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Category: Ski Conditions

Cross Country Ski Report: Sunday, March 3rd

The Trapper’s Cabin loop is officially in ‘spring conditions’, meaning there is slush, ice, and bare spots. High temps and rain in the forecast do not bode well. Today is Trail Sponsor Appreciation day, so anyone that bought a season pass can come in for a free bowl of chili and cup of coffee or hot cocoa. Today is also the last day for

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Cross Country Ski Report: Friday, March 1st

After a touch of snow on Wednesday, amazingly, the Trappers Cabin Loop is up and running and open for skiing today! The practice/demo field is getting thin, but both are still very doable. There is no free lesson on Saturday due to the rescheduling of the Michigan Cup Relays. Registration for the relay race is between 8:30-9:30 and the race starts at 10am. Weather

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XC SKI HQ

Cross Country Ski Report – Sunday, February 25th

What a fun day we had yesterday! Ribs & Blues was perhaps the best it’s ever been, with awesome music, great food, sunny skies, and great company. Today, the Trapper’s Cabin trail is once again open and snowcombed, with excellent conditions. Please note that this trail is closed from 10:00 to 11:00am today while the Junior Muffin Race is in progress. The Stone Turtle

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Groomed XC Ski Trails northern Michigan Cross Country Ski Headquarters

Cross Country Ski Report – Saturday, Feb 24th

It’s another beautiful morning! We have snow combed the Trapper’s Cabin trail, which is fully covered with man-made snow and in excellent condition. It will be awesome out there all day with the sunshine and these wintery temps! Join us today Ribs and Blues! Succulent ribs and awesome blues music will kick off around noon. Plus, join us today for a free ski lesson

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Spring Skiing Cross Country Ski Headquarters

Cross Country Ski Report – Friday, Feb 23rd

Good morning! Groomer Mike has snow combed the Trapper’s Cabin trail, which is fully covered with man-made snow and in excellent condition. It will be awesome out there all day with these nice, sub-32 degree temps all day long! The Stone Turtle Cafe is open for lunch and drinks. Join us this weekend for tons of fun: Ribs and Blues is tomorrow, along with

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Turkey Reuben at the Stone Turtle Day Lodge Cafe

Cross Country Ski Report – Wednesday, Feb 22nd

The Trapper’s Cabin trail is still in good condition for skate and classic skiing. The Stone Turtle Cafe is open for lunch and drinks. Ski early before the temps rise! Shop the Late Winter Clothing Sale! Update your cold/cool weather clothing kit with newly marked-down apparel from Kuhl, Norrona, and more. Get the right outdoor clothing to match your outdoor lifestyle! Clothing experts are

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Sun Deck XC Ski HQ

Cross Country Ski Report – Wednesday, Feb 21st

The sun and warm temps are taking a toll on the base, but The Trapper’s Cabin trail is still in great shape. There are classic tracks and a snowcombed skate lane. The rest of the trails are open (except Tall Pines), but have bare spots opening up. Enjoy the snow we have, then top it off with a drink and a sandwich from the

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Groomed cross country ski trails northern Michigan Cross Country Ski Headquaters

Cross Country Ski Report – Tuesday, Feb 20th

This morning is another good morning to ski! The Trapper’s Cabin trail is in great shape, with tracks set and snowcombed skate lanes. The rest of the trails (except Tall Pines) are also in good condition, with just a few thin spots beginning to show – the snow quality is high, with no ice and no wet spots. Enjoy it early for best conditions!

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Cross Country Ski Report: Sunday, February 18th

We had great skiing all day yesterday, and today will more of the same! Corduroy set on all trails but Tall Pines, and new tracks were set on Trappers Cabin. The base is setting up nicely and the skate lanes are fast, especially on Rolling Hills. The practice area and Blizzard Trail are in excellent condition for lessons and demos. Come out and enjoy

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Cross Country Ski Report: Saturday, February 17th

We received 2 more inches of snow last night and the trails are ready for skiing! Everything but Tall Pines was snow combed, and new tracks were set on Trappers Cabin. It’s going to be glorious day for skiing! The practice area and Blizzard Trail are in excellent condition for lessons and demos. There’s a bit more snow in the forecast for this evening,

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Cross Country Ski Headquarters

Cross Country Ski Report: Friday, February 16th

We received 5-6 inches of snow last night and the woods are looking gorgeous!  The man-made 1.6km out-and-back Trappers Cabin stretch is completely groomed with tracks set, and the rest of the trail network was packed and rolled, except for Tall Pines. We’re skiing! The practice area and Blizzard Trail are in excellent condition for lessons and demos. There’s a bit more snow in

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Cross Country Ski Report: Thursday, February 15th

It’s SNOWING! Things are shaping up for a fine weekend here in Higgins Lake. The snow moving team will have the man-made 1.6km out-and-back Trappers Cabin stretch completely groomed with tracks set by Saturday morning. The practice area and Pond Loop (~0.25km) are in excellent condition, with a snow-combed layer of freshly spread man-made snow. Who knows how much snow is in store for

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Mount Snow XC SKI HQ

Cross Country Ski Report – Monday, Feb 12th

It’s nice to see a return of some cold weather! These cold temps will allow us to spread snow onto the Trapper’s Cabin trail throughout this week, in plenty of time for the weekend. Until then, the practice area and Pond Loop (~0.25km) are in excellent condition, with a snow-combed layer of freshly spread man-made snow. We will not be sending another ski report

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Marginal Conditions XC SKI HQ

Cross Country Ski Report – Sunday, Feb 11th

Good morning! The outbound Trapper’s Cabin trail is still skiable, with mostly marginal, some good, and some sparse stretches. Fortunately, there is not much ice to be found, and the short stretches of ice can easily be traversed by double polling. The snow-moving team spread man-made snow onto the .25km Pond Loop and patched up the practice area, which are both now in excellent

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Cross Country Ski Headquarters fair conditions

Cross Country Ski Report – Saturday, February 10th

We’re still holding on! Snow Doctor George raced against the sun yesterday to bolster the outbound trail to Trapper’s Cabin with snow. Today, Trapper’s Cabin will be a solidly skiable 1.6km out-and-back trail. The trail surface is a mix of snow and wet snow. Cabin Boy Josiah will be at Trapper’s Cabin selling refreshments and tending the bonfire you skiers today. The rest of

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Snow Conditions XC Ski HQ Higgins Lake

Cross Country Ski Report: Friday, February 9th

The trails took a hit from wet weather last night, but luckily, the Trapper’s Cabin trail is still fully covered with just a few thin spots, which snow doctor George is patching up with the stockpile of man-made snow. The outbound loop is in the best shape, and will be the focus for the snow doctoring efforts. The trail surface is a mix of

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Cross Country Ski Headquarters

Cross Country Ski Report: Thursday, February 8th

The snow doctored Trapper’s Cabin Loop is holding up splendidly, as is the practice area. This ~2km trail now is completely covered with a solid base of man-made snow. It was snow combed yesterday, and is in great condition for classic and skating, but no tracks are set. All the rest of the trails are open but have poor conditions. THIS WEEKEND: Plan on

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Great cross country ski conditions at XC Ski HQ Michigan

Cross Country Ski Report – Wednesday, February 7th

The snow doctoring team has completed the entire snow-spreading operation on the Trapper’s Cabin Loop. This ~2km trail now is completely covered with a solid base of man-made snow. It was snow combed this morning, and is in great condition for classic and skating, as is the practice area. All the rest of the trails are open but have fair to poor conditions. THIS

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Great cross country ski conditions at XC Ski HQ Michigan

Cross Country Ski Report – Tuesday, February 6th

The snow doctoring team was hard at work all night spreading snow out onto the trail system. Currently, this man-made snow covers the outbound trail to Trapper’s Cabin, and we hope to have the return leg completed tonight (this will make a ~2km loop). Out and back to Trapper’s Cabin on the outbound loop measures about 1.6km, and is in great condition for skating

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Sun Deck Fun at XC Ski HQ

Cross Country Ski Report – Sunday, February 4th

What a fun and sunny day we had yesterday! We were thrilled to see so many folks out enjoying the snow we still have, and basking in the sunshine on the deck. Conditions remain similar today: The trail doctoring team continued to spread snow last night, so the outbound trail to Trapper’s Cabin has the best conditions, with classic tracks and a nice skate

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Trail Conditions XC Ski HQ

Cross Country Ski Report – Saturday, Feb 3rd

The Snow Doctoring team of Mike and Tony spent the night spreading snow onto the outbound trail to Trapper’s Cabin. This section has been groomed and, along with the Practice Area, has the best conditions. The rest of the trails have seen better days since the warm temps have taken their toll, but most of the trail network is still “skiable”. There are several

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Cross Country Ski Report: Friday, February 2nd

After a few warm nights, the trails have seen better days, but most of the trail network is still “skiable”. There are several bare spots and some wetter sections starting to form, but most of them can easily be skied around. Skating is not recommended, and classic skiing should be done in the middle of the trail, as the tracks have been worn through

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XC SKI HQ Higgins Lake

Cross Country Ski Report – Wednesday, January 31st

It’s another day of skiing! Coverage is still remarkably good in most areas of the trails, although the classic tracks have worn down to the dirt in some places. Snow Doctor Alex is patching the tracks on Trappers Cabin trail this morning. The skating lanes are still good on Trappers Cabin, Manitou out to the short cut, Mackinaw Cut, Wild Turkey and Blizzard trails,

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XC SKI HQ Higgins Lake

Cross Country Ski Report – Tuesday, January 30th

Good morning! The trails are open today. It did not get much below freezing last night and there is still a lot of moisture in the snow, so we are not grooming today in order to preserve the base for when it does get cold enough at night to groom. The Trappers Cabin, Mackinaw Cut, and Wild Turkey trails will have the best conditions,

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Trail Conditions XC SKI HQ

Cross Country Ski Report – Monday, Jan 29th

It’s weird out there! We received a heavy dusting of snow throughout the day yesterday, which now sits on top of moderately-frozen-but-still-kind-of-wet old snow. Groomer Butch snowcombed the Blizzard, Trappers Cabin, Manitou “short return”, Mackinaw Cut, and Wild Turkey trails this morning. The rest of the trails should only be traversed with metal edged skis until the frozen spots soften up as the weather

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Paella Cross Country Ski Headquarters

Cross Country Ski Report – Sunday, January 28th

Many skiers ventured out onto the trails yesterday, and the responses were surprisingly positive: solid snow coverage, good conditions albeit slow due to the moisture in the snow, and a few thin spots starting to open up. We expect the same today. It only got below freezing for a short time last night, so we will not be grooming this morning. Classic skiing will

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Trail Conditions Jan 27th 2024 Cross Country Ski Headquarters

Cross Country Ski Report – Saturday, Jan 27th

We got a little drizzle yesterday afternoon. We did not get nearly as much precipitation as predicted, and much of it has drained from the trail surface. ALL TRAILS ARE OPEN, though conditions are soft. It appears as though most of the trails still have full to mostly full snow coverage, and no bare spots are visible from the trail head. It only got

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Cross Country Ski Headquarters

Cross Country Ski Report: Friday, January 26th

It rained last night, so we are closing the trails today to let them properly drain before the weekend. The practice area and the blizzard trail will be open today, but not groomed. After allowing the rain to drain today,  we will be open for skiing by Saturday morning. Luckily we have a lot of snow, and the small amount of rain will drain

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Cross Country Ski Report – Thursday, January 26th

Warmer temps yesterday softened the trail up a little bit, but there is still full coverage on all trails and the practice field. Conditions should be moderate this morning, and turning a little mushy this afternoon. There is approximately 10-16″ of snow in the woods, and about 7-10″ packed on the trails. The Stone Turtle Day Lodge is open for lunch and drinks today.

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Great XC Ski Groomed Trail Conditions XC Ski HQ Higgins Lake

Cross Country Ski Report – Wednesday, Jan 24th

We received about 1-2″ of snow yesterday afternoon and last night. Groomer Mike is snowcombing the skating lanes and resetting tracks where needed this morning. There is approximately 12-18″ of snow in the woods, and about 7-10″ packed on the trails. The Stone Turtle Day Lodge is open for lunch and drinks today. The skiing will be best this morning before temps warm up!

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Great Trail Conditions XC Skiing Cross Country Ski Headquarters

Cross Country Ski Report – Tuesday, January 23rd

The trails remain in great shape today. Groomer Mike is snowcombing the skating lanes and resetting tracks where needed this morning. There is approximately 12-18″ of snow in the woods, and about 7-10″ packed on the trails. The Stone Turtle Day Lodge is open for lunch and drinks. Today’s forecast: “Cloudy. Snow likely this afternoon. High 31F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.

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Skate Ski Lesson Clinic Cross Country Ski Headquarters

Cross Country Ski Report – Monday, Jan 22nd

What an awesome winter weekend we had here in northern Michigan! Great conditions continue today. Groomer Butch is snowcombing the skating lanes and resetting tracks where needed this morning. There is approximately 12-18″ of snow in the woods, and about 7-10″ packed on the trails. The Stone Turtle Day Lodge is open for lunch and drinks. Enjoy yet another day of XC paradise! Today’s

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Team Ski Event at Bavarian Ski Festival, Cross Country Ski Headquarters

Cross Country Ski Report – Sunday, January 21st

It was a fabulous day yesterday, with great trail conditions and plenty of Bavarian Festival fun under sunny skies. Groomer Mike is snow combing all the trails this morning, and will reset tracks where needed. There is approximately 12-18″ of snow in the woods, and about 7-10″ packed on the trails. Today is Live Music with Eric McDonald starting at 2pm! Join us at

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Bavarian Ski Festival at Cross Country Ski Headquarters

Cross Country Ski Report – Saturday, January 20th

It’s another awesome day of XC skiing at the Headquarters! We received another dusting of snow last night. Groomer Mike is snow combing all the trails this morning. Tracks have been set on all trails, and Mike will reset tracks where needed this morning. There is approximately 12-18″ of snow in the woods, and about 7-10″ packed on the trails. Today is Bavarian Ski

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Cross Country Ski Headquarters

Cross Country Ski Report – Friday, January 19th

After another little dusting throughout the night, the trails are the best they’ve been all year. Groomer Mike snow combed all the trails late last night, and there are tracks set on all the trails – some from yesterday and some from earlier this week. Overall conditions are excellent, and it’s looking like a perfect weekend to ski. There is approximately 12-18″ of snow

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