In Harriman Park and Bear Mountain state parks in New York, there is only one lake that is ever open for skating (by rule), and only a corner of it, and they probably never open that corner. A park Ranger told me it was against the rules to fly a kite in these parks because someone put their eye out (or someone else's eye out) and sued. The lake I skated on was closed to skating by a red flag. Other lakes nearby were open for ice fishing but it was against the rules to skate on them because ice skaters are so brain damaged that they might trip over an ice fishing hole and sue (really!). Instead of parking on a legal parking lot and going to skate where I would be seen, I parked on the edge of an entry road to a bunch of cabins.

I was being a wimp and sneaky: I should have just challenged the rules more openly and skated on the ice fishing lakes. I did write a letter to the local paper complimenting the town of South Orangetown for not only opening their lakes, but clearing them of snow, while I took a shot at the state parks. I also wrote a state senator to try and change the rules but did not follow up when it got warm.

It is also against the rules to swim in the lakes, except at 2 artifical beaches where they only let you go up to your waist if you are tall. I really really am uncomfortable breaking rules, until I finally figured out the the rules did not apply to me: it applied to people coming out of New York City who did not know how to behave: who picnic and leave their trask, and who wade into lakes like lemmings until they drown.

Luckily for hikers/skaters/, the Park rangers don't hike on the trails: in all the many dozens of times I hiked, skied there (100s of times?) I only saw a ranger on the trail 1 time. Even when I was ticketed, there were three vehicle with rangers with bullhorns who called me in. One nice Ranger had my car blocked in.

In Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey, he railed against Rangers who don't range.

Chris