PHOTOS FROM CROSS COUNTRY SKIING IN ROCK CREEK PARK in Washington DCphotos of me and a random woman from Woodley Park
photos by me and that random woman from Woodley Park
that random woman's name was Elizabeth
I connected with Elizabeth because we are in the same tribe
at that moment we were both cross country skiers
Snow Etiquette... it really does not snow enough in this region that Snow Etiquette is known
actually... here in Washington DC there is very little ETIQUETTE
which goes to figure why there is so little SNOW ETIQUETTE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette
What is the Etiquette?
What is Snow Etiquette?
SNOW ETIQUETTE?
Is there Snow Etiquette?
yes... there is snow etiquette
I am not sure if I know the correct snow etiquette...
I am trying to sort out the snow etiquette
people should try to understand that there must be some sort of etiquette that pertains to snow
in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area we are thin on both etiquette and snow so the notion that people would behave under an unwritten code of rules that pertains to snow is unlikely
it may be asking too much
this is the land of the self important
this is an area where civil behavior is far from the norm
so it is unlikely that we would see sensible behavior that benefits the masses rather than the individual... especially when in the situation of a great snowfall like this
something that happens so rarely
it is my understanding that in the Northeast there is all sorts of "snow etiquette"
the unwritten rules of snow are known
proper behavior is known from what happens when someone departs their dug out parking space for their car
appropriate action is known when someone is in the woods hiking and they come across cross country ski tracks
but this is not the Northeast... this is the Mid-Atlantic
worse than that... more specifically
this is Washington DC!
over the past many days during SNOW-POCALYPSE 2010 I have been able to duck away from the family and into the woods for a quick skithe conditions have been mixed... snow at its best... but the mixing of cultures has of course has had a clash
the shared trails do not have a shared vision
IT TAKES MANY CROSS COUNTRY SKIERS TO BEAT DOWN THE SKI TRACK
WHILE IT ONLY TAKES ONE ASSHOLE HIKER TO POST HOLE THAT TRACK AND RUIN IT FOR EVERYONE
I understand... these are shared trails... I understand
I understand...
the hiker does not want to break trail in the deep snow
but even that lone horse took the beaten path created by the set of cross country skiies
I understand... yet I think there could be some sort of unspoken agreement
when I am hiking... I hike where others hiked before
in some cases... I would guess that I may have stepped on a cross country ski trail when hiking or walking the dog or taking the kids sledding
but... when there is an option... maybe people could resign themselves to taking the walking trail versus on the cross country ski trail
the foot steps create post holes that disrupt the effort for the skies to slide
it makes it more work and it makes it less fun
it also makes the effort to use proper form more difficult... if not impossible
what is to be done?
should each skier try to express this to each passing walker or snowshoer?
I tried to share the word... but it is awkward
the transactions can be uncomfortable
it is not that the cross country skier has more right to the trail
it is more that they should have more right to the trail made by the other cross country skiers or even for those trying for laps or loops
they should have the right to swoosh on the trail that they broke
I did a loop where I broke trail... then when I went to backtrack on my own tracks... there was a set of hikers stomping where I had worked so hard
where they wrong in their actions? well... no... but it still sucked
snowshoers are the worst.
snowshoers are way the worst.
the snowshoe is designed to move on top of powder
yet so many of these lazy snowshoers walk on the packed cross country ski track
making larger than Sasquatch size foot prints
indentations that are destructive to the line created by the xc ski for the xc ski
it is odd...
snowshoers want to walk in the snow...
yet so many snowshoers choose to walk in the packed area where there is less snow
the snowshoe is designed to float on top
do the hikers or the snowshoers' know their impact on the xc ski experience?
more than likely not
do they care? would they care if they knew?
more than likely not
these are not the times known for etiquette
these are the times where everyone is concerned about themselves
not holding the door open... not thanking others for holding the door open for them
the times when a person leaves a note for denting or scratching a car in the parking lot may be behind us
etiquette?
laws are seldom followed without the threat of punishment
adults behave like children
children who only behave if the threat of punishment is eminent... when they know they are under the scrutiny of their parent's eye
red lights do not get the same response when officer friendly is not on the corner
in Washington DC they have taken to having traffic police at major intersections during afternoon rush hour to facilitate flow
these officers do little more than have the cars stop when they are supposed to stop
then allow people to go when it is their turn to go
otherwise people will just "block the box"
with people existing in this fashion... why would we think that there would be etiquette... much less snow etiquette
which has me stopping before broaching the question... What right does someone have to the parking space that they dug out after they drove off?
Is it fair for a person to put safety cones or chairs to reserve a parking space?
what is fair?
what is the snow etiquette to this issue of the ownership/possession over a parking space because that person dig all the work to dig it clear?