Best roller ski locations in and around Cambridge/Boston area

Anyone know of any good places in and outside of Cambridge?
Particurarly in Cambridge?

Is the running path on both sides of the Charles River wide enough?

How is access to the university running tracks at MIT, Harvard, Tufts
and BU?

I'm looking for relatively smooth paths without cars, such as asphalt
walkways in parks and running tracks, that I can use before or after
work in the Kendall Square area at MIT.

Thanks.

If you find out, I'd like to know also. The company I work for is
moving within a few blocks of Kendall Square at the end of the year so
I'll be looking for rollerski possibilities there come next Spring.

You might want to connect with the Cambridge Sports Union folks since
they likely have many roller skiers in their ranks.

Jim

mountainwalker wrote:
Anyone know of any good places in and outside of Cambridge?
Particurarly in Cambridge?

Is the running path on both sides of the Charles River wide enough?

How is access to the university running tracks at MIT, Harvard, Tufts
and BU?

I'm looking for relatively smooth paths without cars, such as asphalt
walkways in parks and running tracks, that I can use before or after
work in the Kendall Square area at MIT.

Thanks.

there is a nordic team at the Cambridge Sports Union (CSU). They
organize rollerski races some of which are in the Boston area. I even
went to one of their rolelrski races once. They used to have their own
web site, but lately got absrobed by NENSA. Contact someone from NENSA,
they will give you the contact info of the right people. Rob Bradley is
from that area. Rob sometimes posts to this group, do a search.

There's only one legitmate walking/cycling/roller blading path along
the Charles which is on the B.U. side. It gets rather crouded,
dangerously so, and you would have a hard time with poles there. I've
ski skated in the Harvard playing fields which used to be Soldier's
field, but they have built it up considerably since then. Harvard has
such a crappy ski team and it always me as typical that I never saw
anyone out there with me. You may be able to skate on the path futher
up the river as it usually doesn't attract all that much traffic.
There's a relatively good newly paved path system in the park out along
the Naponset River on the Dorchester side that doesn't see anywhere
near the traffic. You can ride the Red line and walk a short distance
to get into it. In fact, the trail goes through the Cedar Grove area
so if you go to the Cedar Grove stop, you can get right on it. One
other subway stop that might lead to good skating with poles would be
the Revere Beach or Wonderland stops on the Blue Line. Once there, you
can skate the boulevard along the beach.
wrote:
there is a nordic team at the Cambridge Sports Union (CSU). They
organize rollerski races some of which are in the Boston area. I even
went to one of their rolelrski races once. They used to have their own
web site, but lately got absrobed by NENSA. Contact someone from NENSA,
they will give you the contact info of the right people. Rob Bradley is
from that area. Rob sometimes posts to this group, do a search.

On 15 Sep 2006 05:57:25 -0700, "cosmicharlie"
wrote:

There's only one legitmate walking/cycling/roller blading path along
the Charles which is on the B.U. side. It gets rather crouded,
dangerously so, and you would have a hard time with poles there. I've
ski skated in the Harvard playing fields which used to be Soldier's
field, but they have built it up considerably since then. Harvard has
such a crappy ski team and it always me as typical that I never saw
anyone out there with me. You may be able to skate on the path futher
up the river as it usually doesn't attract all that much traffic

When I was at Harvard in the late 1980s our team was among the best in
Div II, and I think in the early 1990s it was in Div I (one of the
weakest, but still there).

The team sometimes rollerbladed at the Arnold Arboretum. Don't know if
that's still possible.

--
JT
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Unfortunately, they aren't doing so well in the new Millenium.
Although there's never really dependable snow in Cambridge, you would
think that when there would be good skating conditions, you would see
students out skiing. I never did 5 to 10 years ago. Now, they have
expanded with so many tennis facilities and other fenced in areas, it
is much harder to ski.
John Forrest Tomlinson wrote:
On 15 Sep 2006 05:57:25 -0700, "cosmicharlie"
wrote:

There's only one legitmate walking/cycling/roller blading path along
the Charles which is on the B.U. side. It gets rather crouded,
dangerously so, and you would have a hard time with poles there. I've
ski skated in the Harvard playing fields which used to be Soldier's
field, but they have built it up considerably since then. Harvard has
such a crappy ski team and it always me as typical that I never saw
anyone out there with me. You may be able to skate on the path futher
up the river as it usually doesn't attract all that much traffic

When I was at Harvard in the late 1980s our team was among the best in
Div II, and I think in the early 1990s it was in Div I (one of the
weakest, but still there).

The team sometimes rollerbladed at the Arnold Arboretum. Don't know if
that's still possible.

--
JT
****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
****************************

why complaining if you've got Weston?

T to Alewife; the bike trail from there goes out to Bedford without too
many street crossings. But it's busy esp. around lunchtime.

Try commonwealth ave. There is a carriage lane from the intersection
of brighton ave and comm ave all the way out to 128, with a small break
as it goes around chestnut hill reservoir. The carriage lane sees
relatively light traffic, all one-way (heads west), and there are some
hills.
Alex
Derick Fay wrote:
T to Alewife; the bike trail from there goes out to Bedford without too
many street crossings. But it's busy esp. around lunchtime.

X-C skiing on Golf Courses isn't all that good due to the wind
exposure. Besides, if you don't have a car, it's not a real option.
As to comparing Harvard skiers to Dartmouth, U.V.M and other schools.
The idea of walking across the river and skiing whenever you can didn't
seem to appeal to them. Back in the 90's, I used to use the Dillon
Field house to shower while I skated all over the back fields with nary
another skier.
wrote:
why complaining if you've got Weston?