UPCOMING

MON, JAN 20, 2025

XC Ski HQ: Gourmet Mac ‘n Cheese Bar
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N Cut Rd, Roscommon, MI 48653. 800-832-2663, [email protected], CrossCountrySki.com

TUE, JAN 21, 2025

Vasa Ski Club Raptors Tuesday Night Race Series
Hickory Hills Recreation Area, 2000 Randolph Street, Traverse City, MI 49684

WED, JAN 22, 2025

BARC Learn to Ski
Huron Meadows Metropark, 8765 Hammel Rd, Brighton, MI 48116

FRI, JAN 24, 2025

CANCELLED: Noquemanon Ski Marathon: Junior and Adaptive Races
Al Quaal Recreation Area, Ishpeming, MI

SAT, JAN 25, 2025

CANCELLED:Noquemanon Ski Marathon
Al Quaal Recreation Area (Ishpeming, MI) and NTN 510 trailhead

CXC Jr. Cup / Great Lakes Division - Freestyle Sprint
Minneapolis, MN -- The Trailhead, Loppet

XC Ski HQ: Free Beginner Ski Lesson
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N Cut Rd, Roscommon, MI 48653. 800-832-2663, [email protected], CrossCountrySki.com

XC Ski HQ: Bavarian Ski Festival
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N Cut Rd, Roscommon, MI 48653. 800-832-2663, [email protected], CrossCountrySki.com

Lantern-lit Trail
Fayette Historic State Park, 13700 13.25 Lane, Garden, Michigan, 49835

SUN, JAN 26, 2025

CXC Jr. Cup / Great Lakes Division - Freestyle Mass Start
Minneapolis, MN -- The Trailhead, Loppet

Boyne Mountain Classic 10k
Boyne Mountain, Boyne Falls, MI

Beach Nuts Junior Nordic Race
Nubs Knob, Harbor Springs

XC Ski HQ: Learn to Skate Ski Clinic
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N Cut Rd, Roscommon, MI 48653. 800-832-2663, [email protected], CrossCountrySki.com

XC Ski HQ: Eric McDonald Live
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N Cut Rd, Roscommon, MI 48653. 800-832-2663, [email protected], CrossCountrySki.com

TUE, JAN 28, 2025

Vasa Ski Club Raptors Tuesday Night Race Series
Hickory Hills Recreation Area, 2000 Randolph Street, Traverse City, MI 49684

WED, JAN 29, 2025

BARC Learn to Ski
Huron Meadows Metropark, 8765 Hammel Rd, Brighton, MI 48116

FRI, JAN 31, 2025

XC Ski HQ: Winter Feast
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N Cut Rd, Roscommon, MI 48653. 800-832-2663, [email protected], CrossCountrySki.com

SAT, FEB 1, 2025

White Pine Stampede
Mancelona, MI

XC Ski HQ: Free Beginner Ski Lesson
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N Cut Rd, Roscommon, MI 48653. 800-832-2663, [email protected], CrossCountrySki.com

SUN, FEB 2, 2025

Team NordicSkiRacer Junior Ski
Huron Meadows Metropark, 8765 Hammel Rd, Brighton, MI 48116

Forbush Corner Memorial Classic Race
Forbush Corner, 4971 W Co Rd 612, Frederic, MI 49733

Valley Spur Classic 10km
Valley Spur, e8238 M-94, Munising, MI 49862

XC Ski HQ: Paella on the Sun Deck
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N Cut Rd, Roscommon, MI 48653. 800-832-2663, [email protected], CrossCountrySki.com

XC Ski HQ: Live Music with Kat and Wil
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N Cut Rd, Roscommon, MI 48653. 800-832-2663, [email protected], CrossCountrySki.com

TUE, FEB 4, 2025

Vasa Ski Club Raptors Tuesday Night Race Series
Hickory Hills Recreation Area, 2000 Randolph Street, Traverse City, MI 49684

More events...

LATEST TRAIL CONDITIONS

MON, JAN 20

Cross Country Ski Headquarters: The trails are open today! The ski surface remains in good shape and will be snowcombed this morning. The classic tracks on Trappers Cabin and the Blizzard trails are still in decent condition, and most other trails have skied-in tracks. Lots of warm clothing on sale and warm things to eat and drink at the Stone Turtle Cafe! Enjoy!

Forbush Corner: Full system groom today to work in and compact the few inches of lake effect snow we received yesterday. Expect subzero windchill. Dress and take the appropriate caution when heading out.

SUN, JAN 19

Huron Meadows Metropark: Skated Bucks Run today mid afternoon.
It was a great day. Lightning fast.
Red Swix wax!
Thank you to the staff. You keep making the best out of whatever nature gives us.
Loop is 2.2km.

Valley Spur: Dr Zhivago conditions with temps in the single digits and a strong NW wind. About 4” of new snow overnight and another 3-4” during the day.

Huron Meadows Metropark: Outstanding conditions for either skate or classic today. No dirt or debris.

Vasa Trail: Skied all the way around the 25k Saturday around 11. Thin in the normal spots. As always, the best snow is out at The Rock. Jack Pine has full coverage, even under the trees. Beautiful day, but the grooming left a LOT to be desired. I know grooming reports in our warming winters are just an airing of grievances and laundry list of complaints, but I skied Hanson Friday which had FAR less snow coverage yet perfect corduroy. The Vasa was kinda sketchy yesterday? When I got the grooming report email I was excited to get out there—but then it was uneven, bumpy, and felt like it hadn't been groomed in a week. More Metroparks than Northern Michigan's beloved trail system. Also, there were hikers walking up and down the skate deck from the trailhead all the way to The Wall.

Look, we all think we're groomers—and we're not, I'm sure I'd crash the thing right into a tree on Headwaters and everyone would complain about the seam I left down the middle of the skate deck. But it would be nice if the Vasa would tell us WHY they're not using the Pisten Bully (I refuse to call it Piper, it's a piece of machinery) when all the other trail systems with similar snow coverage are.

Hanson Hills: Fresh grooming (Combed and tracked) on Green, Blue, Brown, Yellow, Easy Return, and M-93 Hills. Wilderness has tracks.

Lodge and Trails open at 9am!

Crystal Mountain: For those of you brave enough to endure the cold beware that the Flying Squirrel race is taking place today starting at 12:30 so some of our trails will be closed. There is still plenty of trails you can ski on although they haven't been groomed since Friday as all of our efforts have been given to get the race course ready since the meltdown and hard freeze made those trails treacherous. There is a lot of trail trash from the high winds on Friday too. Call the nordic center for details.

Cross Country Ski Headquarters: Yesterday was a fabulous day of skiing. The trails remain in good shape and will be snowcombed this morning. The classic tracks on Trappers Cabin and the Blizzard trails are still in decent shape, and most other trails have skied-in tracks. It's a winter wonderland out there! Beat the cold... ignite your inner fire on the ski trails, then refuel by the fire with a Fireside Cider and a serving of gourmet mac 'n cheese from the Stone Turtle Cafe!

Forbush Corner: Single digit temps, light winds and just a little fresh snow currently at the Corner. Still a good day to get out and ski. All trails open. Fresh groom on most trails, firm classic tracks throughout. Open 9 to 5.

SAT, JAN 18

Valley Spur: Full groom in the am after several inches of snow over night. A great base so the cake is baked. Just keep adding frosting each day. LES bands throughout the day added several more inches.
JC grooms early and does 3 different patterns to cover the system. So trails he did earliest had more snow later in the day.

Stokely Creek: 19° and 17 mph wind and snow squalls at 10:20am, I anticipated dropping temps so used Fisher RCR crown. Wished I had my Rossis in the silky smooth tracks on Peterson, Trappers, Pickard Lake and Bas, as temps did not drop much nor did snow fall beyond the close-in perimeter of the lodge. Homemade cookies and warm hospitality at Norm’s cabin by Kees. Good times with new friends and old capped a wonderful 9 days of skiing at Stokely Creek. 14.4 miles/ 23.2 km

Hanson Hills: What a day at Hanson Hills! Skied Cote Dame Women’s 11 K. What a lovely perfectly groomed course. I ended up using my rock skis as I had waxed three pairs of skis all with different wax. Universal glide was incredible. All trails but red well covered! Enjoy!!

Vasa Trail: "Rough & Ready" conditions throughout the system today, due to 40F yesterday that warmed, softened, and moisturized the snow before last night's hard freeze. The groomer's scuffed up the top surface of the resulting Hard Refrozen skate lane a little to provide some edge purchase, but you might need good edges on your skis, and not rounded off edges of worn out skaters. The lane is still white refrozen snow, no clear ice anywhere, but a few thin spots are beginning to reappear. The classic tracks have a glaze on them, so the downhills are superfast like a Luge Run.
These conditions resulted in my fastest 10K skate loop of the season so far with the least effort - even good glide uphill.
Chatted briefly with a number of visitors including two fellows from Indiana who had heard about the Vasa, drove up to TC, and were on it for the first time, doing some classic. And a couple from Ann Arbor where she took a break for lunch while he finished up a 50K.
I'd rate control-ability on the trail as between 75% and 95% depending upon your ability and experience. Most dangerous part was the icy parking lot, especially if walking in plastic ski boots. Some good snowfalls would greatly help both the trail and the lot.

Nubs Nob: Plenty of lake effect , combined with low 20 degree temps, plus the full big groom this morning , makes Nubs Knob red and blue trails as nice as it gets !

Huron Meadows Metropark: Trail was not groomed due to rain and warm temperatures.
Was just a little icy at 9:00.
Now at 12:00 with falling temperatures it is very icy for either skate or classic.
Connector is a sheet of ice.
Lots of leaves and debris with wind.

Hiawatha Highlands: Good day skiers. Conditions at Hiawatha Highlands in Sault Ste. Marie are excellent. Base depth is 33 cm. or 13 inches. All our trails are open for your enjoyment. Have a great day.

Cross Country Ski Headquarters: The grooming team will be snowcombing all the trails this morning, and the classic tracks on the Trappers Cabin and Blizzard trails are in great shape. Most trails have skied- tracks, making conditions for classic and skating very good on most of the system, with best conditions on Trapper's Cabin, Manitou, Wild Turkey/Mac Cut, and Rolling Hills. Enjoy this winter weekend in Pure Michigan, and join us for lots of fun events!

Forbush Corner: Great skiing conditions continue for today. All trails open, fresh groom on almost everything. Pines connector and loop are also being groomed. Open 9 to 5.

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