Manhattan island ski traverse

Last week I skied up the west side of Manhattan island from the south tip to
its north tip: started skiing in Battery Park, north alongside the Hudson
River up to the Henry Hudson bridge, and finished skiing on 218th St by the
Harlem
River. OK -- there were some gaps with no snow where I had carry my skis
and walk on pavement -- but less than ten blocks.
Photos at
http://roberts-1.com/t/xc034/ma/a

I was on skate skis, and doing some sort of skating for the majority of the
distance -- though much of the way the snow lane was very narrow or the
depth very thin, often both. To make it more interesting, my metal pole tip
broke off during the first hour on southern Manhattan lane-surfaces. Then
the other tip broke off a half hour later, and the remaining plastic didn't
grab the underyling pavement much. These strange circumstances led me to
invent the "West-sider" skate (or "marathon V1"?). I never put any grip wax
or kicker skins on my skis, although later on the snow was so deep and heavy
that I couldn't skate effectively any more.

I think it's rather unusual to be able to ski such a large percentage of the
west side Greenway path. The city park workers get to work plowing it right
away after a storm -- and worse, salting some sections. Much of greenway
below 72nd St was pretty grim for skiing by the time I got there, with heaps
of salt crystals and sun-warmed mush -- or dirty salty glop thrown onto it
from snowplow-trucks on the west side highway.

I was so discouraged with the conditions and my ineffective pole tips that I
stopped before halfway, and took my skis off and carried them up the steps
to 72nd St and walked over to West End Avenue and found a bakery to get warm
and let my slush-soaked gloves dry a little. I was able to talk myself into
continuing north from 72nd, and snow conditions soon got better, and I made
it somehow to another food stop at the Fairway market near 132nd.

After that the snow got better and better, and I was able to ski thru places
I never would have guessed. Underneath the George Washington Bridge, no
plowing alongside the highway to Dyckman St, and found some normal forest
skiing in Inwood Hill Park. But the sidewalk on the Henry Hudson Bridge was
locked (for "inclement weather"). So I continued skiing to finish at 218th
St, then carried my skis on the Broadway Bridge across the Harlem River into
the Bronx, and happily got on the #1 subway wearing my ski boots.

I am not suggesting that anyone try skiing this route. Most of it was a
one-time ski adventure for me -- I'll doubt I'll ski much of the greenway
below 145 St again myself.

Good section: The only part of the west side Greenway I would ski again in
more "normal" snow conditions would be above 145th St. It has interesting
views of our American "fjord" and bridges and towers, variety of terrain,
and decent snow longer than the morning after the storm. So . . .

Sharon and I came back on Saturday with classic skis and skied the northern
part from 145th to 218th Street. Photos at
http://roberts-1.com/t/xc034/ma/c
We also checked out some parts of the greenway between 96th and 145th St:
Definitely _not_ fun three days after the storm, and much not skiable at
all. But we'll try skiing that northern section more times.

Ken

pretty cool Ken !!
City skiing !!

I am up here in the great white north of Gaylord Michigan (population 8000)
and I only ski through the woods !! I can't imagine being a city boy, but
sure looks like you've got some decent snow at least.

JK

"Ken Roberts" wrote in message
...
Last week I skied up the west side of Manhattan island from the south tip
to
its north tip: started skiing in Battery Park, north alongside the Hudson
River up to the Henry Hudson bridge, and finished skiing on 218th St by
the
Harlem
River. OK -- there were some gaps with no snow where I had carry my skis
and walk on pavement -- but less than ten blocks.
Photos at
http://roberts-1.com/t/xc034/ma/a

I was on skate skis, and doing some sort of skating for the majority of
the
distance -- though much of the way the snow lane was very narrow or the
depth very thin, often both. To make it more interesting, my metal pole
tip
broke off during the first hour on southern Manhattan lane-surfaces. Then
the other tip broke off a half hour later, and the remaining plastic
didn't
grab the underyling pavement much. These strange circumstances led me to
invent the "West-sider" skate (or "marathon V1"?). I never put any grip
wax
or kicker skins on my skis, although later on the snow was so deep and
heavy
that I couldn't skate effectively any more.

I think it's rather unusual to be able to ski such a large percentage of
the
west side Greenway path. The city park workers get to work plowing it
right
away after a storm -- and worse, salting some sections. Much of greenway
below 72nd St was pretty grim for skiing by the time I got there, with
heaps
of salt crystals and sun-warmed mush -- or dirty salty glop thrown onto it
from snowplow-trucks on the west side highway.

I was so discouraged with the conditions and my ineffective pole tips that
I
stopped before halfway, and took my skis off and carried them up the steps
to 72nd St and walked over to West End Avenue and found a bakery to get
warm
and let my slush-soaked gloves dry a little. I was able to talk myself
into
continuing north from 72nd, and snow conditions soon got better, and I
made
it somehow to another food stop at the Fairway market near 132nd.

After that the snow got better and better, and I was able to ski thru
places
I never would have guessed. Underneath the George Washington Bridge, no
plowing alongside the highway to Dyckman St, and found some normal forest
skiing in Inwood Hill Park. But the sidewalk on the Henry Hudson Bridge
was
locked (for "inclement weather"). So I continued skiing to finish at
218th
St, then carried my skis on the Broadway Bridge across the Harlem River
into
the Bronx, and happily got on the #1 subway wearing my ski boots.

I am not suggesting that anyone try skiing this route. Most of it was a
one-time ski adventure for me -- I'll doubt I'll ski much of the greenway
below 145 St again myself.

Good section: The only part of the west side Greenway I would ski again
in
more "normal" snow conditions would be above 145th St. It has interesting
views of our American "fjord" and bridges and towers, variety of terrain,
and decent snow longer than the morning after the storm. So . . .

Sharon and I came back on Saturday with classic skis and skied the
northern
part from 145th to 218th Street. Photos at
http://roberts-1.com/t/xc034/ma/c
We also checked out some parts of the greenway between 96th and 145th St:
Definitely _not_ fun three days after the storm, and much not skiable at
all. But we'll try skiing that northern section more times.

Ken

In article ,
Ken Roberts wrote:
Last week I skied up the west side of Manhattan island from the south tip to
its north tip: started skiing in Battery Park, north alongside the Hudson
River up to the Henry Hudson bridge, and finished skiing on 218th St by the
Harlem

http://roberts-1.com/t/xc034/ma/a

http://roberts-1.com/t/xc034/ma/c

Amazing, Ken. You almost make me wish I was back in NYC...
almost... living across the street from Gatineau Park brings
me back to reality.

-Pete

--
--
"It's a sad day for american capitalism when a man
can't fly a midget on a kite over Central Park."
J. Moran

Yes there is this little detail that Ottawa actually has nice skiable _snow_
on its terrain more than three days per year average.

Pete Hickey wrote
living across the street from Gatineau Park
brings me back to reality.

Sharon and I will be there in a week. Be good to see you again -- maybe we
could even ski some -- I'll send you private email.

Ken

Maybe something like an Exploration First?

What an achievement!

Like walking across LA!

--

Jeff Potter
****
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Hey Gaylord. Hard to believe but I got my start skiing there. I was in the
National Guard, and they gave us those awful awful military 'skis' and set
us loose...I fell in love with the sport. I returned to Grayling and headed
up to Gaylord every chance I got and finally stopped renting and bought my
first pair there. Wow...thanks for the memories ...I'm in Northern Wisconsin
now and the conditions are fab right now...lots of powder and fast trails.

--
Randy Bryan
aka Cubby