COVER PHOTO: Joe Frederick strikes a pose with one ski while cross-country skiing in Arcadia Dunes.
Story and photos by Emily Cook.
While I was in high school, I went with my dad to purchase my first set of cross-country skis. Living downstate at the time, we ventured to Bill & Paul’s Sporthaus in Grand Rapids where I was given a set of classic Fischer skis and matching boots. My dad got the same, albeit mine were a bit shorter, and we were on our way. As runners, to us it seemed cross-country skiing was a natural “next step” in staying active during Michigan’s long winter months.
With no real knowledge of the sport or proper body mechanics, I ventured onto state land across the road from my childhood home and learned by trial and error ⸺ often landing on my back, struggling to get up as my skis crossed during a fall. In theory, the back-and-forth gliding motion should be simple, not too different than walking (or running), but deep snow and even the slightest elevation change provided a unique challenge.
Flash forward 18 years. I still love the day we finally have enough snowfall to warrant bringing my skis up from the basement. It’s the same pair of Fischer skis I purchased with my dad. They look their age and are certainly not perfect for my preferred skiing locations. However, the nostalgia attached to them ⸺ and my refusal to part with any gear that isn’t physically broken ⸺ means they remain my go-to.
While some of our most recent winters have left plenty to be desired, snow-wise, Michigan still delivers opportunities to venture outdoors in colder months. When my family relocated to Benzie County 17 years ago, and I personally landed permanently in Arcadia 7 years ago, my eyes were opened to the many ways one can explore northwest Michigan from cross-country skis.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have the Arcadia Dunes Nature Preserve trails at my fingertips. A 5-minute drive from my house, the backcountry stillness of snow-covered mountain bike trails offer a true Nordic ski workout. Loops ranging from 1 mile all the way up to 10 miles (and more if you factor in two-track roads) allow for a “choose your own adventure” experience. If I’m lucky, someone will have beaten me to the trails and broken a more skiable pathway. The trails are not groomed and are shared with snowshoers, boot-packers (winter hikers), and sometimes even fat tire bikers. To some, these conditions are not ideal for skiing. However, just sliding through the mature hemlock forests makes it worth the unknown trail conditions.
My almost 20-year-old skis? This is where they leave a little to be desired. Long and skinny, they were made for groomed and tracked trails. At times, it can be frustrating to navigate through deep snow on the wrong equipment. If you are new to backcountry skiing, you can get skis just for that – and the styles are only improving! Shorter and wider skis, with metal edges, are designed for breaking through non-traditional trails and gliding more easily through ungroomed snow.
There are other supreme skiing opportunities. The Big M Recreation Area, along M-55, about 20 minutes outside the City of Manistee, offers more than 18 miles of groomed trails. Partnering with the Forest Service, an active group of volunteers work to maintain the trails and even plan fun events such as moonlight skiing. More information on conditions, along with maps, can be found at www.skibigm.org.
The Manistee Non-Motorized Trails Park offers another chance to explore in a groomed setting. Three miles from the US-31/M-55 intersection, this 170-acre property is owned by the City of Manistee. Mostly flat, it can be a great location for beginning skiers to practice and become more comfortable with the Nordic style. The website www.skimanistee.org provides up-to-date grooming information. Note: Skate skiers zoom along this trail too.
Bring your long, skinny skis for these locations. Tracked trails are a dream for my old Fischers, one of the reasons I will likely keep them for as long as possible.
It’s easy to cocoon indoors, waiting for winter’s gray skies to lift. However, skiing can provide a wonderful reprieve from cold-weather blues. There’s scientific evidence that exercising outdoors can provide boosts to serotonin. Fresh air is often the cure-all for my own bouts of seasonal depression.
As I wrap-up my words of encouragement to explore in winter, I can see through my office window that more snow is falling. It’s adding a soft, fluffy layer to the existing foot we received over Christmas. With the blizzard subsiding, it’s clearly time to make my annual trip to the basement to retrieve my hardy old skis.
Emily Cook is a resident of Arcadia where she lives with her husband and two collies. She is a conservationist by training and a writer and artist when time allows. She explores nearby nature trails and the Lake Michigan beach as much as possible.
