A winter paradise

I broke out my cross country skis yesterday. It had been about two years since I skied the last time so I took it easy and stayed in our back property to get some practice. It’s wonderful exercise for every part of the body but is low impact so you don’t have to worry about beating up your knees or ankles.

After a bit of skiing I did some snow shoeing as well.  Then I topped it off with a bit of snowmobiling. What a blast! It was a great afternoon for winter outdoor activities yesterday. In fact, all of Michigan is great for outdoor winter fun.  Skiing and snowmobiling in the woods of Michigan is some of the best you’ll find anywhere. This article in MLive.com talks about the cross country skiing paradise you’ll find right here in Michigan:

Cross country skiers will have their choice of 23 groomed ski trails in Michigan state forests this winter. State officials say funding is in place for grooming. The trails run from 6.6 miles to 30 miles long.

“We’re looking for a fantastic cross country ski season,” said Mark Mandenberg with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources state forest recreation program.

“The snow is looking good and so is the funding. I can’t think of a nicer place to ski than the Michigan woods.”

Twelve groomed forest pathways are located in the Lower Peninsula. Each is well marked so skiers can follow the route. Each also has a plowed parking lot at the trailhead.

Grooming means packing and laying down a set of parallel tracks in the snow. Groomed track skiing is generally easier, faster and more fun for beginners as well as experienced skiers who use narrower cross-country skis.

The groomed trails include popular destinations like the 9.3-mile Wildwood Hills trail in Cheboygan County, the 11.5-mile Mason Tract trail, and the 30-mile Black Mountain Trail Complex. The Mason Tract trail runs through wild-feeling remote country along the south Branch of the AuSable River. The Black Mountain Complex offers a variety of terrain and several days worth of skiing.

We’re on the Main Branch so the South Branch of the AuSable is not far from here, about 20-25 minutes.  We have several trails that go throughout the Huron National Forest, where our little Up North Michigan town is located. Unfortunately, today is a bit icky. It’s drizzling very lightly and our snow is getting mushy. By tomorrow, the drizzle is supposed to turn to snow, so hopefully I’ll have better a better skiing experience then.

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