Happy 50th Anniversary Cross Country Ski Shop! Northbound Outfitters purchased the Cross Country Ski Shop in the fall of 2011 from owner Dick Fultz and looked forward to carrying on his 34-year presence in the Grayling community. And they did!
Northbound Outfitters / Cross Country Ski Shop owner Heather Compton received a plaque from the Michigan Cup that she awarded to Dick in honor of his founding the Cross Country Ski Shop 50 years ago. And it was party party party at the store after the Cote Dame Marie!
2011 White Pine Stampede 40k Photos
2/8/2011 - By Lydia Cadena and Cody Surles
Photos of the 40k start, finish and a few out on the course.
Yellowstone Rendezvous Race almost here
2/8/2011 - By Sara Hoovler
There is no other place in the world where you can spend one day racing on kilometers of professionally groomed trails and the next day see bison grazing next to hot springs or bald eagles soaring past geysers.
Win a trip to Norway!
2/8/2011 - By American Birkebeiner
Help us find a cure for multiple sclerosis (MS) and you could be going to Norway! Birkie Skiers for Cures is offering a special prize this year - a trip to the Norwegian Birkebeinerrennet!
Vasa Valentines Tour
2/7/2011 - By Vasa
As you know, Valentine's Day this year falls on Monday Feb. 14th. To assist Cupid (and you), we have added a non-timed tour for Sunday afternoon at Timber Ridge Resort. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing will run form 1-4pm.
Yellowstone backcountry XC skiing experience
2/7/2011 - By Sara “Energizer” Cockrell
Here are photos from the MOST AWESOME backcountry XC ski trip I could have EVER experienced, especially since we had purr-fect weather, 20-degrees, little wind & mostly sunny, dressed in my Michigan XC ski clothes every day, except one!
Brown and Webb and Williams and Pflughoeft win MI Cup Sprints
2/6/2011 - By Mike Muha
Eli Brown made up for his third place finish in the 40k White Pine Stampede by winning the Michigan Cup Sprints. Laura Webb beat White Pine 20k winner Amy Powell in the women's sprint.
Baic and Edwards win 40k White Pine Stampede
2/6/2011 - By Mike Muha
The White Pine Stampede had the snow it's craved for the last four years, with great coverage over the entire course. After very cold and slow conditions the last two weekends, racers were really happy with fast skiing and temperatures in the high 20's.
Don't lose your car keys!
2/5/2011 - By Mike Muha
Want an easy way to carry your car key on the trail with out worrying about it falling out of your water bottle holder or pocket.
4 bedroom house available at Birkie
2/4/2011 - By Michael Schaefer
We had to cancel the cabin reservations we had for Birkie weekend. We're looking for someone to rent the place, therefore we could re-coup our deposit, etc.
Marathon Virgin
2/4/2011 - By Michael Sinnott
Question: I am thinking of tackling my first 50k this weekend. I have done a handful of other races up to 25k and have some idea of how to pace myself and eat and drink for those races...
Why Not Use Isotropic Surface Structures?
2/4/2011 - By Mark Waechter
I am occasionally asked why ski bases don't have random or non-directional structures. Typically the question is posed with the addition of "...like a golf ball!"
White Pine and MI Cup Sprints wax recommendations
2/4/2011 - By Mike Muha
UPDATED: Wax recommendations from Solda, Toko, Swix, and Fast Wax for this weekend's Michigan Cup races. (Added Solda wax recommendations)
UPCOMING
TUE, FEB 3, 2026
Masters World Cup 2026 in Sappada/ITA - Relay Races
Sappada - Forni Avoltri, Italy
WED, FEB 4, 2026
Masters World Cup 2026 in Sappada/ITA - Long Distance Races
Sappada - Forni Avoltri, Italy
Kids Learn to Ski Program
Huron Meadows Metropark, 8765 Hammel Rd, Brighton, MI 48116
THU, FEB 5, 2026
Masters World Cup 2026 in Sappada/ITA - Long Distance Races
Sappada - Forni Avoltri, Italy
SAT, FEB 7, 2026
Super Bowl Foodie Face-Off!
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N. Cut Rd., Roscommon, MI 48653 (800-832-2663)
White Pine Stampede
Mancelona High School, 9300 W Limits Rd; Mancelona MI 49659
Pre-Birkie 26K and 42K
Hayward, Wisconson
Valley Spur Classic 5/10k
Valley Spur, E8017 State Highway M-94, Munising, MI
Free Beginner Ski Lesson
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N. Cut Rd., Roscommon, MI 48653 (800-832-2663)
Barnelopet
Maasto Hiihto, Hancock
2026 Winter Olympics - Women's 10 + 10 km Skiathlon
Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, Italy
SUN, FEB 8, 2026
Super Bowl Foodie Face-Off!
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N. Cut Rd., Roscommon, MI 48653 (800-832-2663)
Nordic Ski Junior Racers training session (Team NordicSkiRacer)
Huron Meadows Metropark, 8765 Hammel Rd, Brighton, MI 48116
Forbush Memorial Classic Race
Forbush Corner, 4971 W County Road 612, Frederic, MI 49733 (989-889-2843)
Learn to Skate Ski Clinic
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N. Cut Rd., Roscommon, MI 48653 (800-832-2663)
2026 Winter Olympics - Men's 10 + 10 km Skiathlon
Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, Italy
TUE, FEB 10, 2026
2026 Winter Olympics - Men's/Women's Sprint qual.+ final
Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, Italy
THU, FEB 12, 2026
2026 Winter Olympics - 10 km freestyle women
Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, Italy
FRI, FEB 13, 2026
Winter Fest Kick-Off
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N. Cut Rd., Roscommon, MI 48653 (800-832-2663)
2026 Winter Olympics - 10 km freestyle men
Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, Italy
SAT, FEB 14, 2026
50th Annual North American Vasa Freestyle
Timber Ridge Resort, 4050 E. Hammond Road, Traverse City, MI 49686
Loppet Junior Qualifier & SuperTour (JNQ) - Classic Mass Start
Theodore Wirth Park, Minneapolis, MN
Gourmet Mac ‘n Cheese Bar
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N. Cut Rd., Roscommon, MI 48653 (800-832-2663)
Nordic Ski Junior Racers training session (Team NordicSkiRacer)
Huron Meadows Metropark, 8765 Hammel Rd, Brighton, MI 48116
Free Beginner Ski Lesson
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N. Cut Rd., Roscommon, MI 48653 (800-832-2663)
2026 Winter Olympics - Women's 4x7.5 km Relay
Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, Italy
SUN, FEB 15, 2026
Loppet Junior Qualifier & SuperTour (JNQ) - Freestyle Individual Star
Theodore Wirth Park, Minneapolis, MN
Gourmet Mac ‘n Cheese Bar
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N. Cut Rd., Roscommon, MI 48653 (800-832-2663)
50th Annual North American Vasa Classic
Timber Ridge Resort, 4050 E. Hammond Road, Traverse City, MI 49686
2026 Winter Olympics - Men's 4x7.5 km Relay
Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, Italy
MON, FEB 16, 2026
Gourmet Mac ‘n Cheese Bar
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N. Cut Rd., Roscommon, MI 48653 (800-832-2663)
More events...
LATEST TRAIL CONDITIONS
MON, FEB 2
Huron Meadows Metropark: Bucks Run WAS groomed - then 2” of the fluffy stuff landed on top. Classic tracks are skied back in. Skaters are getting a workout.
Milham Park Golf Course: Skate deck reset after a week end of heavy usage. Deck is well compacted and pretty fast. Classic track will be reset tomorrow after hopefully another couple inches of fresh snow. There are a number of leaves in the interior loop track but nothing to worry about.
Hiawatha Highlands: Happy Groundhog Day!! So far it's looking like 6 more weeks of winter, and then some (whoo hooo)!! The snow has started to lightly fall, making for a beautiful morning, with a perfectly balmy temperature....-7 C.
The groomer was out last night....the skate lanes on all systems were freshened up with the ginzu.
Mabel Flats was also groomed last night.
We hope everybody has an absolutely fantastic day out on the trails!!
Maybury State Park: The tracks are holding up quite well. A little dirt in a couple avoidable spots.
Cross Country Ski Headquarters: Fresh grooming on all trails. Excellent conditions.
Hanson Hills: Lodge and trails open at 9:00 AM
Light snow is falling this morning and Groomer Dan is out in the PB100, resetting Yellow, Brown, Blue, Green, M-93, and Easy Return. Fresh snow plus fresh grooming makes for a great start to the week.
Midweek Nordic Specials:
Nordic Tuesdays: $13 trail passes
Senior Thursdays (65+): $13 trail passes
Forbush Corner: Some light snow moving through now, shaping up to be another nice day to get out and ski. Trails are in great shape, several east side trails will get a fresh groom along with the green trail on the west side. Open at 9. Gates close at 5.
SUN, FEB 1
Pigeon Creek: Excellent conditions for both skate and classical skiing. There is a deep base and well groomed snow. The groomers do a good job and the lodge offers a cozy spot to relax and warm up. The milder temperatures on Sunday made for fast skating conditions. The only exposed soil was a sandy spot on a hill on the Mounds Loop--there was room to ski around it.
Forbush Corner: 19° F and 7mph wind, no snow overnight. I started late (12:30) waiting for the fog to lift and clouds to part. The low was -12° F overnight, so the snow was cold until the sun came out around 2 PM. Rode super blue worked great 2.5 hours, decent grip skiing in shadows on Linda’s Link back to the shop (at 3pm). Today’s highlights were a beautiful 360° view from the top of Hammerhead and fast, smooth as butter run from D to A to B. 10.6 miles/17.1 km
Kensington Metropark: Near perfect conditions at Kensington today. Skate lanes could use a minor touch up since they haven’t been groomed since Friday. Classic tracks looked superb. Lots of skiers out there today. Thanks to Kensington staff for keeping us skiing!
Vasa Trail: Classic skiing doesn’t get better than this afternoon with high 20s sunshine, Piston Bully grooming yesterday & skate deck freshened up with snowmobiles today, and lots of friends out enjoying the trail from Timber Ridge. I didn’t ski for 2 wks during the single digit & below temps & wind chill, so glad to get out again. Looks like our Lake Effect Snow may be coming to an end as the lakes are starting to freeze, but we’ve got a good base now. What a winter!
Stokely Creek: Some trails were spectacular deep tracks and firm skate lanes. Some trails were as Hugh Pritchard was known to say "rubbish" (with a Monty Python accent) due to the excessive snow bombs falling from trees and the 3-4 day gap in groomings.
Huron Meadows Metropark: Bucks run in great condition for classic or skate from building and back. Nice deep fast tracks and skate lane getting a little faster with some warmer temps.
Skating was also great on the whole golf course and Cedar Trace even without it being groomed today.
Thanks everyone at HM.
Vasa Trail: Best day of the ski season so far: (1) freshly groomed flat and level skate lane, (2) perfect machine set classic tracks, (3) moderate temps, (4) under bright sunny sky brought out a good weekend crowd of happy skiers. LF6 worked well on my skate skis, especially fast in the sunny areas resulting in my fastest 10K lap time of the season, though my lap times are nothing to get excited about these days.
Michaywe: All of the ski trails received a full groom this morning with fresh tracks. It’s a great day to get outside and enjoy an afternoon skiing!
Cross Country Ski Headquarters: Groomer Mike is out snowcombing and setting fresh tracks where need be today. Great conditions on all trails, and a high of 26 today! Come ski with us!
Forbush Corner: It’s been a pleasure to post that all of our trails have 100% coverage pretty much all winter long. Temps are chilly again but moderating as the day goes on. East and west side trails get the fresh groom today. Pines loop was recently groomed and is in great shape as well. Open at 9. Gates close at 5pm.
Hanson Hills: The Meijer State Games – Hanson Hills Classic Ski Race will be held this morning.
Nordic trails will open to the public at 11:00 AM once the race concludes. Thanks for your patience and good luck to all racers!
SAT, JAN 31
Independance Oaks: Any update on IO?
Want to hit it tomorrow but worried about the truck Tracks?
Independance Oaks: Skied at 11:30 around the lake was in good shape did not get to the hills
Independance Oaks: Any update on IO?
Want to hit it tomorrow but worried about the truck Tracks?
Huron Meadows Metropark: Simple as that. Skated entire golf course. Can’t be any better.
Some thin spots on the taller grass areas.
Thank you to the team.
Winter is rocking it!
Forbush Corner: 12° F and 10 mph wind at 1pm. The freestyle race had finished and I classic skied. Given the fresh groom and expected skied in track, I used Rode super blue grip. I found 3/4” dry, cold snow on areas that were not groomed for the race very slow, so I skied the racecourse. The classic track was not impacted at all by skaters, it was deep, firm and clean. Speed was medium, becoming quite fast as the sun, in a clear blue sky, warmed the snow surface. At the end, I couldn’t go uphill in the track. 19° F at 3pm. Beautiful views, snow in the trees. 15km/9.32 miles
Stokely Creek: 34k Loppet started at well below 0F, but bright sun and blue skies. Most folks were bundled and touring it to enjoy the scenery, a few went hard off the front - mostly to build heat and thaw out their thumbs. The brief view on Batchawana Mt across the bay before rocketing down Belleau Lk trail hill was the best I've ever seen. Reminiscent of a Cascadian snow capped volcanic peak. Tracks were hard and fast despite the cold.
Cross Country Ski Headquarters: It doesn't get much better than this, folks! Clear blue skies, fresh tracks and grooming, hot fires, good food, and tons of snow. This is the winter we've been waiting for!
Hanson Hills: Lodge and Trails Open 9am
The trail system is looking great! Classic tracks are set on Red, Yellow, Brown, Blue, M-93, Easy Return, and Wilderness.
Groomer Dan will be back out today freshening up the trails, and the skate deck is in great shape as well.
Hanson Hills Classic Update:
We have reopened online registration and it will remain open until 2:00 PM today. Register online to help us keep check-in running smoothly Sunday morning:
https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Grayling/MeijerStateGamesHansonHillsClassic
More trail reports...
