Backcountry Nordic Skiing – State Forest State Park - Michigan Lakes

This trip is best suited to wider nordic-style skis (~80 to 100 mm in the toe) with waxless 'fish scale' traction surface underneath.  Please see the required equipment tab below for more details. 

We will be on rolling terrain, so this trip is *not* well suited to AT or heavy tele gear.   

This trip is also not well-suited to skinnier cross-country skis because we will be off-trail and making some turns; but if you are an advanced nordic skier and interested in this trip with your skinny skis, please contact the trip leader at stevendielman@gmail.com.

This will be an out-n-back BCN ski trip partly on-trail and partly off.  We will start along the almost flat Michigan Ditch Trail for about 2.5 miles. At this point we'll head SE on the American (Michigan) Lakes trail. We begin to ascend along the American Lakes trail which follows the Michigan River. At about 3.25 miles the winter trail deviates from the summer trail and continues ascending along the river. 

From the basin we will choose from several options depending on conditions.  These include climbing up to Michigan Lake or Thunder Pass to peer down into RMNP.

The trip is rated as moderate, but there are a few hills that may challenge novice BCN skiers.  Contact the trip leader if you are uncertain.

The meeting time and place will be communicated to trip participants a few days beforehand.  But expect to meetup in Northern Fort Collins at about 7 am for the ~90 minute drive to the Cameron Pass TH.