Usenet 1993 July/InfoMagic USENET CD-ROM July 1993.ISO/answers/rec-skate-faq/part7

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From: [e-mail] (Tony Chen)
Subject: Rec.skate FAQ: Where to Skate (Outdoors) Sec. 1 (7/8)
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Posted-By: auto-faq 1.24
Archive-name: rec-skate-faq/part7


REC.SKATE FAQ - PART 7:  WHERE TO SKATE (Outdoors) Section 1


              Compilation of Outdoor Skating Locations Section 1
              --------------------------------------------------
                          (last changed June 15, 1993)

Table of Contents
-----------------
  West Coast
    - Colorado
    - California
    - Idaho
    - Phoenix
  Midwest
    - Chicago
    - Minneapolis
    - Ohio
  South
    - Houston

                                    WEST COAST

Colorado
--------

From: [e-mail] (Phil Earnhardt)
Subject: Two primo skating trails in the Colorado Mountains

There are two primo trails in the Colorado mountains that I highly recommend:
the Breckenridge-Vail bike path and the Glenwood Canyon path.

Breck-Vail

This is a fairly old trail; it was even re-surfaced a year or two ago. It's an
asphalt trail that runs from Breckenridge, CO to Vail, CO -- somewhere around
25 miles in each direction.

The section from Breckenridge to Frisco is fairly mundane. The section from
Frisco to Copper Mountain climbs about 600 feet in 6 miles -- a fairly steep
grade. If you are experienced in braking, the descent on this trail is
absolutely fabulous. If you're an efficient climber, the climb is pretty fun,
too -- you'll be passing a lot of tourists using their Mountain Bikes in a
fairly inefficient manor.

The section from Frisco to the top of Vail Pass climbs about 1000 feet in 5
miles. Pretty steep stuff. It's a neat path -- winding switch-backs in a
"wilderness" area between the split-apart sections of I-70. There's a rest
stop at the top, so you don't have to lug lots of water with you.

The section from the top of Vail Pass to Vail drops about 2000 feet in 7
miles. This is pretty mondo steep. Some sections of the trail are just off the
EB side of I-70 and the air is filled with the smell of almost-melting truck
brakes. Not fun. Also, you *must* be a skilled braker to navigate this steep,
narrow trail. Dual brakes may be a necessity -- *I* wouldn't try it with just
one.  Also, I wore out 6 brakes the last time I did this, and *still* wasn't
in town.

If you're unclear if you qualify as a skilled braker, here's my test: how many
brakes have you worn out and replaced? If it's over a dozen, you'll probably
be OK on this trail. Less than 3 is a No Pass (literally!).

Glenwood Canyon

I haven't been on this trail, but it looked absolutely marvelous. This is a
10-mile or so stretch of canyon in the far upper Colorado River.

For the past n years (5?), this section of I-70 has been upgraded from a
2-lane to a 4-lane highway. It is an absolutely breathtaking feat of
engineering!  The WB lanes of I-70 are suspended up on the canyon; the Hanging
Gardens tunnels are really neat. I drove through here last weekend; I had
quite a difficult time concentrating on my driving....

The path is between the EB lanes and the Colorado River. It sometimes winds in
and around the highway and appears to shoot over to the Lakes at the tunnels.
I don't have a good judgment of the grade; I'd guess it's 3-4% from Glenwood
Springs to the Lakes. Clearly, the trick would be to get a room at the Hot
Springs hotel in Glenwood Springs, skate upstream to the lakes, cruise back,
and soak in the Hot Springs pool the rest of the night.


Why am I telling you this? Especially since both of these trails are now
impassible? No good answer. Except, if you're planning a spring/summer
vacation now, you might want to put one or both of these gems on your travel
plans. If we want *more* trails like this, it would be incredibly valuable for
the local/state governments to get the idea that tourists are going out of
their way to visit these trails.

--phil


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!

From: [e-mail] (Phil Earnhardt)
Subject: Re: where to rollerblade in denver, south denver

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(George Robbins) writes:
>Hmmm.  I was in Denver a year or so ago and was suprised by the lack of
>visible skating action.  The place is made for it - too big to walk, but
>flat enough for effortless skating or cycling.

True.

Cherry Creek -- from the dam to the South Platte River -- is a pretty neat
playground. The trail along the South Platte goes for many miles. Remember
the magic rule: go upstream first, so you won't run out of gas on
the return trip.

C-470 -- the 1/4 beltway -- has a bike path along about 80% of its distance.
Here, substitute "wind" for "stream" in the magic rule.

Check with Grand West Outfitters for info on hockey and more structured
activities. They're at Broadway and 6th -- right off of the Cherry Creek
Trail.

>My recollection is that there are several shops listed under skating
>equipment listed in the phone book.  One of them was adjacent to a park,
>(the one with the Zoo or Washington park, not sure), which might be the
>place for public skating.  Calling or visiting these shops would be a
>good source of info.

Wash Park is pretty busy and the trails are not the best.

>Apparently there's more action in Boulder, but Phil could tell you
>about that...

Yeah. Boulder Creek trail is swell. Between 1st and 30th street is
really intermediate terrain, but there are a lot of beginners there.
Between 1st and fourmile canyon turnoff is an expert trail: quite
steep with no turnouts. From 30th to 60th (or so) is a very mellow,
very pretty trail. When you come back to the west, you can see the
entire Continental Divide.

There are a lot of other good trails in town.

Both Boulder and Denver have bike maps. The Boulder one shows road/path
grades (and direction). The Denver one doesn't, but there are a lot more
trails down there. REI sells the Denver map.

I'm going to try the moby long Denver viaduct sometime this summer....

--phil


California
----------

From: [e-mail] (Ron Drake)
Re: Where to blade in South Bay Area?

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.

---

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] (Tal Dayan)
Subject: Souh Bay Area, a skating place which I like.

I would like to share with you, south bay area skaters, a skating site
which i enjoy.

This is Cunnigham park in San Jose.  The park has a lake, and a trail
around it.  The Perimeter trail (a loop) is 1.9 mile long but if you use
the trail just neat the water, it a little bit shorter.  The park has
several parking lots which are virtually empty in this time of the year
(including weekends) which are good for figure skating.  The one I like
the  most is near the Marina (just below the Raging Water entrance)
which has new pavement and it slope make it ideal for slalom (you might
find the chalk marks I made this morning ;-> ).  You can feed the ducks
(millions of them), fish (or at least try to), or have Cock from the
vending machine near the entrance to Raging Water.  The parking costs
one $ but there is no body to pay for or a box to leave the money so I
consider it free (probably it is different at summer).

To get there, take 101 Tully exit east (one exit south to the point were
101 and 280 met) and go on Tully all the way until you will see the
entrance on the left side (just after the airport).

BTW, I am compiling a list of skating sits in the south bay area, if you
know of an interesting place, please let me know. I will post a follow
up.

Tal Dayan


From: [e-mail] (David Volansky)
Subject: Re: Where to blade in South Bay Area?

> at Stanford.  Anybody have any details on this (when, where, etc...).  I
> believe this is put on by the skate shop Nuevo Colors...

The group meets at the Main Quad at about 7:15pm.  The best place to locate
them is in the parking lot at the end of Palm/University Ave or on the stairs
near the lot - you can't miss them - the group usually numbers in the 30s to 40s
this time of year (more in summer, less in the rain - yes, they go in the rain).

The group is very informal and doesn't really have a starting time or leader.
As it's getting darker, they're leaving earlier and earlier.

The ride usually goes until about 9 or 9:30 and includes some favorite jumping
spots on campus and a ride in the close-by neighborhood.  Be prepared for some
hills - the smell of heal brake is really something at the end of some of these
runs.  The route is the same each week, so the darkness isn't too bad after a
few weeks.  In the beginning, just stay behind someone who seems to know the
route and be sure to listen for the "stay to the right", "stay to the left",
"watch out for the big ditch" messages.

Let me know if you show up.  Since the group is fairly young (high school and
college age) I don't think I especially fit in, but you can single me out by
my dark hair and a red beard.


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.

Idaho
-----
From: [e-mail] (Andy Hill)
Sender: [e-mail] (News Server Project)

Just got back from a work/play boondoggle in Sun Valley, Idaho.  If
you ever have a chance to come through this area in the spring/summer/fall,
check out the Wood River & Sun Valley trails.

The Wood River trail is a very recent rails-to-trails conversion.  It's
21 miles long (42 round trip), extremely smooth, and not much climb.
It's a cross-country ski trail in the winter (there was still quite a bit
of snow on either side of the trail this week).

The Sun Valley trail is about a 20 mile loop around Dollar mountain.  Not
quite as smooth, and has some road intersections that are a bit gravelly.
Quite a bit more climb than the Wood River trail (with some screaming
downhill sections). Bring a spare brake!


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

From: [e-mail] (Kenneth Creta)
Subject: Re: trail guides and the IISA clinic
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

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).


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.


Ohio
----
From [e-mail] (Brett Kottmann)

- Dayton (OH)

    The best places to skate in the Dayton area are on the bike paths.
Bike, joggers, and skaters (bladers? :) coexist as long as the cardinal rule is
followed: bike right: skate/run/walk left.

    The River Corridor is approximately 13 miles long, including street
connectors (not many).  Parts are in dire need of paving, but the run from W.
Carrollton to the Carillon Tower is fairly decent, and free of pedestrians for
the most part.  There is a steel bridge that is best walked across near W.
Carrollton.  Whitman's Bike Shop (in W. Carrollton) is a good place to meet,
get repairs, etc.

    The Xenia-Yellow Springs bike path is 6 miles long, gently sloping up
to the north.  It's an excellent way to build up your endurance by skating hard
north, then working on turns, spins, etc. back south.  Fairly straight.  Note:
there have been problems with exhabitionists on this path.  Do not skate alone.
    Young's Dairy is near the Yellow Springs terminus, and is a great way
to put on the pounds you just worked off :).

    Planned additions to these routes include the Beavercreek connector
(connecting the River Corridor and Xenia-Yellow Springs) and the completion of
the Xenia-Yellow Springs path south to Morrow, Ohio.  The N-S path would then
run from Cincinnati to Xenia.  The River Corridor will eventually be extended
south to Hamilton, near Cincinnati.  The bike/skate/run paths would then form a
giant H across south-west Ohio, encompassing more than a hundred miles of paved
paths!  You can help speed up the process by contributing to your local/state
"Rails to Trails" organizations.


SOUTH
-----

Houston

The flattest city on earth.  If you want hills, youre only choice is
to sneak into the parking decks downtown at night,  This is rather
common - just skate upward until the dweeb (they all are) security
cop asks you to leave.  Skate out.

Street skating is allowed in Houston.  Be reasonable.  I've heard from
reliable sources that street skating is now officially legal, but
can't be positive.

Downtown.  VERY popular with skaters.  In the spring through november,
Thursday nights are "the" skating nights downtown after the "Party on
the Plaza" (weekely free outdoor concerts downtown).  There's also
a few skaters on weekend afternoons.  Some of the big oil and bank
building security types don't like skaters on their marble, even if it
is a public sidewalk on a city easement.

The "skater-bar" in Houston is the Brewery Tap, on Franklin (one of
the northernmost eastwest streets downtown).  Its also the major
hangout for the Urban Animals, Houston's famous "skater-gang".
The Animals organize skates on a semiregular basis - just join them on
a Thursday night at the Tap - they're a friendly bunch.  In the
past, they also met at the old concention center (across from Jones
Plaza) on Wednesdays and Sundays for hockey.

Stop by the Montrose Skate Shop (on Stanford between W. Gray and
Clay).  The owner is a longtime experienced skater who knows a lot
about Houston and the national skate scene.  Don't let the appearance
of the house/shop scare you :)  If there's any official skating event
or something sponsored by the Animals going on (like the Labor Day
pub crawl) he'll adverstise it in his shop.

Memorial park is VERY popular on weekends.  Its got a smooth 1+ mile
loop.  On a given weekend day, there will be 50+ skaters, maybe more.
Racers and beginners alike skate there.  Lots of bike racers too, so
give them room.  On weekdays the "picnic loop" (where the
skater/bikers go) is closed to automobiles, making it even better.

Rice University has a smooth loop (~1 mile) around the campus.
Several shops use Rice for lessons, and the loop is popular with
beginners.  Experienced skaters often stop by for a few laps, and
grab a beer at Valhalla (grad student pub, open every day but
Saturday 5pm-2am with 50 cent draught beers and 2.50 pitchers).

Houston has LOTS of bike trails.  Some are in terrible shape, others
are pretty good.  I reccomend the Braeswood Bayou trail ONLY WEST
OF Buffalo Speedway.  East of there it really start falling into
severe disrepair.  Its not obvious where you can park to get access
to the trail, which is over 10 miles long.  Some of the neighborhoods
along South Brasewood have roads along the Bayou, park at one.
The trail along Buffalo Bayou is OK, but during rainy season (late
fall and winter) the off-road portions through the park get washed
over with sand.  Not fun.

On some weekend afternoons, the city of Houston closes Allen Parkway
for about a one mile stretch along the park along Buffalo Bayou.
Nice stretch of pavement just for bikers, skaters, baby carriages,
etc.


From: [e-mail] (Dwayne Jacques Fontenot)
Subject: places to inline skate in houston

These are the standard answers and my thoughts on them:

Rice University
---------------

To hear people talk and to read articles in the local newspapers one would
think that Rice University is some great place to skate. Well, I know a thing
or two about the Rice campus, and I simply do not understand this.
Rice possible places to skate:

The "inner loop": Sure, this is a smooth asphalt loop, but it is a *road*.
It is for *cars*. The speed limit is 15mph, but some drivers regularly
travel at up to 60mph. Traffic is not as heavy as say, main street, but
it is heavy enough. I guess if you don't mind the cars, and don't get
easily bored with the loop, and like to skate into Valhalla for a beer,
then this is for you, but it's not for me.

The sidewalks: No way. Rice sidewalks are "pebbled paths". That is,
really smooth, bumpy pebbles held in place by concrete. This stuff is
so slippery, that it is difficult to ride a bike on it (though technically
one is not allowed to bike on it, so one probably cannot skate on it
either).

The Rice Stadium lot: Please wait while I stop laughing. This lot is like
an exploded mine field. One must be very careful when driving a *car*
over this surface. There are gigantic holes everywhere, and the surface is
not smooth at all.

The Rice Bike Track: Not an option. This is a bike track. It is for
*bicycles*. It is *not* for *skaters*. *skaters* should not skate on it.
Bikers use the bike track to train on. It is extremely difficult to
ride around the track at training speeds while there are skaters on it.
Experts will tell you the worst accidents happen when there is the greatest
disparity in speed of the vehicles. That is the case with bikes and skates.
Imagine what a biker thinks when he comes up behind a skater who is
stroking his legs out to the left and right. It is only a matter of time
(IMHO) before skating becomes illegal on the bike track, if it is not
already.

The Rice stadium: This is a slight possibility. There are several concrete
ramps which could be fun, but they are quite steep. If one could get in,
it might be a fun place to skate, but once again, it is probably not
allowed.

Downtown
--------

hmmmmm. We asked one person where to skate downtown, and they said,
"anywhere is fine". Yeah, rite. Anywhere is fine as long as it is on
the sidewalks. And the sidewalks don't excite me. There are several
*cool* plazas which are the property of large corporations.
However, the security guards will not let you skate there. I guess they
don't want to be sued, and I don't blame them.

So, where do people skate downtown which is not on the streets (lots of
cars)?

Memorial Park
-------------

I have no information. Anyone out there know good places to skate in
Memorial Park?

Hermann Park
------------

This is the best place I have found so far, but that is only relatively.
There are *lots* of people with baby carriages. Most of the time people
on the sidewalks will hear you coming and move aside, but usually the
sidewalks are filled with clumps of people every 20 feet. At least there
are no cars. My current fun thing to do is to skate around the manmade
lake, including over the wooden humpback bridge  :-) but, inlines are
so "new" there that everybody stares. Admittedly, things are better on
weekdays, but most people work on weekdays :-(

So, where do people skate in Houston? Specifically.

thank you for your time,

Dwayne Fontenot


rec.skate Houston skating FAQ (by Rob Butera, [e-mail]).

Last updated: 04/21/1993 (some big changes from last version)

Downtown and vincinity  Downtown is fun.  A lot.  Popular with skaters on
            Thursday nights when Party-on-the-Plaza is in
            season.  Also popular on Friday and Saturday
            nights and Saturday afternoons.  Downtown has
            some of the only "hills" (i.e. slopes) in Houston,
            at the north end near Buffalo Bayou.  Try your
            luck at Parking Decks ("Jesus Saves" is the most
            popular).  The Brewery Tap on Franklin is probably
            the official "skater-bar" of Houston where many
            skaters hang out and meet up, especially on Thursday
            and Saturday nights.  Power Tools, a dance club
            two doors down, charges no cover to skaters.

            Some security guards don't like you skating on the
            nice sidewalks outside their buildings.  Just say
            "public easement" and they'll go away :)

            The nearby Heights neighborhood has some excuses
            for hills (roads like White Oak and Studemont, as
            well as overpasses over I-10).

            The Legendary Urban Animals regularly host
            variations on "roller-skating pub crawls"
            that usually start at the Brewery Tap.  They
            publicize them at "skater-friendly" bars, as well
            as the Montrose Skate Shop (1406 Stanford, 528-6102).

Allen Parkway        On an "experiemntal" basis, the city of Houston
            is sometimes closing one half of Allen Parkway
            from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturdays and/or Sundays.
            Roughly a mile stretch of pavement is closed
            off the auto traffic for bikers, skaters,
            high speed baby carriages, etc.

Hills?            In general, Houston is flat as can possibly be
            (just live here when it rains!).  Any and all
            hints of hills in Houston will be anywhere
            along the stretch of Buffalo Bayou, especially
            near downtown.  Otherwise, go find some overpasses :)

Memorial Park
Picnic Loop        Very popular with skaters of all skill levels.
            Many skaters and bikers on weekends.  Closed to
            car traffic on weekdays.  The loop is 1+ miles
            long with a good variety of curves and paths to
            take (much less boring than the Rice loop).

Hermann Park        I used to tell people it stinks and not to waste
            your time.  However, while skating home last week,
            I discovered that they have put new wide (6 feet)
            cement paths throughout the park that are great for
            skating, especially beginners.  Still not as long
            or scenic as Memorial, but good for beginners or
            a lazy skate on a sunny afternoon.

Braeswood bike trail    Park on Lookout Court, which is off of S. Braeswood
            just west of Buffalo Speedway.  You can take the bike
            trail from Buffalo Speedway west to Chimney Rock
            (about 3.5 miles).  The trail actually goes west
            as far as Fondren and east as far as U of H, but
            the pavement quality is much worse west of Chimney
            Rock or east of Buffalo Speedway.  Take note: if
            want to head west past Chimney Rock, the trail
            looks like it ends.  It doesn't - you have to
            cross the bridge over the Bayou, where the trail
            continues on the other side of the road.

Buffalo Bayou Trail    Good for mountain bikes.  Bad for skaters.  Would
            be the best outdoor skating trail in Houston (lots
            of slight hills and curves), but whenever it rains
            significant portions of the trail get washed over
            with sand.

Rice Loop        Rice University has a 1+ mile loop around campus.
            Its very popular with skaters, espcially on
            Saturdays and late weekday afternoons.  Well paved
            as well.  Some experienced skaters come here at night
            to do 10 or so laps, then head over to Valhalla,
            the pub run by grad students (4pm-2am Sunday-Friday,
            50 cent draught Lonestar).

Neighborhoods
near Rice
            There's a lot of newly paved roads running east-west
            in West University.  Obey the speed limit and all
            traffic laws (I'm not joking, either).  North of
            Rice, there are some newly paved roads (like Hazard)
            but some (like Mandell) really stink.

Woodlands        If you actually have a reason to go way out there,
            the trails are pretty fun, and there are lots of
            them.  Beware of sharp curves with bikers coming
            around them from the other direction ...


The Montrose Skate Shop is the best local "clearing house" for races,
fun runs/bikes that allow skates, and Urban Animal sponsored events  Stop by
(its an experience for the uninitiated) or call then at 528-6102.  They're
at 1406 Stanford, which is a few blocks east and parallel to Montrose
between Clay and West Gray.


=END OF PART 7=================================================================