Sharing the Road

[SnowAddiction2]

Had a friend from work come talk to me yesterday because he knew I rode snowmobiles. He wanted to vent to me his frustration regarding snowmobilers tracking up designated Cross country trails, ruining the grooved track that is carved for them using a special groomer. He is not the typical tree hugging snowmobile basher, in fact loves motor sports. But he also loves the great exercise of cross country skiing.

I felt embarrased to let him know that even I have damaged those grooves when i first started sledding, not knowing what it was. Also admitted that when i first started sledding (15 years ago) I really didnt understand the rules of the road. I let him know that the majority of snowbilers have a strong desire to share the road, but, some times, it may be lack of knowledge that can cause the error.

We had this same conversation 3 years ago, where he explained to me how important those two skinny track are to the cross country skier. If it gets damaged, their ski tips catch and throws them off.

The reason for starting this thread is to just remind everybody, our actions can affect how people percieve us. Cross country skiers desire their specialized "groomed" groved trail as we do our silky smooth road. I urge all sledders to understand how imporant that trail is to them, and respect their fun too!

Thanks.

 

[PJ-Hunter]

i'm sure as soon as the respect goes both ways things will get better. But since skiers, as a majority, think the entire area belongs to them and nobody else belongs there it'll never happen.

Around here, the skiers have more than 1/2 the terrain available to them but yet they only use the 12' wide trail and never stray from it. And most of them are the lazy kind that utilize the groomed trails that are maintained by the sled club instead of blazing their own trails.

No love lost here for the twig fairies.

 

[Jay]

No love lost on "twig fairies" here either. But I won't be the one to start the fight. I'll stay off their groomed trails. I try to be nice to them when I encounter them in the backcountry, if they are nice also it's all good. If they start with the FU attitude, well it goes south fast.

 

[zalez]

What does their special groomed trails look like? I'm not sure I ever encountered one. If anyone has pics that could post of the trails specially groomed, that would be great.

 

[Himark]

Correct me if I am wrong but do sledders share a designated ski trail? Where I ride its NOT that way. But skiers frequently go onto the sledding trails and if thats the case they have no business complaining.

 

[SnowAddiction2]

Attached link of a trail.

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-98642315/stock-photo-groomed-trail-for-cross-country-nordic-skiing.html


In Washington State, we have snopark that shares trails called Crystal Springs. It's new this year where they are carving a special grooved trail on oneside of the road, and have divided the access in half. Crystal springs is shared with dogsledders, snomobiliers, crosscountry skiers, as well as a stop off point for skiiers to this pretty cool back country ski area.

 

[Scott]

Around here, we have single and multiple-use trails.

Some are ski only.
Some are sled only.
Some are shared useage.

Gotta know which ones you are on.

 

[89sandman]

twig fairies lmfao! that is the funniest thing i've read in awhile i suffer from tralitist, exposuer to any trail especially groomed ones makes me physically ill so i avoid them like the plauge. i have no trouble with skiers, i skied when i was younger. but some of them are just d!cks, but i am always courteous whenever i come across them. remember going by a couple of lady skiers going 10mph with stock sleds they both turned thier backs and plugged thier ears made me want to ride circles around them for an hour or two!

twig fairies wear boots yea you gotta believe me...

 

[SnowAddiction2]

lol, twig ferry! Thats my buddies new nick name.

I've had the same complaints regarding the insults from the Cross country Skiers.

I mentioned to him all the crap we take from skiers also. He's aware, and is just as embarrased for the poor representation from them as well.

 

[←snow∞motion→]

I've never seen a special groomed trail like that before.

I do know that when I do see them skiing on snow machine trails they act like my riding is causing the apocalypse, which really pisses me off considering the amount of "non-motorized" area available to them. They choose to ski in the small area we have to sled in, and I know I paid for my sticker for grooming and other maintenance, and have yet to see one stuck to their skis.

Screw them. My 2 cents.

 

[Jay]

I saw it I saw it with my own two eyes.

 

[eyefish123]

I do realize that we have to share the outdoors with everyone but what really sux is that the skiers (just like the bicyclers) are more "green" because they are using their own power rather than carbon fuels. This leads all forms of government to listen to them much more than they will listen to us. As soon as they start crying too loud, we end up screwed.