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Skating over set tracks - what to do?
I would like to tap into the collective expertise of this group to get
some solutions to a problem, one that I haven't seen covered very much (yes, I checked the archives!). I have been skate skiing on the Nordic trails at Eldora, just west of Boulder, Colorado for many years. They have a chalk board where the Meadows and Phoebe loop trails intersect, and someone left a message that I had seen befo "Skaters - please don't ski over the set tracks." I'd certainly like to oblige, but most of the trails at Eldora are narrow, and level stretches are rare; it's all on the side of a mountain between about 9,300 and 10,000 feet. At that elevation, glide is extremely important. As a 6-foot tall skater, having the ski tips encroach on the set tracks is often unavoidable. That chalk message made me feel guilty. I really don't want to go over them, because my outside ski tip is then pushing against some air instead of snow. But there are trails where I can lay one ski perpendicular to the lane and have the tip and tail of that ski hanging into the set tracks on both sides. If I'm climbing uphill with a wider stance, that simply isn't enough room. This leaves me with some questions. Since I don't use classic skis, I'd like to know why the tracks must be in a pristine condition, and what happens when they are not. Most skate marks seem to cut through the tops of the set tracks, but not all the way to the bottom where the ski bases make contact. Heaven knows the skate lanes are usually not uniformly packed or level, much as I'd like them to be! I deal with other skier's ruts and grooves, holes from straying snowshoe users, windblown conifer limbs and cones, and groomer imperfections all the time. Why do groomers place the set tracks so close together, especially in areas where it looks like they could go closer to the trail edges? Is it something about the machinery? And, for my own education, why are there set tracks on both sides of a trail in some places, then just one set on the right further along the trail, then one on the left, etc? And if they are on both sides and skaters have no choice but to encroach, which is worse for classic skiers, encroachment on a predominantly uphill set of tracks or the downhill ones? Better understanding can only lead to greater courtesy and consideration of others! What's a skater to do? Opinions please! Chris |
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From my post:
I periodically request that my "local" (3+ hours away) ski club set the tracks closer to the edge to make the skate lane wider; I don't need all the room on the outside of the set track. But there are other people to consider - snowshoers, people who actually use their poles to balance (Bob), etc. My point is that snowshoers (who are welcome on a lot of trail systems) are encouraged to walk on the edge of the groomed area. They need space to do this. Also, people who stride with their poles way out the the side (beginners do this for balance) would have a problem if they constantly had to plant poles in a snow drift. As far as other grooming oddities are concerned, my experience is that a lot of times groomers aren't skiers - they are more likely people who are good at operating heavy equipment (may work construction in the summer, etc.). Therefore, they may not be aware of minor things like making the skate lanes as wide as possible, pulling the tracks up when you're grooming a sharp turn, etc. Frankly it's probably more important that whoever's grooming the equipment know how to handle the gear, for a lot of reasons...... bt |
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