John Forrest Tomlinson wrote
While here in the east I'm driving several hours to use rock skis.

The good thing nowadays is that it's so easy to check weather and snow
conditions on the Web (and wonder why Prospect hasn't updated its Conditions
page since last Saturday), and then cancel motel reservations on the Web --
and with irrepressible hope, make new reservations for later dates.

The really good new things in Union county New Jersey a half hour from
Manhattan are lots more smooth asphalt and _fan_ support. Like a few days
ago doing V2 thru Elizabeth, some ladies are calling "Viva Viva". A few
double poles and tucking it down Clinton Av into Newark, and the boyz are
waving me over to ask me what it's about.

I never got any fan response like that while skiing on snow in the Okanagan
valley.

My experience out on the streets southern NY - NJ - eastern PA is that there
is no problem finding lots of people of lots of ages and lots of
"non-nordic" ethnic backgrounds who instantly grasp the essential coolness
of gliding around and using sticks to help. The problem with the future
popularity of XC skiing is that we chose to do most of our skiing far away
from most of our best fans.

Ken