Enhancing the skiing experience on the Art Roscoe Trails of the Allegany State Park through timely
and accurate reporting of ski conditions and advocating for Nordic skiing.
Allegany Nordic Skiers Restore Art Roscoe Trails
3/28 ASP Acquires New Gooming Equipment!
Allegany Nordic trail volunteers (left to right) Lisa Schmidtfrerick, Amy Schmidtfrerick,
Aaron Rimmer, Jack Luzier, Ray Valeri, Jim Whalen, Tim Houseknecht, Rob Walk and
Andy Dickson. Missing in picture: Jerry McGinty and Chris Smith.
Eleven members of Allegany Nordic volunteered their time and effort on Saturday,
October 5th, to restore the Art Roscoe Trails at Allegany State Park.
Trail wash-outs were remedied and plugged drainage culverts were dug and unclogged.
Saturday's effort was the second volunteer trail work day sponsored by Allegany
Nordic this fall. Additional work will be scheduled by the group in October and November.
Volunteers came from Edinboro, PA, Jamestown, Olean, Fredonia and Buffalo,
Great Valley and Cuba.
Volunteer trail restoration work has been necessary to remedy damage resulting form
heavy rains and deferred maintenance. Work has been performed primarily on Ridge Run
and Patterson trails.
The group has located and mapped 50+ drainage culverts around the trail system.
It has also provided numerous hours of volunteer service clearing fallen debris
from dead or dying trees and cutting back encroaching vegitation.
Ski Conditions
ASP News and Trail Updates
National Ski Patrol
Report Trail Conditions
Trail Rules
Who is Allegany Nordic?
Maps & Directions
Weather
Nordic Links
Ski Conditions
ASP News and Trail Updates
October 10, 2008
Andy Dickson
Our second trail work day of the off-season came off without a hitch. Eleven skiers
dug culverts, cleared drainage ditches and removed drbris from the trail on October 4th.
Our first word day on August 2nd was the result of hard work by Doug Price,
Bert Schweigert, Chris Smith and Chuck Walker.
Work on both days focused on culvert digging and ditch clearing along Patterson and Ridge.
Red pointers in the map below approximate the locations of culverts that were opened.
There remain about 16 culverts on Sweetwater, Christian Hollow and Leonard
that have yet to be inspected this fall.
Additional work day(s) will be scheduled this fall. Stay tuned.
June 9, 2008
Andy Dickson
Jack Luzier, Mike Weaver, Dan Proto and I rode the trails on Sunday 6/8.
We mapped the trail inspected culverts/drainage. There are at least 32
culverts between the trail head, down Patterson and up to the switch-back
on Ridge. There are 6 on Leonard, 3 on CH and 5 (maybe 6) on SW. Of the known
46 culverts, 9 are plugged. In most cases there are trail wash-outs or
"wash-overs" (damage) adjacent to the 9 plugged culverts. A medal detector
may be necessary to locate buried/plugged culverts in some locations.
Mike and I unplugged some culverts this winter (3-4) but not until after there
was trail damage at those locations.
As a first step of a trail plan, the culverts need to be unplugged to prevent
further damage. This can and should be done immediately, either by ASP staff or
by us. Also, a very dangerous situation exists at the culvert on SW closest to the
CH junction. A sink hole has appeared on the trail and represents a considerable
liability to ASP, in my opinion.
We concur with Gary that heavy equipment and considerable work will be needed
to reverse the cumulative effects of inattention to trail upkeep. I will be
contacting him soon after his return from vacation on 6/28 to nail down our work plan.
April 23, 2008
Recap of Meeting w/ ASP Management
Attendance:
Skiers: Ray Valeri (Olean), Rob Walk (Olean), Jack Luzier (Great Valley),
Andy Dickson (Jamestown). ASP management: Brad Whitcomb & Gary Quattrrone
Tone of the meeting:
Very favorable.
Equipment:
New tracking equipment rare convergence of available $ and timely request (ours!).
ASP management is exploring the possibility of a new snowmobile to pull new grooming
equipment. Existing sleds can pull, but Gary implied that they need upgraded capability.
Future ski lessons & wax clinics:
Good attendance at this year's events (20 at wax clinic) as well as feedback.
We will repeat next year. We will contact concessionaire about conducting future ski
lessons under his umbrella liability policy.
Trails improvements:
Our volunteerism was offered to assist with all of the following needs:
Some culling of dead wood around trails may possible to reduce storm blow-downs and winter
clean-up requirement. Previous state-wide "Zero Cutting" policy in state parks is under
scrutiny after recent death of camper at another park who died in her tent from fallen limb.
Need acknowledged by ASP for repairs and improvements in the off-season to various sections of the trail,
including Christian Hollow, Ridge and Patterson. The park's heavy equipment capabilities
that might be utilized were contemplated.
Christian Hollow and Snow Snake drifting was discussed and the possibility of our planting conifers or
fencing to mitigate the problem will be explored.
CH overlook improvement, picnic tables discussed. Lean-to replacement suggested.
Work days:
Last year we formally organized for one off-season work day with about 16 skiers present.
There may be advantages to organizing ourselves this off-season in a way that results
provides several days of work with smaller crews (4-6) rather than one or two days
with many present. ASP to contemplate all projects and provide feedback in this regard.
Customer service & trail reports:
The need for park to improve reporting ski conditions by phone was discussed. Reporting
of grooming (most recent and anticipated) and new snow accumulation was suggested.
Trail etiquette:
Strategies to reduce dogs, walking in tracks, snowshoeing, etc. will be advanced. Ray to compile.
Adjournment:
Meeting ended on very positive, collaborative tone.
ASP has acquired a Sno-Razor 72 and two track-setters. Equipment has been
purchased, assembled and is ready to use. The photo below is from the vendor's web site
and shows the same equipment bought by ASP.
November 21, 2007
Today I dropped off a copy of the "Fundamentals of Trail Grooming" DVD to Gary Q.
and Chad at ASP. I also met Chad's boss, Dan Butcher, who oversees all trails.
If anyone wants to borrow the DVD, email me. Chad appeared to have a strong interest
in the DVD. I asked Dan and Gary to also view it.
Gary indicated he has final approval to allow one of us to ride in the groomer.
If anyone is interested that wasn't a volunteer 11/10 and who hasn't signed the
volunteer waiver should email me or call me at 716.499.6657.
I believe I've only heard definitively from one person who wants to ride in the groomer.
This is a great opportunity for Chad to show us the grooming challenges he faces,
learn and operate the equipment to share key skiing information with him.
For those of you who are interested in riding, Mike Weaver suggested several
of us get together to create a trail grooming map which details locations of
single-track, double track or flat grooming.
Gary indicated any "Friends" group of ASP must be a registered 501(c)3 and must
not be dedicated to a single aspect of the park. More to follow in this.
He indicated a member item is always an option for new trail grooming equipment.
November 12, 2007
On 11/10/07 ASP Skinny Skiers held a trail work day at ASP.
We also spent an hour with ASP management discussing trail
grooming and looking ahead to the upcoming season.
ASP management declined our offer to help with trouble drainage spots.
However, Gary Quattrone has shared with his senior trail staff member
the four spots identified by us that need attention.
ASP agreed to allow a volunteer (ASP Skinny Skier) to ride
in the trail groomer. This will allow us to share with Chad
(cheif equipment operator)what we know about skiing and grooming/track-setting
and for us to learn about the equipment and difficulties he encounters
when grooming.
The group also discussed fundraising and ways to assist ASP management.
Overall, the meeting was very positive.
Skinny Skiers then set out and did significant pruning along trails
edges on Sweetwater, Christian Hollow, Leonard, Ridge Run and Patterson.
Grooming Resources:
ABR Mid-West Trail Grooming Clinic
The Fundamentals of Ski Trail Grooming DVD
Yellowstone Track Systems, Inc.
Snow Groomers
H J Roberts Associates
Tidd Tech
Cragin Groomer
National Ski Patrol
The Art Roscoe Trails are patrolled on weekends and some weekdays by the
National Ski Patrol. The Allegany State Park Patrol of the NSP is staffed by
a group of dedicated volunteers with Alpine and Nordic experience. Most have
patrol responsibilities at ASP as well as a neighboring Alpine slope.
NSP has been patrolling the Art Roscoe trails since 2002.
Report Trail Conditions
Email your report to ydnaj(at)madbbs(dot)com and it will be posted to the site.
Please be sure to include the following information: date, name, recommended
wax, trails skied, track conditions, base, new snow, comments.
Trail Rules
1) Dogs are prohibited.
2) Snowshoeing is prohibited on groomed trails.
3) Skate-skiing is permitted only on Stone Tower, Patterson and Snow Snake trails.
Who is Allegany Nordic?
Allegany Nordic is a grassroots network of classic skinny skiers formed in early
2006. We seek to enhance the skiing experience on the Art Roscoe Trails of the Allegany
State Park through timely and accurate reporting of ski condition and advocacy for
Nordic skiing with ASP management.
Join us! Email Andy Dickson at ydnaj(a)madbbs(dot)com with your USPS address
and phone numbers. Then support our effrort by reporting the conditions you encountered
at the ASP Roscoe Trails (see above- Report Trail Conditions).
Maps & Directions
Trail Map
Topographical Map
Park Map
Driving map & directions
Weather
Salamanca Weather- Weather.com
Salamanca Weather- NOAA
Nordic Links
Tug Hill Tour-A-Thon, February 2, 2008
Lake Placied Loppet, February 9, 2008
Gatineau Loppet, February 15-17, 2008
Art Roscoe Loppet, February 17, 2008
PA Cross Copuntry Skiers Association
