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Join us for Cross Country Skiing and More!

Join us for Cross Country Skiing and More!
  Join us for Cross Country Skiing and More!

 
Join us for Cross Country Skiing and More!


 
Join us for Cross Country Skiing and More!

North Star Ski Touring Club

Cross Country Skiing is our passion,
but we have fun all year!

Join us!   Ski, bike, hike, paddle, dance, socialize, support trailsOur club is the largest ski touring club in the lower 48.  Formed in 1967, our all-volunteer club sponsors day, weekend, week-long trips. We make a difference- through advocacy, trail maintenance and a grant-giving program.  Share your love of the outdoors with friends.

NSSTC COVID-19 Vaccination Policy / Link: NSSTC Covid Policy

North Star Grant Program

Shaping the Future of the Club and Cross Country Skiing

Norm Oakvik, a club founder, donated a part of his estate to NSSTC to support the club and to further grow the sport of Nordic Skiing in Minnesota. 

Each year the North Star Grant program seeks, evaluates and funds worthy projects.

Link here for info on grant program policy
Link here for application procedures. 

2023 Grants:   
We awarded $25,125 to six organizations to enhance cross-country skiing.  
Ashland Ski Trail Association: new grooming machine

• Loppet Environmental Action Planning Committee:
 support the Loppet Fluoro Take-Back Program

• Lake Washington Regional Park (Mankato):
 grooming equipment – roller, trail groomer, track setter

• Lake of the Woods School ISD 390:
 equipment for the Nordic Rocks program for 120 youth

•North Superior Ski and Running:
 ski equipment for youth & high school

•Nordic Ski Club of Central MN:
Grooming equipment or ski equipment (allowing club to choose)


2022 Grants:   2020 Grant Project Report
We awarded $29,000 to eight organizations to enhance cross-country skiing in Minnesota.  

Bemidji Area XC Ski Club to help replace an aging snowmobile used for grooming 95K of trails.

• Brainerd Nordic Ski Club to help buy a grooming snowmobile. The county no longer grooms trails.

• Norpine Trail Association in Lutsen to join with others to cover cost of a used piston bully.

Cloquet Nordic Ski Club to help buy 20 sets of youth ski equipment, lessons for 160 young skiers.

Lake Country Nordic Ski Club in Hackensack for a weed and brush mower to widen the trails.

Coon Rapids Nordic Ski Boosters Club to build more trails for grade school and H.S. teams.

• Northern Lights Nordic Ski Club in Grand Rapids for partial funding of trail grooming equipment.

• Bloomington Nordic Ski Team for ski equipment for new members of the high school ski team.

For more info: 2022 Media Release

2021 Awards
In 2021 we provided $25,000 for these projects:  


• 
Ottertail Nordic Ski Assoc.-skis for youth program

 

• Medicine Lake Ski Club–grooming equipment

Loppet Foundation–lighting at Theo. Wirth Park

 

• Mt. Ashwabayconstruction equipment for trails

 

• North Superior Ski Club–ski equipment & course markers

• Washington Co. Ski Club–ski equipment

 

2020 Awards
In 2020 this program provided $25,000 in funding for the following projects. 
FFI on 2020 projects: Link.

 

• MN Youth Ski League

Bemidji Area Cross Country Ski Club

Sugarbush Trail Assoc.

• Rochester Active Sports Club (RASA)

Banadad Trail Assoc.

Itasca Ski and Outing Club

Agassiz Environmental Learning Ctr.




 



Trail Stewardship

Every fall the club schedules trail-clearing trips to several

Minnesota ski areas. Rolling up their
sleeves and brandishing hand tools, rakes and chainsaws, club members clear brush to get cross-country ski trails ready for the winter.

Schedule information is found on the Master Event Calendar


*******************************
XC ski slide show to get you in the mood for the season
Link to slide show of club activities displayed at North Stars booth at the Midwest Winter Expo

Donate to NSSTC Trail Development Fund

Donations to our Trail Fund are used to maintain and develop ski trails used by North Stars in Minnesota.  Each year teams of North Stars work on trimming, sawing, clearing, filling holes, building bridges, and other tasks to improve trails chosen by the club. Donated funds reimburse volunteers for travel expenses and purchase tools. 


We are glad to add this additional process so that members and other can make donations to the Trail Fund anytime, outside of membership sign-up or renewal transaction.  Donate to Trail Development Fund

Note: The Trail Fund is separate from the North Star Grant Program that funds projects proposed by organizations.

Donations for Maplelag Fire Recovery 
North Stars collected donations to help Maplelag Resort recover from a disastrous fire, October 10, 2022. North Star Ski Touring Club has sponsored annual trips to Maplelag for over 35 years.  Hundreds of club members hold dear their experiences at this wonderful destination and want to contribute to the re-building of the property and maintenance of their excellent trails. Thanks to those who generously donated. 

Announcements/News


Regular Club Meetings: 6:30pm (Social); 7pm (Program); 8:30 (End)
 > 2nd Tuesday of the Month, October to March
 > Hybrid Meetings:  Attend in person or virtually online.
 > Location:  Danish American Ctr., 3030 W. River Rd. Pkwy, Mpls 


December 12, 2023 General Meeting: 

6:30pm:  Social & Meet with Winter Trip Leaders

7:00pm: Bob O'Hara speaker on Amazing Greenland

Greenland is a small country of less than 60,000 inhabitants, is covered in ice and produces tons of icebergs. Bob O’Hara ended up there by accident in 2019 when his trip to the high arctic islands of Canada was re-routed to West Greenland. He found it a fascinating place but his quest to see the east side of Greenland was interrupted twice by COVID.  Finally in Sept of 2022 he secured a berth on a 3 masted schooner that traveled in Scoresby-Sund for 12 days of hiking and sailing amid fiords full of icebergs. Come to witness this amazing experience with stories and photos slides.

     Bob O'Hara is a legendary expedition canoeist based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. He's been leading weeks- and months-long canoe expeditions into the Arctic and far north since the late 1960s.  Bob has also gained a reputation as a great mentor and resource.  He is organizer of the Far North Symposium, Nordic ski coach and state nordic ski meet director, long-term member of North Star Ski Touring Club, and a Hall of Fame Explorer.  
     Bob joined the North Stars in 1969 and skied the first VJC race, along with many more. His love of skiing resulted in becoming the first girls ski coach for Armstrong H.S. in 1972. He was later transitioned to Cooper H.S. in 1974 and took over the boys team and added a girls team that resulted in a girls State Meet Champion. He coached skiing until 2010. For over 20 years he lead a March NSSTC weekend to Giants Ridge, Biwabik MN. that filled with 50 skiers every year. He also organized many years of lessons for club members.  This is is third stint working with programs for the club. As an educator he relished having summer off which allowed him to spend time in Canada traveling 34 different river systems for multi week canoe expeditions. This was also his 65th consecutive year in the BWCA. His best advice for those who canoe is ”keep the round side down” and for those very senior citizens is “stay upright”.

  > Join virtually via Zoom NSSTC Zoom Meeting Link

   > Check Master Schedule for future meeting details Link to Events Calendar Master 

Extended Travel Trips Open for Registration

See link for more info:  Upcoming Extended Trips 

Video recordings of recent NSSTC meetings


 November 14, 2023  General Meeting:  Deb Diggins speaks: Link to Deb Diggins talk

Deb Diggins:  A Minnesota Ski Family's Journey from Miniloppet to World Cup:  
   > "What is it like to be Jessie Diggins Mom?"
   > "What is the path that Jessie and her family traveled from recreational skiing to world class competition?" 


January 11, 2022 Membership Meeting:  Favorite Place to Ski: East, West, Midwest

A presentation by NSSTC member Bruce Nelson of North Stars' favorite places to ski. This includes a presentation by NSSTC member Bruce Nelson of North Stars’ favorite places to ski. This was part of a panel discussion with representatives of four X-country skiing clubs across the U.S.  The presenter from Nooksack Nordic Club in Bellingham, Washington discussed their favorite trails (https://www.nooksacknordicskiclub.org/trails/where-to-ski/if-i-had-three-days/) and
the Capital Area Ski Touring Association in New York discussed their favorite trails (https://www.nordicskiclub.org/ski_trails).  Link to this video: https://youtu.be/vOzaPRRmxeo
 
February 8, 2022 M
embership Meeting:  Changing Climate of Minnesota
"Phantom Winters, Unexpected Throwbacks, and New Precipitation Extremes: The Changing Climate of Minnesota" presented by Dr. Kenneth Blumenfeld of the Minnesota State Climatology Office. 
Link to this video:  https://youtu.be/KuTWikTQ7mE


Club Zoom meetings now in Documents Library! 
To see "Trails of the North Shore" (December, 2021 meeting), go to "Resources" on the status line above, then "Document Library", "Folders" and on the bottom of the list click on "Club Zoom Meeting PDF's". 

Announcing Ski Mentoring Program
Our new program for beginning adult classic skiers connects our volunteers with skiers who have completed an organized ski lesson to meet on snow to provide tips and answer questions about how to improve and enjoy the skiing experience.

Link here for info about how the program works, how to request a mentor, practical learning tips such as clothes, safely falling and getting up, waxes, equipment, places to ski, getting into and out of your bindings and just stress-free support. 



Upcoming Events
Sept. 14, 2020 North Star "Test Run" Zoom Meeting
Bruce Nelson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: North Star Test Run Zoom Meeting
Time: Sep 14, 2020 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97426432976?pwd=bDQzTnlPTDJKZmkyQ09qZmhyWnN6QT09

Meeting ID: 974 2643 2976
Passcode: 284720
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Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/aT37kvIu


                             North Star Facebook Page

Click on photos below for more information about North Star Ski Touring Club

Membership

Meet new friends, take advantage of the year-round activities and great ski trips. Join today for as little as $20/year!
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Extended Travel Ski Trips

Join us in the many exciting ski trips offered each year. Join the club and enjoy the full package of benefits and save.
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Year-round Events

Our spring, summer and fall events include hiking, cycling, paddling, social activities, volunteering and more.