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From: [e-mail] (Tony Chen)
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Subject: In-line Skating FAQ: Western NA (5.1)
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   _r.s.s.inline FAQ: Where to Skate - Western North America_
     _________________________________________________________________

                    WHERE TO SKATE - WESTERN NORTH AMERICA



   Last modified: Monday, September 16, 1996

   Recent changes include:
     * Added Vancouver, BC info from Flatline (7/2)

  Table of Contents
     * Alaska
     * Arizona
     * British Columbia
     * Colorado
     * Hawaii
     * Idaho
     * Montana
     * Nevada
     * Utah
     * Washington
     * Wyoming



   Other sections of Where to Skate are:
     * California
     * Central North America
     * Northeastern North America
     * Southeastern North America
     * Abroad


     _________________________________________________________________

General Notes



   George Robbins' "Roller Skating Rink List" can be found at the URL:
   http://www.netaxs.com/people/grr/Roller/.

   From: [e-mail] (Kathy Hand)
   Date: Tue, 18 Jul 1995 01:01:01 GMT

   Re: 500 Great Rail Trails

   I ordered this book a couple weeks ago (from Book Stacks Unlimited,
   online) and it finally came. It is published by the Rails to Trails
   Conservancy, a non-profit group devoted to converted abandoned
   railroads and the like to trails for various sporting activities.

   The book lists trails by states. For each entry, they list the
   beginning and ending of the trail, the type of terrain (dirt, asphalt,
   concrete, etc.), the type of activities for which it is appropriate,
   the county where the trail is located, and the length. Each section
   has a map of the state with the trails listed by number. They also
   tell you who to call for more information on each trail.

   I would have liked better directions or a more detailed map (or both),
   and it also would have been nice (for us out-of-shape beginners) to
   read whether the terrain is flat or hilly. But all in all, it is well
   worth the $9.95 price, particularly if you travel and are always
   looking for a safe place to bike, skate, run, etc. (Shipping is $3.50,
   regardless of how many copies you order, apparently.)

   You can order it online by pointing your Web browser to:
   http://melville.books.com

   You can also call 1-800-888-7747 ext. 11 to order by phone (MC or
   VISA) or send a check to:

   Rail-to-Trails Conservancy
   Shipping Department
   P.O. Box 295
   Federalsburg, MD 21632-0295

   From: [e-mail] (George Robbins)
   Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 17:10:07 GMT

   Re: National Parks

   The park service has a _national policy_ that give individual park
   directors the option of allowing only those activities that are "safe
   and compatible with the goal/character of the park", and most then
   play it safe by forbidding skating. The best action you can take,
   aside from sending a nice letter to the park director, is to send some
   money to the IISA [International In-Line Skating Association] and
   encourage them to attack this policy at the national level and aim for
   one that allows skating to be prohibited only when demonstrably unsafe
   or seriously inappropriate.
     _________________________________________________________________

  Alaska

    Anchorage



   From: [e-mail] (Gil Kruschwitz)
   Date: Sun, 28 May 1995 13:41:43 -0500

   I think anyone coming to Anchorage should be sure to bring their
   blades. We have miles and miles of bike trails (groomed for diagonal
   and skate skiing in the winter) including 20 paved miles along Chester
   Creek and Cook Inlet, connecting the University, Downtown (hotels,
   etc.) and Kincaid Park). The trail has cracks in some areas and short
   sight distances in a few places but is generally smooth and in good
   condition. There are several tunnels and a few bridges but no road
   crossings and relativley little foot traffic out of the immediate
   downtown area. There are several hills but they are gentle enough to
   run with little or no braking, unless the wind is blowing downhill.
   Skate season is generally late April/early May to the end of October.
   Much of the trail is through natural areas and it is unusual to not
   see moose. Eagles and beluga whales are often in the inlet right below
   a portion of the trail. For the last five years, I've skated the trail
   from a point a few blocks from my office to Kincaid and back (about 9
   miles each way) after work almost every day that weather has allowed
   and can't imagine getting tired of the terrain and scenery.
     _________________________________________________________________

  Arizona
     * Phoenix/Scottsdale
     * Tucson

    Phoenix/Scottsdale



   From: [e-mail] (Shooshie)
   Date: 15 Sep 1994 09:36:22 GMT

   I travel a lot in my work as a music director/arranger, and I take my
   Aeroblades with me wherever I go. I am in the Phoenix area a lot, so
   when I discovered the trail on Hayden Blvd. in Scottsdale, I was in
   blade heaven. There are over 20 miles of interconnected trails, and
   lots more if you consider all the skate-friendly sidewalks and
   streets. Some of the under-street tunnels flood right after a rain, so
   you have to be prepared to stop, turn around and go over the streets
   if the weather has been bad during the past week. I just got back from
   a two-week stay there while making a video at the Phoenix Symphony
   Hall. I spent every spare minute on that trail, and discovered some
   great things I had not even noticed before. For anyone who might be
   interested, here's the scoop.

   There is a recreation center on Indian School and Hayden. It is called
   the Indian Bend Wash Visitor Center. Large parking lot, big plaza,
   lots of concrete, stairs of every configuration, walls, jumpable chain
   fences, concrete-surrounded palm trees at regular intervals for slalom
   fun, skatable restrooms and water. Up behind it was a big surprise - a
   small skating rink, about the size of a tennis court, and square.
   Smooth concrete, with ramped sidewalks all around, stepped edges
   growing out of an incline from zero to three steps, and a nice view to
   boot. Skate down from the rink onto the plaza (be careful - the
   concrete joints radiate outward... you _will_ drop a skate in one now
   and then) and you will find a trail leading between volleyball courts
   and baseball diamond, and it leads you to a tunnel under Hayden which
   connects with the aforementioned trails. The main trail is superb,
   from rolling to moderately steep hills, but none so terribly long as
   to be painful. It winds around through parklands, around ponds, next
   to streams, behind golf courses, and goes under most of the streets.
   One street crossing is at an arched pedestrian bridge which gives a
   nice boost going down the other side.

   But the best part of the trail is... "the Wedge!" It's about a 15 or
   20 minute skate from the visitor center along the trail. At any time
   of day or night you are liable to find the experienced skaters here
   showing their stuff, and it's pretty impressive. You hear about it
   from street skaters who speak of it reverently, although most of them
   have not been there and seem to register a certain awe or fear of
   actually finding it. The Wedge is a long (about 60 yards?) concrete
   dam right next to a huge concrete plaza (with wooden expansion joints
   - nothing's perfect) underneath a wide street bridge. The bridge
   provides merciful shade from the desert heat, and the wedge provides
   the site for some great jumping. At one end of the wedge is a stream
   which is normally benign, but which briefly floods during the late
   summer monsoons. That is the Wedge's raison d'etre. But the engineers
   almost certainly had us in mind when they designed and built it. It's
   just too perfect. The dam is about five feet high at its highest
   point, and the entire length of it is wedge shaped such that its sides
   slope upward at 55-60 degree angles. The top is broad, flat, and
   smooth; I'd guess 15 feet or more across the top, and as I said
   earlier, about 60 yards long. A side trail comes down from street
   level, down the ravine, crosses a short bridge, right to the base of
   the wedge.

   You can reach quickly just about any speed you want going down the
   trail. Then... you hit the incline in a crouched position, rise,
   spring and shoot off the top - the sky is the limit. An expert few
   manage to go clear over and across the top, airborne, (definitely not
   for the faint of heart or weak of ankle) and come down the slope on
   the other side. 180's, 360's, obstacles, grinds, you name it... you'll
   see it all there. An aluminum picnic table provides two levels for
   grinds, and barrels provide good jumping material. At night, the dark
   shadows under the bridge bring out a new dimension. One side of the
   wedge is visible, the other is in darkness... you learn to trust your
   feet. The chatter around the Wedge is generally about competition, and
   a number of the regulars travel to compete in meets. Apparently, some
   of them are doing well, too. Average age appears to be about 18. I
   made the mistake of using the "when I was your age" line once and
   offended a guy who, at 20, was pretty much one of the elders of the
   wedge community. I explained that I was nearly 40, but I don't think
   he believed me; maybe it was my ponytail. Something about the wedge
   knocks a few years off your age... a 15 year-old asked me if I was old
   enough to buy him cigarettes.

   Near the Wedge is another "made for skaters" plaza with all kinds of
   stairs, walls, and such for various kinds of practice. The whole
   experience of the trail and its extras is almost too good to be true.
   If you get to the Phoenix area, go nextdoor to Scottsdale and find the
   trail along Hayden road. The Wedge is in the southern part of the
   trail, between Thomas and Roosevelt, beneath the MacDowell Street
   bridge (I think... I never went up to confirm that). Let the rest of
   the family go see the Grand Canyon. Go to the Wedge. It's enough to
   make you want to move to the desert.

   Now... if the flood control engineers of Arizona could just find it
   within their needs to install a 10 foot high, 60 yard-long half-pipe
   beneath the other side of the bridge...

   From: [e-mail] (Renee Ramirez)
   Date: 30 Mar 1995 08:35:27 MST

   [...] in the N. Scottsdale area is the Scottsdale Airpark. It's a
   large business park adjacent to the Scottsdale Airport. It's at about
   75th Street and Greenway. You'll find a lot of business parks in the
   Phoenix area, and a lot of them are dead on the weekends. Since the
   traffic flow on a daily basis through them is light, the pavement is
   still in good shape.

   From: Ronald Williams ([e-mail])
   Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 08:04:44 -0700

   Pecos Road - It's a straight skate until you'll hit a dead end turn
   around at 5.8 miles. This route gives you a chance to alternately duck
   walk up rolling hills and get into the tuck position on the downhill.
   In total, this route offers approximately 11 miles of skating with no
   stops, no traffic nor any restrooms. Be prepared and bring your own
   water.
   Getting there - Take I-10 towards Tucson, exit Chandler to 40th ST.
   (south). 40th St. deadends at Pecos Rd. Park along the road.

   Perimeter Center - This route traverses an undevelooped commercial
   center with very somooth pavement, plenty of right and left turns but,
   again, no bathrooms. Be prepared and bring your own water. This route
   offers slight incliness to work on muscle building but keep your eyes
   open for traffic. Getting There - Go North on Pima Rd. from Frank
   Lloyd Wright. Turn left on Bell Rd. (approximately 3/4). Look for the
   Fleischer Museum. Park along the street or cul de sacs, not in the
   museum parking lot.

    Tucson



   From: [e-mail] (Budd Turner:N7EOJ)
   Date: Sun, 23 Apr 1995 13:46:34 -0700

   _Rillito Pathway_
   6 1/2 miles of two lane, multiuse, asphalt pathway along the North
   bank of the Rillito ("Little River"), connecting several city parks.
   Surface varies from very smooth to slightly coarse, level to slight
   inclines. Accessed off River Road with parking lots at each major
   North/South Intersection, and in the two City Parks midway between N/S
   intersections. The path underpasses each N/S road bridge. Water
   fountains are located on one or both sides of each N/S intersection,
   and in the City Parks. Being multiuse makes it get busy at times,
   especially mid-summer, when 100+ degree days will concentrate usage to
   early morning and sundown. The pathway is closed during hours of
   darkness.

   _Santa Cruz Pathway_
   Shorter, less used than the Rillito, 5 miles , two lane, multiuse,
   asphalt pathway along both banks of the Santa Cruz River connecting
   several city parks. The path underpasses each E/W road bridge. Surface
   varies from very smooth to coarse, level to slight inclines. No
   fountains.

   _University of Arizona campus_
   Lots of sidewalks, non-vehicular streets, fountains, stairs, ramps,
   rails, curbs and skaters.

   _Pima Community College campus (East, West, Downtown)_
   Lots of sidewalks, fountains, stairs, ramps, rails, curbs and skaters.

     _________________________________________________________________

  British Columbia

    Vancouver



   From: [e-mail] (Robert B. Schmunk)
   Date: Tue, 06 Sep 1994 14:29:39 -0500

   During a recent trip to Seattle, I also had a chance to visit
   Vancouver, BC. While I didn't have my skates with me that day, I did
   spot what seemed to be the locals' favorite skate-path. The place I'm
   referring to is the trail which follows the perimeter of Stanley Park,
   just NW of downtown. Being right on the waterfront, it doesn't offer
   much challenging topography, but it did seem smoothly paved and wide
   enough that bike/ped/skate conflicts shouldn't be too much of a
   problem. My visit was during a weekday, and during the daytime there
   were a fair number of teenagers (particularly junior high school age)
   out and about. In the early evening, I noticed several cars pull into
   the parking lot and disgorge a young adult or two with a set of blades
   over his/her shoulders. One potential problem with this path is the
   high concentration of geese in the area, suggesting that one may have
   to be careful about cleaning off wheels and bearings after a skate.

   From: [e-mail] (Fiona McQuarrie)
   Date: 6 Sep 1994 17:07:51 -0400

   As a veteran of the Stanley Park Seawall path which Robert correctly
   identifies as a prime inline skating area, I want to add to his
   posting:


   This path is indeed wide in most parts but in some places it is
   extremely _narrow_, and as such users should be careful to follow the
   clearly marked bike/pedestrian divisions. I'm not sure which side
   inliners should go on, come to think of it (only having run on the
   path, which is clearly a pedestrian function :), but I would say look
   at others and follow what they are doing. Also there are some parts of
   the path where users on bikes are asked to dismount and walk. This is
   because the path is too narrow to have bikes bombing through crowds of
   pedestrians....so inliners should be careful too.

   From: "Kennith A. Mellquist" ([e-mail])
   Date: Sat, 02 Sep 95 07:38:29 -700

   As a frequent user of the track in Stanley Park, there are a couple of
   other matters of interest for visitors to the Vancouver area. First,
   the trail on the water in Stanley Park is one mostly for recreational
   or sight seeing. The traffic in the summertime is very busy and rthere
   are places where you must slow down to a crawl. An alternative is to
   skate in the morning or to use the road that rings the park. Second,
   the Seawall at Stanley Park also extends around False Creek (the south
   side of the downtown area) and the area around False Creek is less
   travelled , wider and smoother. Third, for those who are into a
   straight skate, just off of the Sceond Narrows Bridge in North
   Vancouver is an area called the Seymour Demonstration Forest. I
   believe this is a provincial park and every weekend in the summer the
   road in the Park is closed off to vehicle traffic. I believe the road
   extends for about 10 miles and is very wide and quite smooth.

   From: [e-mail] (Flatline)
   Date: 29 May 1996 06:30:30 GMT

   A while ago, skaters were banned from the seawall except for a certain
   area of the bikepath designated for skaters... but it was never
   enforced and skaters skated it still (I know I did it alot) then peds
   complained, so there were rumors (last summer I think) that they were
   gonna start enforcing the rule, but instead they enforce the
   "Rollerbladers on Bike Path" rule... and since they've spent the time
   and money painting little rollerblade man symbols along the path, I
   doubt they'll close it now
     _________________________________________________________________

  Colorado
     * Glenwood Canyon
     * Breckenridge-Vail
     * Fort Collins
     * Boulder
     * Denver

    Glenwood Canyon



   From: [e-mail] (Philip A Earnhardt)
   Date: Sun, 2 Jul 1995 20:17:09 GMT

   About 170 miles west of Denver on I-70 is the town of Glenwood
   Springs. The last 13 or so miles of this trip run through Glenwood
   Canyon. As of two years ago, it is a full-blown 4-lane stretch of
   Interstate highway. It is beautiful: the highway was terraced along
   the north side of the Colorado River. In this section of highway,
   there are four rest stops; each is a work of art. Once you view this
   section of highway, you may have the same reaction I did: you will be
   proud that this is something your tax dollars helped create!

   Along the same stretch highway for 16.3 miles lies the Glenwood Canyon
   Trail. This is one of the nicest trails I've ever skated. The four
   rest areas on the path are a welcome relief from the normal lack of
   facilities. Traveling at slower-than-automobile speeds gives one an
   opportunity to see the natural and man-made beauty in the Canyon in
   detail. Over most of the length of the path, the Colorado River is
   literally a dozen feet away. In short, it's a totally awesome skating
   trip not to be missed!

   The trailhead is immediately east of the Hot Springs Pool and the
   Vapor Caves in Glenwood Springs. For the first 2.5 miles, the trail
   uses pre-existing asphalt that is pretty low-grade. At the first rest
   stop, the No Name Rest Area, you pick up high-grade concrete trail for
   the remainder of the trip. The No Name rest area is about 150 feet
   above the river -- you will have both the steepest climb and descent
   going through No Name.

   Once east of No Name, you will be very close to the Colorado for the
   duration of the path. At No Name, the Colorado has an elevation of
   5780 feet; at Mile 10 of the trail -- the lake at the Shoshone Dam --
   the elevation is 6100 feet. From there to the Mile 16, there's
   probably less than another 100 feet of elevation gain. This is not a
   beginner's trail, but it's not Extreme Games material, either.

   The Grizzly Creek rest area comes a bit after Mile 5. The No Name
   facility is not visible from the trail, but this one is. These are
   awesome facilities! There is a trailhead that goes north up the
   Grizzly Creek path. Don't be fooled by the fact that it starts out
   paved; that peters out after about 1/4 of a mile.

   The stretch between Grizzly Creek and the Shoshone Power Plant is a
   major stretch of some Class III - IV rapids. If you go during the
   summer, you'll see a fair number of kayakers and raft outfitters
   through here.

   The only features at the Shoshone Power Plant (Mile 7) exit are a big
   building a parking lot, and a boat launch. The highway interchange is
   interesting: while you can only exit from I-70 in the Eastbound
   direction, you can enter the highway only in the Westbound direction.
   The interchange at the Hanging Lake Rest Area is set up the same way.
   Lack of space -- and minimization of impact to the Canyon -- forced
   these restrictions.

   You will find no boaters between the Power Plant and the Shoshone Dam
   (Mile 10): this section of the river has a pair of Class VI (i.e.,
   unpassable) rapids. This section also has the greatest climb -- about
   200 feet -- for the whole trip. Immediately before the Dam, you will
   cross underneath the highway. Note the individual maintenance catwalks
   underneath the bridge for each lane of traffic.

   You are now at the Dam and the Hanging Lake Rest Area. The two-lane
   road used to go along the lake; I-70 now goes through the Hanging Lake
   Tunnels. Part of the construction was to completely remove all traces
   of the old highway before putting in the concrete trail and
   landscaping. Again, this rest area is a work of art! As with all of
   the rest stops, watch out for peds wandering on and off and across the
   trail; they may not realize that they are on a thoroughfare!

   From here, the trail is relatively uneventful to its end. When skating
   the trail over the Memorial Day weekend (5/29/95), my friend and I
   encountered a large puddle in one of the tunnels under the highway. We
   wound up "borrowing" several bales of hay that the highway department
   had left nearby, creating a series of steps over the water hazard.

   The eastern end of the trail (Mile 16.3) is a mile or so into Eagle
   County. There's a small parking facility here.

   Despite the proximity of the Interstate highway, the trail is overall
   fairly quiet: most of the way, the path is about 10 feet lower than
   the highway. There is also a wall and ledge separating you from the
   traffic.

   The main annoyance is the presence of 50-100 drainage grates
   periodically spaced along the path. While climbing up the path, they
   pose no problem -- the spacing is too narrow to catch your wheels. You
   can play a game of avoiding the gaps in the grating by precisely
   setting down your skate.

   On the trip down, they are a bit more of an annoyance. There are
   sections of the path when you may be going quite fast and don't want
   to risk anything getting caught. I recommend using very subtle
   mini-jumps over the grates. If you time them right, you don't even
   have to have your wheels off of the ground -- you just need to have
   your skates unweighted.

   Other than the grates, the main issue is your fellow trail users. As
   noted above, drop your pace while cruising through the rest areas.
   Many people who are wandering around the area may even recognize that
   they're crossing a trail. There will be some inexperienced
   cyclists/skaters/walkers on the path. Be particularly careful between
   the Dam and the Power Station both when passing and being passed.

   Navigation on the trail is quite simple; a map is not necessary.
   Because of the rest areas, it's unnecessary to carry much water with
   you. However, you should take some munchies for the trip.

   I recommend doing the entire 33-mile round trip. If this is too much,
   the first place to cut would be to begin and end your journey at the
   No Name rest stop. This will remove about 6 miles and all of the
   low-grade pavement out of the trip. A good 10-mile mini-excursion
   would be to start at Grizzly Creek and skate up to the Shoshone Dam
   and back. Finally, the mini-mini trip would be a round trip between
   the Shoshone Power Station and the Dam.

   Note: the Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs have been specially
   engineered to help tired skaters quickly recover from their efforts in
   the Canyon.

   Safety notes: The Colorado sun is intense. Please apply a bunch of
   waterproof sunscreen before starting. For your face, I recommend the
   Neutrogena Sunblock Stick. This stuff won't run into your eyes even if
   you sweat a lot. Helmets are mandatory for this trip. Check your brake
   pads before you start -- you may want to put a fresh one on before you
   do the downhills. Watch the weather forecasts: afternoon showers are
   typical over the summer. You may want to start the skate early in the
   day and/or have a contingency plan in place in case of an unexpected
   shower.

   There is a 32-page picture booklet, _A Guide to Glenwood Canyon_ (ISBN
   0-9634382-1-2), that provides detailed information about the canyon:
   river elevations, detailed highway and path drawings, plants and
   animals through the canyon, history, geology, etc. I used it as a
   reference for preparing this posting. If your local bookstore can't
   order the book, Denver's Tattered Cover Bookstore (800.833.9327) can.

    Breckenridge-Vail



   From: [e-mail] (Phil Earnhardt)
   Date: Unknown

   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!).

    Fort Collins



   From: [e-mail] (Peter J. McKinney)
   Date: Unknown

   IMHO, The best in-line skating in Ft. Fun is along the Poudre River
   and Spring Creek trails. They're paved nicely and are shared by
   bicyclists, inline skaters, and pedestrians. There's at least 10 or 12
   miles of trail and you should be able to pick up a map at any Ft.
   Collins bike store.

    Boulder



   From: [e-mail] (Jim Aites)
   Date: Unknown

   I would like to take this time to submit my nomination 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.

   From: [e-mail] (Phil Earnhardt)
   Date: Unknown

   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.

   From: [e-mail] (M Shafran)
   Date: 17 Jan 1995 14:02:33 -0500

   Well, there aren't any trails really conducive to speed in Boulder, so
   most of us tend to do our long skates out on the Diagonal (especially
   now that both sides are smoothly paved). My speed club, Quicksilver,
   and the Roller Express USAC club, also do a lot of training around
   Celestial Seasonings' headquarters - it's smooth and almost a perfect
   1K loop. [...] If you have any other questions, just give me a buzz at
   InLine Retailer at [phone], ext. 703.

    Denver



   From: [e-mail] (Phil Earnhardt)
   Date: Unknown

   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.

   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....

     _________________________________________________________________

  Hawaii
     * Oahu
     * Elsewhere

    Oahu



   From: [e-mail]
   Date: Tue Nov 30 04:05:22 1993

   [...] Oahu is _not_ conducive to non-auto traffic. While you see a
   fair amount of bicycles and mopeds, you are at the mercy of the cars
   when you're out on the road. Worse, there are painfully few bicycle
   trails on the island--a lack of land and planning both. Worse, drivers
   are not friendly toward cyclists and skaters. They will turn right
   without blinking _or_ looking, assuming that there's no traffic to
   their right because they're in the right lane--or they will parallel
   park on the road and the drivers will open their doors right onto the
   middle lane. I have had some friends of mine French kiss some car door
   interiors this way--ouch!

   The safest and most popular spot to rollerblade on the entire island
   is Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island. Magic Island is a little
   area at one end of Ala Moana Beach Park that was filled in many years
   ago by the Ilikai Hotel when they realized that their customers
   couldn't see Diamond Head anymore because of all the development. Ala
   Moana Beach Park itself is outside of Waikiki, across the street from
   the large Ala Moana Shopping Center. You'll encounter all kinds--kids
   learning, adults learning, kids whirling around adults learning,
   adults doing laps around a loop, etc. Basically, these "loops" around
   Magic Island are wide enough to accommodate joggers and skaters both.
   Nice view of Diamond Head, too.

   The other (and more closer site to Waikiki) would be Kapiolani Park,
   at the Diamond Head of Waikiki by the Honolulu Zoo. They have a 2.5
   mile jogging loop around it that you can use--except at parts it's
   cracked and not too wide--so that's a caveat.

   From: "Earl J. Kim" ([e-mail])
   Date: Sun, 03 Sep 95 01:18:00 1000

   Here's some info about the do's and don't's for bladers. First the
   don't's: it is illegal to skate in a business district, i.e., downtown
   Honolulu. It is also illegal to skate in the Waikiki "special use
   district," which includes the long straight sidewalk next to the Ala
   Wai Canal. Though they do not enforce the law consistently, we got
   cited for skating on that sidewalk ($25 fine) after skating there. We
   have also been chased out of the Kapiolani community college parking
   lot in Diamond Head, the University of Hawaii quarry parking lot, the
   City and County downtown parking lot. Everyone is so paranoid about
   liability! I see people skating in these areas, so take your chances
   whether they are enforcing the law on that day.

   You can skate on the bikepath on the other side of the Ala Wai Canal;
   start at the Ala Wai Clubhouse (real bumpy parking area, but the path
   is nice) at the corner of McCully Street and Kapiolani Boulevard. It
   meets up with Kapahulu Avenue and goes down towards Waikiki. When you
   meet the Ala Wai Boulevard, go left and you can head to Kapiolani
   Park, circle that (narrow sidewalk on the ocean side though) and
   return the same way. That would be about a 45-60 minute cruise
   depending on your speed.

   As mentioned, the Magic Island section of Ala Moana Park (oceanside of
   Ala Moana Shopping Center) is nice, but small and crowded with tiny
   kids who don't care about others. You can now skate the edge of Ala
   Moana Park (start on the Magic Island side) as they have a new
   sidewalk that parallels Ala Moana Boulevard though there are a couple
   of sections that have not been finished yet. At the end of the park,
   you can skate into the Kewalo Basin Park and go to the end to the
   concrete finger by the basin harbor opening. Return to Ala Moana
   Boulevard, continue onwards past the basin for another three blocks.
   Head oceanside by the Cutter Ford car dealer and you will reach the
   Kakaako Waterfront Park. This park has some nice hills, a bumpy-tiled
   oceanfront straight, a small amphitheater for newbies to practice
   going downhill, and a big parking lot that's sloped--not too many
   cars, good place to practice stroking and crossovers. Return to Magic
   Island the same way for another 45-60 minute workout.

   The Nimitz highway bikepath is not the most screnic, but is less
   crowded and longer. Find the Nimitz highway-Puuloa Road intersection
   (near the airport, ask the locals where the "Kelleys" restaurant is)
   and park on a sidestreet. The path parallels the highway, a lot of
   shade because you are under the airport freeway. Mostly good surface,
   some traffice noise. You continue past the Moanalua Shopping Center
   and the trail then hits an intersection (Radford Drive?). Head down
   the hill towards Pearl Harbor (a grade 3-4 hill) and follow the bike
   path lane (next to the highway) on the ocean side. This will take you
   to the Arizona Memorial; keeping going and there's a joggers water
   fountain (thank you Navy). When you hit the boathouse where the
   asphalt is really rough, you can turn around and return for a 1-1.5
   hour skate.

   If you hobble over that rough section, you can continue on the bike
   path along Pearl Harbor, behind the Pearl Kai Shopping Center (by the
   Pearlridge shopping center), past Blaisdell Park and the electric
   power plant and end up in Pearl City where the trail ends. This would
   add about another 4 miles or so

   I commute to work (only about a mile one way), and have already been
   hit by a car as I crossed in a marked crosswalk. I now wear a bright
   orange vest and carry a bike-style strobe light too. As others of
   mentioned, the drivers look left for traffic as they make a right
   turn--they have no regard for pedestrians, bikers, or skaters entering
   the crosswalk! When in Honolulu traffic, be careful and SKATE SAFE!

   From: [e-mail] (Rabbett)
   Date: Unknown

   Should you come to Oahu, do yourself a favor and skate Kailua town on
   the windward side... miles and miles of flat and low rise asphalt...
   most of it in primo condition. Trade winds, blue skies, quiet
   neighborhoods and a mere couple blocks from the beach. Also, further
   into Kailua..is Lanikai...about 3.7 miles around, it is an oceanside
   residential loop with staggering beauty and colorful homes and people.


   From: [e-mail] (Mike Muronaka)
   Date: 11 Nov 1994 12:55:08 -0800

   I haven't skated much there, but the following areas have potential:

   General cruising - Residential Kailua/Lanikai is mostly flat and has
   little traffic. There's supposedly something resembling a waterfront
   outside of downtown Honolulu, but I never got there. Remember that
   skating isn't allowed in Waikiki (who'd want to go there anyway?) If
   anyone tells you Magic Island is a good place, they're either lying or
   not very skilled skaters (nice scenery, too small).

   Downhills - Since Oahu is mostly a giant mountain range, it's easy to
   find a spot to test how well your brake works. Go to Tantalus for
   curves. There's this one hill (sorry, can't remember specifically
   where) where I had to throw my car in first going down and still rode
   the brakes : ). Keep your eyes peeled.

   Street - Schools. The University has loads of terrain toys. There's a
   large concrete bowl (skate park?) in Honolulu, but everytime I've gone
   by there, it's chained off. There's a quarter pipe at the Kailua
   Intermediate playground. I've actually seen skateboarders on it, but
   again, it's mostly chained off.

   Be aware that Hawaii drivers for the most part don't understand the
   concept of bicycles on the road, so inlining should be no exception.
   Stay on the sidewalk in high traffic areas. I've been told that
   inlining is also getting more popular (i.e. seen on people above the
   age of 5 who aren't tourists), so you might not get as many stares as
   I did : ).

    Elsewhere



   From: [e-mail] (George Robbins)
   Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 16:03:40 GMT

   The general layout of the islands is that there is one main road that
   runs around the fairly level shore plateau area, with a few cross
   cuts. Most of the secondary roads cut inward to farm or residences and
   are often unpaved and/or private. The trend of the main road is flat,
   but since you are on the skirts of a volcanic mountain, there will
   frequent spots where the road drops down into a ravine to cross a
   bridge, then back up again. Since there's only one road, traffic can
   be heavy during the going back and forth parts of the day. If you like
   distance skating you should be ok, but it'll probably always be
   there-and-back along the same road. You need to plan your trips to
   insure that you've got adequate water and that there are places where
   you can stop, eat and chill out in the shade, it can be a long way
   between convenience stores or gas stations!

   This is based mainly on Kaaui, the most rustic of the islands, but
   time spent in the Waikaki area suggests the basic idea holds for all
   of the islands, as soon as you get out of the "city".

   One final warning is that while the people are generally friendly,
   there are quite a few folks trying to live in paradise without visible
   means of support, which can engender a gypsy like attitude towards
   visitors and their possesions. Hawaii (the big island) has also had
   problems with more organized car burglary/assaults at scenic spots,
   but this may be ancient history.
     _________________________________________________________________

  Idaho



   The In-Line Idaho Web page, which includes information about Boise and
   Idaho Falls, is located at the URL:
   http://www.idbsu.edu/ilskate/.
     * Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls
     * Boise
     * Sun Valley

    Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls



   From: [e-mail] (Andy Hill)
   Date: Thu, 6 Oct 1994 18:10:48 GMT

   The Centennial Bike Trail is a long, wide asphalt trail that extends
   between Riverside State Park (NW of Spokane) and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.


   I was coming from the Idaho side, so I first started on the eastern
   end of the trail (near the Coeur d'Alene resort). Only went a couple
   of miles before turning around - lots of busy street crossings, a
   railroad crossing (at the bottom of a steep embankment) that had to be
   walked, and then devolution into a dirty, marked-off "bike lane" at
   the eastern side of Post Falls. Blech!

   After retracing my route, I drove to the western side of Post Falls (I
   believe it is Post Falls Park). I skated up a short hill to the east,
   and got back on the trail, heading west toward the state line (a bit
   over 4 miles away). This was a much nicer section - very wide and
   smooth, pretty clean, and hardly used (I was skating about 10AM on a
   Saturday; probably saw a dozen people at most for the entire trip).
   There were a few rural street crossings that could be rolled through,
   and one nasty crossing (lot of road debris and traffic) at the Post
   Falls Outlet Mall, approx. 1 mile from the state line. Probably the
   worst feature of the trail is that it parallels I-90 for much of its
   length, so there's a lot of traffic noise (too bad they couldn't have
   put the trail along the Spokane River - that would be a real pretty
   pathway). Once past the Outlet Mall, there were no more street
   crossings. The bridge over the Spokane River at the state line was
   pretty neat. After crossing the river, there is a sharp turn to the
   right, and a somewhat steep downhill before crossing under I-90. After
   this, I only went a couple of more miles before turning around. Mostly
   gentle hills, with a couple of slightly steeper spots - nothing that
   an experienced skater couldn't handle.

   In summary, this is an excellent skating trail, if you get on at the
   right place. I'd probably recommend parking at the Outlet Mall, and
   heading west from there, although my route starting at Post Falls Park
   wasn't particularly bad. Next time I'm up that direction, I'll try to
   check out other sections of the trail - if I remember correctly, it's
   about 40 miles end-to-end.

    Boise



   From: [e-mail]
   Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 22:53:31 -0400

   _Best long skate:_
   The Boise River Greenbelt from Municipal Park east to Lucky Peak
   Reservoir. Round trip: about 18 miles. Description: Mostly flat, three
   fun little hills, lovely scenery along the Boise River Valley. Notes:
   This stretch of the Greenbelt is mostly used by serious bikers and
   skaters. Best time of day: early morning before the crowds mount and
   the temps rise. Not much shade, no water till you get to the park at
   the dam so bring plenty. Crowded on weekends, deserted during the
   week.

   _Best recreational skate:_
   The campus of Boise State University. Lots of stairs, ramps,
   obstacles, stadium parking lots, and slick sidewalks. This is a
   weekend-only skate not to be attempted during classes. Campus police
   will gladly bust your ass. The Greenbelt is accessible from the campus
   but this stretch is super crowded with geeks and newbies: No fun for
   the experienced skater.

   _Best aggro experience:_
   Eluding the cops downtown. On any evening the streets are nearly
   deserted. Plenty of night spots with blade-friendly attitudes. Coffee
   shops, newsstands, bars, etc. Most of the industrial and corporate
   buildings have security guards that will gladly try to have you
   busted. Don't try to skate around the state capitol building.

   _Best vert experience:_
   Rhoades Skate Park, 15th and Grove streets, downtown. Named after the
   man who built the place single-handed, there's a hockey rink, a couple
   of quarter pipes, and some rails. (Hey, this is Boise!)

   _Best rink:_
   Twenty minute drive to Nampa, Idaho, and the Rollerdrome. Old wooden
   floor, curved benches. The rink in Boise, Skateworld, is a pit.

    Sun Valley



   From: [e-mail] (Andy Hill)
   Date: Unknown

   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!
     _________________________________________________________________

  Montana

    Custer Battlefield



   From: [e-mail] (Amy Ryan)
   Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 09:29:49 -0500

   Little Big Horn in Montana has a small walking trail, to tell you
   about the battles that occurred and the fall of custer. The trail is
   at the far end of the 5 mile drive. This is along the road that
   connects Eastern Montana to Cheyenne Wyoming. It provides for a scenic
   break during a long drive and is a historic site as well. It's
   completely free. Warning: there is a very steep hill, major T-stops or
   brakes required.
     _________________________________________________________________

  Nevada

    Las Vegas



   From: [e-mail] (Paul Phillabaum)
   Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 17:01:20 -0800

   Although it might seem a little strange, a great place to skate in Las
   Vegas is UNLV. The campus use grass and trees instead of 'desert
   landscaping' which is popular here, giving it a nice comfortable
   backyard feeling. Lots of wide, smooth concrete sidewalks, with
   emergency turnouts (grass 8-) ) liberally spread all over campus. The
   campus is pretty empty during the evenings, and weekends. On an
   average weekend, you'll probably see 3 or 4 groups of skaters, and
   campus police seem to be skater-friendly. Best of all, during the
   Africa hot summers, the campus seems 10 degrees cooler because of all
   the grass. It's comfortable to skate around 6:30 pm, and you can get a
   few hours a skating in relative comfort.

   From: [e-mail] (Wayne)
   Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 18:19:15 GMT

   I found the back streets easy to skate. They parallel the strip and
   the traffic is not to bad. I stayed at Circus Circus and the security
   guard caught me skating on C.C. property and told me it was not
   allowed. I had to walk to the street carrying my skates and put them
   on at the side walk. The water slide (Wet & Wild) parking lot is
   large, smooth and if not to full can be used also. The day I was there
   it was closed. The whole time in Vegas I only saw two other skaters on
   the street.
     _________________________________________________________________

  Utah

    Park City



   From: [e-mail] (Klaus B. Biggers)
   Date: Unknown

   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. It's 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..
     _________________________________________________________________

  Washington
     * Seattle
     * Spokane

    Seattle



   From: [e-mail] (Frank Hansche)
   Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 22:56:02 GMT

   There's a book called "Rolling Around Seattle" which tells of all the
   good places to skate here. The author has personally skated every one
   of the places in his book. You can find it at ski/skate shops and
   probably at REI.

   From: Robert Schmunk ([e-mail])
   Date: 30 Jun 1995

   A recent article in _InLine_ magazine stated that skating on the
   streets of downtown Seattle was illegal under the usual "playing in
   the streets" law, but was okay elsewhere. Supposedly the police are
   pretty cool about not enforcing it, but don't go out of your way to
   test their tolerance.

   From: [e-mail] (Robert B. Schmunk)
   Date: Tue, 06 Sep 1994 14:22:13 -0500

   Seattle is not really a skating town. The problem is likely due to the
   fact that the hills of Seattle make it somewhat difficult to skate
   from point A to point B unless you have strong calf muscles.
   Additionally, many of the streets are paved in a somewhat rough tarmac
   that tends to give your feet the old washboard massage and wears
   brakes down pretty quickly. Thus, during a 10-day stay in Seattle I
   saw only one skater other than myself who was on the _streets_ of the
   city.

   Nevertheless, there are places in Seattle to skate, as the city
   government has been kind enough to provide lots of bike/ped paths that
   are _physically separate_ from the streets. The three paths I sampled
   all had very gentle terrain as they were located on/near the shores of
   one of the bodies of water in/around Seattle. A side benefit of being
   near the water is that some of these paths have truly splendid scenery
   to look at while you're rolling along.
    1. Green Lake: A couple people suggested to me that the 2.9-mile
       trail around this lake NW of the Univ. of Washington might be _the_
       place to skate in Seattle, but they're sadly disillusioned. The
       basic problem is that this trail gets a _lot_ of pedestrian
       traffic, and the lane for bikes/skaters is never more than 3 ft
       wide. Thus, for beginners this is not a good place because of the
       possibility of colliding with a pedestrian, and the more advanced
       skaters will be frustrated by the slow skaters/pedestrians
       blocking the trail ahead.
    2. Elliot Bay Trail: This trail starts just slightly north of Pier 70
       and follows the shore of Puget Sound to just beyond the grain
       terminal at Pier 86. After that it takes a big swerve inland to go
       around the auto off-loading facility at Terminal 91, and then
       comes back out to the Sound and terminates at Smith Cove. Besides
       Pier 70, you can access the trail from a couple of streets just
       north of Terminal 91. Between Piers 70 and 86, the pedestrian and
       wheel (bike/skater) portions of the path are physically separated,
       and peds will growl if you take the wrong path. This separateness
       does make the trail somewhat more interesting to advanced skaters
       looking for a place to work out, and the flat topography is
       balanced by the wonderful view.
    3. Waterfront: This may actually count as a southern extension of the
       Elliot Bay trail, but a large gap between them suggests that it
       might be otherwise. Anyway, the various tourist piers along the
       shore immediately downhill from downtown are located along Alaskan
       Way. On the city side of the road is a trolley track for the
       tourists, and immediately adjacent to it is a bike/ped path that
       stretches from about a half mile south of Pier 70 down to a point
       about even with the Kingdome.
    4. Burke-Gilman Trail: Of the places I skated in Seattle, this was by
       far the best. I'm not quite sure where the western end of the
       trail is located, but the easiest place to find it is where it
       crosses Fremont Ave. right on the north side of the Fremont Bridge
       over the Washington Canal. (At this point it's only a bike lane
       marked on the road.) From here it heads eastward along the canal,
       along the north side of Lake Union, and past Husky Stadium on the
       UW campus. Beyond there it begins to wend its way a little inland,
       but breaks back out to follow the NW edge of Lake Washington just
       beyond Magnuson Park. This was about as far as I followed the
       trail, but it is supposed to continue further north along the
       lake, and then turn eastward to go through Bothell, and eventually
       terminate after something like 30 miles near the Ste. Michelle
       winery in Woodinville. This trail has many good views, a little
       bit of topography, and what I considered a surprisingly low level
       of traffic. It was also the only place in Seattle that I ever saw
       a blader on five-wheel racing skates. The only real problem with
       this trail is that although it crosses residential streets
       somewhat frequently, it doesn't often get near a 7-11 where I
       could grab a Gatorade.
       BTW, if you're in the downtown area, it's easy to get to the BG
       trail by just following Dexter Ave. north. This road has bike
       lanes on both sides and the slope of the hill provides a good but
       not murderous workout.
    5. UW campus: Although there aren't any official skating routes (that
       I noticed) on campus, this is a pleasant place. There's lots of
       topography, some flats (Red Square!) and streets which all seemed
       to have been recently paved.
    6. Other trails: There are several other official bike/ped paths in
       Seattle, and skaters would be well-advised to purchase a street
       map which has them marked. One trail I plan to try the next time
       I'm in town runs along the west side of Lake Washington south of
       Lake Union. It looks to be pretty long, and also offers access to
       a bike/skating lane on the floating bridge to Mercer Island.



   Summation: On a scale of 1 to 5, skating Seattle was about a 3.

   From: [e-mail] (Mathew Hendrickson WAS Seattle)
   Date: 10 Oct 1994 22:52:07 GMT

   Three places that I know of:
    1. Burke-Gilman trail: It starts at Gasworks park (north end of Lake
       Union), goes northeast through the south and east side of the UW
       campus, then heads north to the north end of Lake Washington (Log
       Boom park, about 12 miles from Gasworks park), where it connects
       with:
    2. Sammamish Slough trail: It starts at Marymore park and heads north
       along the Sammamish Slough trail to the north end of Lake
       Washington, where it connects with the Burke-Gilman trail. From
       Marymore park to Gasworks park is about 25 miles.
    3. Greenlake: This is _not_ a place to get a workout; there are too
       many people walking on the trail during daylight hours. It is only
       for easy blading unless you plan to go at 3 am (some people do).



   There are also various parking lots (the NOAA parking lot at Sand
   Point is a good one).

   From: [e-mail] (Frank Hansche)
   Date: Tue, 18 Oct 1994 14:28:23 GMT

   Jann E VanOver ([e-mail]) wrote:



     [...] there's a couple good trails in the South End, near the South
     Center Shopping Mall. Just east of S. Center, along the west side of
     the Green River, there's a nice trail. It has rather a lot of
     walkers at lunch time (being near many office complexes) but is
     nearly empty in the afternoon. Smooth pavement, relatively scenic.

     And, about 1/4 mile west of there, under a powerline, is the
     Interurban trail. Many many miles of nearly unused trail.



   The Green River Trail starts in Tukwila, runs south to Kent and ends
   at the Riverbend Golf Course. It's a good trail but parts of it are on
   little used roads. So, you may have to share it with cars.

   The Interurban Trail runs south through the Kent Valley to Pacific. I
   have not yet skated it, but have seen many skaters on it. It is very
   underused and looks to be a great place to skate.

   The Soos Creek Trail is east of Kent and is great if you like hills. I
   have biked this trail but not skated it. Go east up Smith to 256th and
   continue east until 148th. Turn left until you see a small county
   park. You can access the trail from there.

   From: Amy Ryan ([e-mail])
   Date: Mar 22 1995

   In Seattle Washington, there is a small extreme park that is pretty
   much indoors.. The park is covered, but has fenced sides. It does stay
   dry during rain though. The park is called Bellevue Skate Park and it
   on 40th and Bellevue-Redmond in Bellevue. The park has a variety of
   quarter pipes and grind boxes and is being remodelled to incorporate a
   half pipe. The club is on the very bottom of the big log-cabinish
   health club. It's next door to the YMCA. If you can't find the club,
   try calling Gravity Sports in Renton for directions..

    Spokane



   See Coeur d'Alene, ID for information about the Centennial Bike Trail
   which extends east from Riverside State Park.
     _________________________________________________________________

  Wyoming

    Cheyenne



   From: [e-mail] (Amy Ryan)
   Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 09:29:49 -0500

   Wyoming is not a hotbed of skating activity. As a matter of fact when
   I skated in Cheyenne, i got some pretty strange looks as if they
   hadn't seen inlines before. In Cheyenne there is a park with a trail
   across from the airport. I forget its name, but its the one with the
   buffalo and antelope zoo.. ask anyone in town and they can most likely
   point you to it.

   Downtown Cheyenne has some nice sidewalks and small stairs near the
   capital building.. just don't skate on the sidewalks by the new
   library, they don't like that too much. Indoors there is a roller rink
   next door to the pizza hut and bingo hall. I can't remember the name
   of it, but from the airport, take dell range road to the mcdonalds and
   turn right. go down that street for 3-7 blocks and it will be on the
   right hand side.
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