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!
Why US-made ski poles are the best
10/20/2015 - By Andy Liebner
Get the real reason why people buy U.S. made ski poles from the owner and innovator himself!
Ski Hall of Fame needs your help
10/19/2015 - By Justin Koski
We are the largest ski history organization in the WORLD and without local support and patronage, we will not be able to keep the fire burning and Denver or Park City could gobble us up with their deep pockets and endless donation chains.
Michigan: warmer, drier this winter
10/18/2015 - By NOAA
Drier-than-average conditions most likely for areas near the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, with drought development likely in the northern Great Lakes region.
Kikkan Randall: Baby on Board!
10/18/2015 - By USSA
World Champion cross country ski racer Kikkan Randall is planning to take a break from competition this season. Randall and husband Jeff Ellis announced to her teammates this week that they are expecting their first child in April.
$40 for 40th White Pine Stampede. $20 for WPS 1 skiers
10/13/2015 - By Jack Mckaig
The entry fee for the 20KM and 50KM White Pine Stampede races will be only $40.00 until 11/1/14 in honor of our 40th anniversary; If you skied in WPS 1, it's only $20.
Michigan Cup Committee finalizes 2016 season
10/12/2015 - By Mike Muha
Financial report reviewed, race schedule approved...what were the other big decisions and topics of discussion at the 33rd annual Michigan Cup Committee meeting?
2018 XC Ski World Masters goes to Minneapolis, MN
10/10/2015 - By Loppet Foundation of Minneapolis
In early 2018, the Loppet Foundation of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA will host the Masters World Cup on the trails of Theodore Wirth Park Winter Recreation Area. The World Masters Cross-Country Ski Association (WMA) awarded the bid at their annual meeting.
Volunteers needed for 2016 U.S. Skiing Championships
10/7/2015 - By US Nationals
olunteer registration is open for the 2016 U.S. Skiing Championships hosted by Michigan Tech at its on-campus Nordic Training Center Jan. 3-9.
Will 83% ski pole rule save classic skiing?
10/5/2015 - By Mike Muha
The FIS created a new rule around the maximum pole length in classic technique to preserve the use of diagonal striding. What does this mean for the citizen racer?
A summer trip and two ski races in Australia and New Zealand
10/4/2015 - By Michael Bourassa
It all began a couple of years ago when I started skiing regularly at Forbush Corner. I was looking over the race jerseys peppering the walls of the shop and I asked Dave, “What is the Merino Muster?”
Headquarters widens trail, posts calendar, gets recognition
9/27/2015 - By Mariah Frye Colie
As we approach the winter season, The Cross Country Ski Headquarters is excited to share several updates regarding their cross country ski trail system and upcoming events for this season, as well as some of the recognition received last year.
Forbush Corner Fall Work Weekend, Sept 26-27
9/17/2015 - By Forbush Team
The main focus will be pruning and clearing debris from the trails. Please bring any pruners or loppers that you may have at home. There are also some clean-up projects in and around the pole barn. Please RSVP !
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...
