The John Deere Trail has held up remarkably well!

It remained cold throughout the day yesterday and last night, which gave the remaining snow on the trails a chance to harden up. The John Deere Trail is still completely intact with full coverage, and the trail surface is 75% hard, crusty snow, with intermittent boiler plate ice. Groomer Mike will take the pre-seeder out there today to grind up the ice and add fresh snow from our stockpile where needed. Conditions will get softer and more skiable as the day goes on; we recommend waiting until this afternoon to try skating or classic skiing. It would be a good day to try some metal edged skis! We plan to have at least the 2.5km John Deere Loop open for skiing this weekend.

Forecast:

Today: Overcast. High 37F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight: Cloudy with periods of light freezing rain after midnight. Low 24F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 50%.

Tomorrow: Freezing rain early. Then clouds lingering in the afternoon. High around 40F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 70%.

Today’s Stone Turtle Cafe lunch special is the Wild Turkey Panini! Sliced turkey breast, basil pesto, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, and provolone cheese, grilled on Stone House 7-Grain bread. Served with Great Lakes Chips and a pickle!
Join us this weekend for a whole bunch of events!

Saturday, February 24th: Birkie Live Stream and Taste of Gates!
Watch “the Greatest Show on Snow” – the North American Birkebiener, live in Cable, Wisconsin! This famous ski race draws just as many fans as participants – well over 10,000. Join in the excitement by watching the live stream in the HQ Day Lodge! Then for lunch, experience the fantastic flavors of Gate’s AuSable Lodge, right here at Cross Country Ski Headquarters! Gate’s Lodge Head Chef, Matt Haley, will cook up a hearty winter feast you’ll never forget. Join us for this very special culinary experience, which showcases one of Northern Michigan’s best dining experiences. *Beverages not included.

Sunday, February 25th: The 26th Annual Junior Muffin Race!
Join us for the longest standing juniors race in Michigan! The Muffin Race celebrates the fun of youth skiing with a Junior Girls & Boys 8km Pursuit race. Skiers will classic ski the first half of the race then ski freestyle the second half of the race. Registration begins at 9am on Sunday, and we will shoot for a 10:30am start. This is a Michigan Cup Junior Race. Medals will be awarded to the top 3 finishers in the girls and boys races, and awards will also be given for best costumes! There will also be a “Mini Muffin” Race following the Senior Muffin Race. ALL AGES of kids are welcome for the Mini Muffin Race, and entry is free. Each Mini Muffin racer receives a medal!

In the meantime, stop in for some shopping! We have great sales on skate and classic ski packages, plus winter clothing and accessories.

– Mariah, Stu, Bob, Lynne, Fran, Matt, Kelsey, Alex, Dodge, Kim, Missy, Annie J., Annie B., Denny, Erin, Mike, Dana, Butch, Brian and the crew

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