
>Number of stairways on the path: None
>Distance markings: No
>Any other pertinent information:

FOR EXPERTS ONLY!  IF YOU CANNOT BRAKE WELL AT HIGH SPEEDS, DON'T TRY THIS
COURSE.  IF YOU ARE UNSURE, DRIVE IT FIRST .

The climb up is a great workout, and not too severe.  There are also great
views of San Francisco and Oakland.  Tunnel Road turns into Skyline about
half way up.

Watch for problems in the road going up so that you will be aware of them
when you come down.  Take it easy coming down the first time.  There are
several areas that require care!

There is a water fountain a little past the top (if you continue along
Skyline Blvd about 200 meters) at a ranger station.

This is in the burned area of Oakland, so there is construction going on
in places, some trucks coming up.

It takes between 15-30 min to get to the top, depending on ability.

There are other places you can explore when you get to the top, but Tunnel
is generally the most tame, and the safest bet to go back down.  Be careful
and have fun!

-----

From [e-mail] (Tony Purmal)
Subject: Foster City Biking/Jogging/Skating path

* Path or area location

  Foster City, CA

* Directions

  Get to Foster City by crossing 101 on Hillsdale Blvd or Highway 92.
  The path circles the city next to the following streets: Beach Park
  Blvd between Compass and the San Mateo Bridge, East Third and J. Hart
  Clinton Drive from the bridge to and beyond Mariner's Island Blvd.
  It follows Belmont Slough and Marina Lagoon between Compass and
  Fashion Island Drive passing Townhouse, Condo and Apartment complexes
  bordering those waterways.

* Parking information

  Park along the streets mentioned above, or park at a park along the path.

* Path length

  About 10 miles

* Loop or non-loop

  Can be done as a loop if you go between the path endpoints.  This can
  be done by taking Mariner's Island Blvd and Fashion Island Blvd between
  East Third Ave and Marina slough.  One can also go along the wooden
  walkway (past Fashion Island Blvd) to Shoal Drive and through Mariner's
  Island Park to get to Mariner's Island Blvd to complete the loop.

* Average path width

  8 feet

* Minimum path width

  4 feet

* Average surface

  semi-smooth asphalt

* Worst surfaces

  Lots of raised cracks (linear and horizontal) along bay on south side
  of bridge.
  Pitted rough surface on north side of bridge where the path is close
  to the bay.
  Uneven pavement in places along Belmont Slough.
  Wooden walkway between Fashion Island and Shoal Drive (optional).

* Number of hills

  Five or so very small hills.

* Severity of steepest hill

  Very slight.

* Average steepness

  Very slight.

* Obstacles

  A wooden bridge along Marina Slough (very easy to handle)

* Weekend pedestrian and bicycle traffic

  Unknown

* Weekday pedestrian and bicycle traffic

  Light and well behaved.

* Number of roads which cross the path

  Between Fashion Island Blvd and Mariner's Island Blvd, none.  To
  complete the loop along Mariner's Island Blvd and Fashion Island
  Blvd there are four intersections and up to five side streets
  depending on which side of the street you're on.

* Number of stairways on the path

  None along the path, two if you take the optional connection along
  the wooden walkway and other roads to get to Mariner's Island Blvd
  to complete the loop.

* Distance markings

  Beginning 1/4 mile south of the San Mateo Bridge on the inside of the
  path there are markings every 1/4 mile in faded yellow/orange paint
  through until Highway 92.

* Any other pertinent information

  The path borders Belmont Slough where one can see various wetland
  wildlife.  There are also good views of the east bay along Beach
  Park Blvd, and of San Francisco north of the bridge.

  The wind gets pretty strong at times, especially in the afternoons,
  so be prepared.  I prefer to skate into the wind on the way out and
  with the wind on the way back.

-----

From [e-mail]

* Path or area location

  Redwood Shores, CA (across 101 from Belmont, CA)

* Directions

  Take Ralston Ave. east across 101, turns into Marine World Parkway.
  Turn left onto Oracle Parkway at first light after 101 overpass.

* Parking information

  Park at the parking lot at the first left after getting onto Oracle
  Parkway, or continue around and park in the area across from the
  Oracle Fitness Center.

* Path length

  1 mile

* Loop or non-loop

  Loop

* Average path width

  7 feet

* Minimum path width

  4 feet

* Average surface

  Smooth asphalt and sidewalk

* Worst surface


* Number of hills

  Three short inclines.

* Severity of steepest hill

  Small angle

* Average steepness

  Slight

* Obstacles

  Occasional hoses when the maintanence people are working.

* Weekend pedestrian and bicycle traffic

  Light

* Weekday pedestrian and bicycle traffic

  Light

* Number of roads which cross the path

  The path crosses Oracle Parkway twice where it meets Marine World
  Parkway.  Cross from the path on Oracle Parkway to the sidewalk on
  Marine World Parkway.

* Number of stairways on the path

  None

* Distance markings

  None

* Any other pertinent information

  It gets very windy in Redwood Shores, especially in the afternoons.

  You can go from this path to the Foster City Bike and Walkway by taking
  a right onto Island Parkway at the end of the path closest to 101.
  Then follow the road over the bridge until it dead ends at Concourse
  Drive and take a right.  At the end of Concourse there is a path
  leading to the Foster City path.

  From the Oracle Fitness Center to the San Mateo Bridge on the Foster
  City Path is five miles.  (Take a right when you get to the Foster City
  path)

  From the Oracle Fitness Center to Hillsdale Blvd on the Foster City
  Path is three miles.  (Take a left when you get to the Foster City
  path)

-----

From: [e-mail] (Michael Peters)

An earlier post was asking for places to skate in the San Diego area.
Last November I enjoyed skating at Mission Bay on the walk along the beach
and at Lake Mirimar (sp?).  The lake has a loop going around the lake with
lots of turns (nice for crossovers) and its about 5mi. around.  Lots of
bikes and skaters.  Not many cars drive on this road because automobile
traffic is not allowed to travel the entire loop.  I believe there are signs
on I-15 just north og San Diego.  It is located right next to the city
of Scripps Ranch.  The lake is a good place for a workout, but Mission Bay
is nice for a leisurely skate.

From: [e-mail] (Kinsley Wong)

Where to Skate in San Luis Obispo (Central Coast California)
-Outdoor:  Santa Rosa Parks, Perfumo Canyon Road, Palm Street Parking Structure
-Indoor:  Flippo Harbor Skating Rink.
Local Club:  BladeRunners.
Contact Kinsley Wong : [e-mail] for more information.


Phoenix, AZ
-----------

From: [e-mail] (Kenneth Creta)
Subject: Re: trail guides and the IISA clinic
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 23 Jun 92 23:16:09 GMT

Here in the Phoenix area, my favorite is Indian Bend Park in Scottsdale.  This
area is VERY popular with all levels of expertise around.  I hear that the
paths around the Phoenix zoo is also good (I'll see this weekend).

Ken


MIDWEST

Chicago
-------

From: [e-mail] (Joe Kaplenk)

>2)  I go to Northwestern in Evanston, and they must have passed that
>right-of-way ordinance after I left.  A friend of mine and I went to a
>meeting of the Evanston Human Services Committee and was told that there
>have been no police accident reports involving in-line skaters and there
>was probably no cause for alarm or restrictive legislation.  One alderman
>was bound and determined to get something, though, and I guess he did after
>all.  The ordinance applies specifically to the downtown business area
>where there is a lot of traffic, pedestrian, bicycle and in-line in nature.

Glad to hear that it wasn't worse. Some people get upset just by seeing
something that the think might cause a problem, even if no problem exists. Glad
to hear also that there have been no incidents. A little more fuel to add
to our arguments against restrictions.

>3)  Are there any groups/individuals in the Chicago area who are looking to
>congregate to skate?  I'm a middle-skilled skater (i.e. can stop well, do
>some backwards skating and am proficient in a forwards direction) and would
>like to progress to that next level.  Joe posted something about the Odeum
>offering lessons, but I'm wondering if there's any kind of team action or
>group that gets together.

There is a club that has been listed in the Windy City Sports magazine. (I'm not
sure of the name). Rainbo carries it, it's free. It would be neat to form an
inline competition club in Chicago. USAC is getting more and more open to
inlines, inlines are fully accepted there for speed(in separate events) and
roller  hockey  though not yet in the artistic area because of some technical
issues on inline design.  I'm not sure what IISA is doing about clubs.

I'm especially interested in artistic inlines. Rainbo rink doesn't have a USAC
club yet, so maybe they could be approached. I don't have time to help form one
because  of my committments to adult ice skating currently, but I would
certainly join and support an inline club of this nature.   Rainbo rink is
small, and the floor  is a little warped in spots, but it is very convenient and
has the best seating of any roller rink in the Chicago area.

The director at the Odeum is going to give me a call soon when he has his class
schedule figured out, so I can have more information shortly. They might also be
approached about a club. Though he was not very interested in anything involved
in USAC. I guess because he has so much else going on in getting started and
with the WHA tryouts coming up.

There is also just outdoors  skating, but I think it would be really good to
have a year round club and to have  a rink to back a club up in terms of getting
members.


Minneapolis
-----------
If you want a REALLY great place to rollerblade, Minneapolis opens up the
Metrodome to rollerbladers ONLY (I'm not sure about during the summer, but they
do this all winter).  It's about a half-mile (I think) circle of the smoothest
concrete you've ever been on. There are two separate levels, one for serious
rollerbladers and one for "the family."  A "must-blade" if you're ever in the
area.


EAST COAST

Boston
------

The trails on the Charles (at least when I left in 1989) could not meet this
policy. There are plenty of places where it would be physically impossible for
one bicycle to pass another unless there was no opposing traffic. Portions of
the trail up near the Allston exit of the Mass Pike immediately come to mind.

I lived in Boston for 10 years. Fortunately, I was able to schedule my work to
avoid the crunch time on the trails--in to work after 10AM, leave work after
6PM. The most fun was skating at night along the Charles (yes, O'Leary, with
light and helmet). This may have been dangerous, but I rarely, if ever, saw any
sinister types along the park at that hour.

There are some pretty decent places to skate in Boston other than the Charles.
The linear park along the new Orange Line wasn't bad. I did a lot of my
practicing on the linear park from Davis to Alewife on the Red Line. At that
time, the nearly-empty Alewife parking lot, with its gentle ramps and not-so-
gentle spirals, was an excellent place to learn hills.


Cambridge
---------

By the Charles River, just get to harvard.
Allston/cambridge exit off Mass Pike.

Memorial drive: nice road... 8 hours open ...  11am to 7pm..
skated on sunday... only open on sundays ...
open for "recreational vehicles" only...
pretty neat... had two sets of cones set up...
plus about 2 or 3 miles or 4 lane road to skate...
(bikes, skates, foot, unicycles, skatebvoards..)
asphalt...few cracks..no real hills ... just by the cones.. mostly flat .. by
river ... nice....straight away...no loop....not really crowded... too long to
be crowded...short wait for slalom ..  one rental van ...


New Jersey
----------

From: [e-mail]

My husband and I recently started skating outdoors.  We are looking for good
places to skate.  Any suggestions??  The best place we have found so far is
Nomahegan Park in Cranford, NJ.  Please let me know of any other good places.
Thanks.

Susan

-----

From: [e-mail] (Joseph Ogulin)
Subject: Directions/description for Saddle River County Park

By popular request, here we go:

To the Fair Lawn area of Saddle River County Park (SRCP)... this is where the
slalom course is:

    GSP North to exit 160.  Turn left at the light at the end of the  ramp.
Follow this road over Route 4.  It becomes Paramus Rd. here.  Follow Paramus Rd.
to the first light, turn left.  Pass the signs that say things like "Welcome to
Fair Lawn" and "Say No to Drugs."  On your right, after passing these signs, you
will find a small road which has signs (small ones) that say "Bike Route" and
"Parking for Bike Path and Tennis Courts."  Turn right here, and park in the
lot.

To the Dunkerhook (Paramus) area of SRCP:

    Follow the above directions, except go straight at the first light.  Pass
the cemetery on your right.  You'll see a sign on your left that says
"Dunkerhook Area, Saddle River County Park."  Turn left there and follow any
other signs.

To the Ridgewood area of SRCP:

    GSP North to exit 163.  Follow Route 17 North to the Ridgewood Ave. exit.
Head toward Ridgewood (you'll loop back over the highway). After you pass
Paramus Rd., look on your right.  When you see the duck pond (and signs
mentioning that it's the Ridgewood Wild Duck Pond of SRCP), turn right into the
area.

I can't recall how to get to the Glen Rock area.  Sorry.

To Fair Lawn and Dunkerhook from the north:

    If you're coming from the north on GSP South, use exit 163 (Route 17).
Exit at Century Rd. and head toward Paramus/Fair Lawn/Glen Rock (or whatever it
says).  You will not cross over Route 17.  Follow Century Rd. to Paramus Rd.
There will be a cemetery on your right (this is the intersection mentioned in
the Fair Lawn and Dunkerhook).  To get to Fair Lawn, go straight.  To get to
Dunkerhook, turn right.  Follow the above directions.

To Ridgewood from the north:

    Exit the GSP at the Ridgewood/Oradell exit (I may be wrong, but I believe
it is 165) and head toward Ridgewood.  You are now on Ridgewood Ave.  Just
follow Ridgewood Ave. as above after you cross Route 17.


Trail descriptions:

    There are approximately 6-7 miles of trails there.  Most of them are
quite
smooth, with a few rough spots along the way.  They're about 5' wide, and
traffic is mostly walkers, joggers, bladers, and cyclists of various ages from
child to senior citizen.  Adult cyclists and bladers will generally follow
courtesies and warn people in front of them when they are coming up behind you.
The whole series of trails winds along side of a brook.  Bugs are rampant along
parts of the trails during summer months in the evenings.  There are a few
hills, but most of them are short, or not too steep.  There are a few parking
lots along the way where many newbie bladers can be seen tripping, stumbling, or
moving forward when they have their balance.  There are no street lights along
the trails, as they all pass through wooded areas.  The slalom course, for those
interested, is in the Fair Lawn area by the tennis courts.  If there is nobody
there and you have your own cones (we tend to use cups because they're cheaper),
you'll find red dots painted on the ground.  The dots are 5' apart (measured
MANY times).  If someone is there, you won't be discouraged from trying.  In
fact if you just stand there and watch, you're very likely to be asked to try
the cones.  Just watch out for the geese and ducks in any of the parking lots
around duck ponds (Ridgewood and Glen Rock), unless you like cleaning your
bearings and wheels.

Hope to see some of you out there!

--Joe

-----

From commpost!opus!camelot![e-mail]

Well, I know of 2 parks in my area where you can go skating...
    Saddle River County Park in Fair Lawn/Paramus/Glen Rock/Ridgewood
    Brookdale Park           in Bloomfield

I much prefer Saddle River County Park because it has a 5+ mile trail (one way!)
which is great if you're looking for long skating runs.  Most of the people
there are friendly and follow general courtesies when passing, especially when
there's a large group (this is cyclists, skaters, and runners alike!).  There is
also an area where we do slaloming through cones.  People in the group I usually
meet there have painted dots on the ground for the cones.  They're 5' apart
(yeah, we know that competitions use 6' as the distance).  Any time anyone has
cones set up, people are welcome to "try their luck."  We'll never tell anyone
that they can't try it.  In fact, if you stand there and watch for a long time
and you're wearing rollerblades, someone's going to ask you to try it.

Brookdale Park is ok, but I've found that many of the cyclists there are a bunch
of assholes (mostly it's the cycling club members).  They might give you 3
inches clearance when they pass you while you're avoiding debris on the side of
the road.  Next time I go there, I'm going to bring a hockey stick with me (even
though I don't play hockey) and swing it back and forth as I go.  If the
cyclists bother me, *WHACK*... >:-)  Other than that, it's got a 1 mile loop
with a rather nasty hill.  The paths going through the park other than the main
road (which has a car speed limit of 30 MPH, which of course nobody follows) are
not that great and could use some repaving.

How to get to the parks:
SRCP:
    The Fair Lawn area is accessed from Century Rd.  Use Route 17 and exit at
Century Rd.  Head toward Glen Rock/Fair Lawn.  The access road (Dunkerhook Rd)
is a small road between Paramus Rd. and Saddle River Rd.
    The Dunkerhook area (Paramus) is accessed from Paramus Rd.  The access
road (Dunkerhook Rd.) has a sign by it and is north of Century Rd.
    The Ridgewood area is on Ridgewood Ave.  Use Route 17 and exit at
Ridgewood Ave.  Head toward Ridgewood.
    I can't exactly remember how to get to the Glen Rock area, but Saddle
River Rd. comes to mind.

BP:
    There are entries on Grove St., Watchung Ave., and Bellvue Ave., all in
Bloomfield.  Take Route 3 to Broad St., head toward Bloomfield.

Other things:
    In SRCP, if it is nice, there are always some skaters there after 1pm on
weekends, and a varied subset of them on weeknights.

Contact me if you want to come up and skate with us on a weekend.

(h) 201-473-7606
(w) 212-449-1398 (direct to me)

If you call me at home, my father and I have the same first name.

--Joe

-----

From: [e-mail] (Kamran Vaziri)

There's a great place to skate up around the Madison, NJ area.  It's the closed
(unfinished portion) of route 24.  It's paved and very smooooooooth.  Plenty of
room too.  I'm not sure how to get to give you directions cause I don't know all
the street names around there but I'll get a friend of mine to post directions
to the place.

-----

From: HQPYR1:[e-mail]

Path or area location:

   Sawyer Camp Trail

Directions

Take I-280 to the Black Mtn / Hayne Rd exit-- near Half Moon Bay. Head  west
after you exit, until you reach the first stop sign. There is a sign that points
left to Sawyer Camp Trail. Turn left. It is about 1-2 miles down after you turn.

Parking information

   Park on the side of the road about 1-2 miles down. You'll see the entrance.

Path length

   6 miles in one direction.

Loop or non-loop

   Non-loop.

Average path width

   Two lanes; each about sidewalk width.

Minimum path width

   Same throughout course.

Average surface

   Fairly smooth; no potholes; some cracks filled with black goop.

Worst surface

Some areas are cracked with the goop filling. The goop can be kind of slippery,
even when dry, so skate very gingerly on this stuff.

When there has been rain, only attempt the first half of the trail; the second
half is shady, so it dries slower. The pavement is very hard to skate on when
wet.

Number of hills

   Several small hills, one huge hill on the last mile of the course.

Severity of steepest hill

If you are not *very* good at speed control, *do not skate the last mile*. If
you are good at speed control, make sure to keep your speed down. The hill is
windy, so you risk running into peds and/or bikes if you fly too fast.

Average steepness

   Don't know what the grade is, but the big hill is pretty darn steep.

Obstacles

   Pedestrians, bikes, skaters.

Weekend pedestrian and bicycle traffic

Saturday and Sunday afternoons see pretty heavy traffic. Most of the traffic,
though, keeps to the first mile or two of the trail. So, after you get past
that, the number of other path users drops significantly.

Weekday pedestrian and bicycle traffic

   Never gone during the week-- don't know.

Number of roads which cross the path

   None.

Number of stairways on the path

   None.

Distance markings

   Every half mile.

Any other pertinent information

There are usually two park rangers who patrol the path. Thus, it is  fairly
safe. They also have radar. The first and last half mile half posted speed
limits of 5 MPH. The rest has a speed limit of 15 MPH. They do ticket violators,
so you're wise to obey the speed limit.

   Park is open dawn to dusk.

   - Eugene Walden ([e-mail])


Washington D.C.
---------------
From: [e-mail] (George B. Clark)

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Naruhisa Takas
hima) writes:
>
>Yes                            NO!
>Bike paths (contrete)          chunky old asphalt paths (maybe ;')
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>I know this sounds like a good place, but I'm not so sure.
>For those in the D.C. area, I have skated on Rock Creek Park which is real
>nice path for joggers and slow bicyclist, but I'm not so sure if it's suited fo
r
>Bladers.  The path is narrow, damp in many places, and ocassionally very steep
>which makes it very difficult for speed control, which in turn leads to bail ou
t or
>wipe out.
>

Most parts of Rock Creek Park's bike path are OK to skate, except for
one real steep place that even bike riders have trouble with.

Since the path goes through the woods, keep in mind that wet leaves on
the pavement are very slippery to skate over.

It's also fun to leave the bike path, and skate about the nice
neighbor streets adjacent to it.


Atlanta
-------

From: [e-mail] (toM o. genesE)
Subject: Re: Pipes/parks

Well, I'm not quite sure what your looking for in a place to skate,
but if you are ever in Atlanta (well, it is on the East coast after
all) be sure to go to Piedmont Park.  The park itself is home to quite
a few skaters, and no one minds their presence.  Directly across the
street from the park is Skate Escape, the rec/speed skate shop
mentioned in the rec.skate FAQ.

Every Monday evening, there is an introductory skate through the
midtown area, starting at a shopping center near the park.  Even
though the trip is labeled as introductory, when the skaters (80+)
gather in the parking lot, you can meet advanced skaters and pick up
some tips, see some tricks, etc.  If you are into speedskating, Skate
Escape has a distance skate every Wednesday night.

There is also a local skate club, the Atlanta Peachtree Road Rollers.
These are the people who put on the Monday night skate, as well as
provide introductory skate lessons.

I can get more info on the club and these events if there is some
interest.


ABROAD

Australia
---------

From: [e-mail] (Klaus B. Biggers)
Subject: Mountain Roads (was: Law Enforcement and Skating...)

My favorite skate is Royal Street in Park City, UT. It's a road that goes about
half to two-thirds of the way up Deer Valley Ski Resort.  Lots of turns and
*LOTS* of new pavement. Its probably about 500 meters (~1600 ft.) vertical and
an absolute blast. There is little traffic and the police are very mellow about
the whole thing (the town does depend on tourism you know). You can either bomb
down it risking the tarmac(sp?) tickle or get thousands of turns (literally).
Its really great in the summer since the temperature is rarely over 78 degrees F
or so. Also, in the winter, a bus runs up to the top on a regular schedule and
doesn't cost a dime. I kind of like the grunt up. It is kind of strange though
watching a blader skate by a "Watch for Ice" hazard sign..

-----

From: [e-mail] (Mark Purcell)
Subject: Canberra ACT AUSTRALIA

HI I just thought I would share with all what I think is the best location in
Australia for blading.

Yes I am refering to Canberra Australia.  The network of bike paths is quite
extensive, one can go from one end of the city to the other on bike paths.  The
paths are all >1.5m and made from hot mix, which makes them fast and ideal for
pole work training for X-C.  As Canberra is only two hours from the snow fields
a large population of bladers has grown up, all out there with their poles.

Canberra has two man made lakes which also have bike paths around them, all
paths in Canberra are interconnecting so it makes commuting easy. The main lake
is a 20km loop and the minor lake has a 6km loop, all in all I would estimate
that there would be about 300-400km of trails in Canberra.  IDEAL!!!

There is nothing like blading around the lake just as the sun is coming up over
the mountains, with the smallest amout of mist over the lake, and only one or
two joggers/cyclists to worry about.

There are some problems though, before most road crossings there is a section of
about 1.5 - 2 m of concrete bumps, which play like hell on the legs. It is
possible to jump these but not the easiest.

So if anyone is thinking of going to Canberra make sure you pack in your blades
or you will be sorry when you get here.  See you out there.



Hawaii
-------

From: [e-mail] (George Robbins)
Subject: Re: skating in Hawaii?

In the Honolulu area, the terrain in town is pretty flat, but you can get into
some serious hill-climbing instantly if you want to head inland.  Great view
though, if you work your way up the hill right behind Honolulu.

The roads in town are good, but it is a pretty dense urban area, more like
western business districts than NYC though.  Expect to deal with traffic and try
to avoid getting stuck playing tag with the frequent city buses - it's hard work
to get past and stay ahead, miserable to stay behind or play leapfrog.

In the outlying areas, you have a bit of a problem.  The roads are generally
good, but there is usually only one road between any two points, so traffic can
get heavy.

Also, since the general geography is a volcanic mountain, with kind of flat
shoreline skirt, you will find that everytime you circumferentially cross one of
the many radial river/streambed valleys, you go down a steep slope, over a
bridge and back up. This is especially true on the smaller roads, major ones may
have a bit more invested in grading and bridges.

Also, be prepared for hot and sunny weather.  When skating you may spend more
time in the sun than the usually carefully rationed time on the beach vs. indoor
shopping and clubs.  It is very easy to get dehydrated or severly sunburned.
Make sure you have light clothing that gives full body, arm and leg coverage and
a wind-proof hat/sunshade of some sort.

On a more serious note, a parter isn't a bad idea, especially if you intend to
travel independently outside the major tourist traps. Hawaii isn't exactly
paradise when it comes to crime and delinquency. This has come up a number of
times on rec.bicycling with respect to bicycle touring, and it's not clear if
there is a real problem or just a few overworked tales.

================================================================================
List of contributors:

[e-mail] (Jim Aites)
[e-mail] (Betsy Burton)
[e-mail] (bRYgUY K. Carter)
[e-mail] (George B. Clark)
[e-mail] (toM o. genesE)
[e-mail] (George Robbins)
[e-mail] (Diana Hirsch)
HQPYR1:[e-mail] (Kimon Papahadjopoulos)
HQPYR1:[e-mail]
[e-mail] (Jim Young)
[e-mail] (Joe Kaplenk)
[e-mail] (Joseph Ogulin)
[e-mail] (Kamran Vaziri)
[e-mail] (Kenneth Creta)
[e-mail] (Klaus B. Biggers)
[e-mail] (Michael Peters)
[e-mail] (Mark Purcell)
Phil Earnhardt, [e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail] (Eugene Walden)

=END OF PART 6=================================================================