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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 trails

Our 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.

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. Proposals accepted between January 15th & March 31st. 


Link here Previous grant awards info

Link here for info on grant program policy

Link here for application procedures. 

Link here for 2024 Request for Proposals (RFP) notic

Link here for slide show on grant program



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



Donate to NSSTC Trail Development Fund

Donations to our Trail Fund help maintain and develop ski trails used by North Stars.  Each year teams of North Stars work on trails chosen by the club. Donated funds reimburse volunteers for travel expenses and purchase tools. Follow the link below to 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 more extensive projects.


North Stars at 2024 World Cup

World Cup Big Weekend for Loppet Foundation and Nordic Ski Community

The big event February 17-18, 2024, at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis was attended by about 40,000 joyous nordic ski enthusiasts scattered across the hilly race course. North Stars club was fortunate to get a block of tickets in our exclusive North Star Ski Touring Club Cheer Zone, on the race course. 


Thanks go out to Craig Wiklund, Club Publicity Coordinator for an amazing job organizing our club participation. 


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XC ski slide show to get you in the mood for the season

Link to slide show of club activities displayed at North Stars Exhibit booth


2024-25 Extended Multi-Day Travel Trips:  Link


Ski Buddy Program

Our program for beginning adult classic skiers connects our volunteers with skiers who have completed an organized ski lesson to meet on snow to help improve and enjoy the skiing experience

Link here for info about the stress-free program: how to request a ski buddy, practical tips for clothes, safe falling, equipment, places to ski, etc.

Email for Ski Buddy contact: Link

Announcements/News

December 10, 2024 General Meeting Announcement

Lee Frelich, Ph.D. Director, MN Ctr for Forest Ecology, U of MN will talk about the profound effects of climate change on forest ecology -- the types of trees, underbrush, wetlands and wildlife -- all habitat through which we enjoy cross-country ski trails.

6:30pm: Social & Meet

7:00pm: Club business and speaker

> Location: Danish American Ctr., 3030 W. River Rd. Pkwy, Mpls

> This is a hybrid mtg: in-person or join virtually via Zoom  NSSTC Zoom Meeting Link


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 * (link below).
  • Location: Danish American Ctr., 3030 W. River Rd. Pkwy, Mpls 
  • Month-to-month meeting program descriptions: Link
  •  Join virtually: NSSTC Zoom Meeting Link


Video recordings and documents from NSSTC meetings

  • November 11, 2024: Clair Wilson, Executive Director of Loppet Foundation, "Challenges, Lessons and Successes of the Loppet Cup 2024" Link to video
  • October 8, 2024: Stephanie Croteau, a North Star member and Worldloppet Master x2 shares her world nordic travels and tips on planning group trips.  Link to video
  • December 12, 2023: Bob O'Hara, legendary North Star member, shares the 'serendipity' of his far north trips and recent Greenland trip. Video link
  • February 13, 2024  Greg BreiningWolf Island: Discovering Secrets of A Mythic Animal. A prolific Minnesota author, discussed his recent book on wolves of Isle Royale. Link to video
  • November 14, 2023 Deb Diggins:  A Ski Family's Journey from Mini-loppet to World Cup:  Link to video
  • January 11, 2022: Favorite Place to Ski: East, West, and Midwest, Four X-country skiing clubs across the U.S: North Stars, Nooksack Nordic, Bellingham, WA; Capital Area Ski Touring, New York State   Video link
  • February 8, 2022: Changing Climate of Minnesota, Dr. Kenneth Blumenfeld of the MN State Climatology Office,"Phantom Winters, Unexpected Throwbacks, and New Precipitation Extremes: The Changing Climate of Minnesota". Video link


Club Zoom meetings now in Documents Library! 

To see slides from "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". 


Coming Soon: New Book About Norm Oakvik  

Due to be released in November on www.thebookpatch.com, the book covers Norm’s life, his competitors, and the dozens of Minnesota State HS Nordic champions he coached, plus a detailed list of Minnesota high school ski champs from 1935 to 1980. The book includes interviews, stories, newspaper clippings, and dozens of photographs of many of those champions and Olympians, and a chapter about the founding of the North Star Ski Touring Club.


Norm was one of the founders of our club in 1967. His dedication to teaching and encouraging skiers fueled the rapid growth of our club and the sport. Norm made many contributions to the growth of cross country skiing in Minnesota. His generous bequest to the NSSTC upon his death in 2015 continues to enhance cross country skiing in Minnesota and Wisconsin through the North Star Grant Program, which has, to date, awarded $195,000 in grants to ski clubs and other organizations to grow and enhance the sport of Nordic skiing.


The author, Doug Edmonson, was a Minnesota state champion in cross country skiing in 1966. Norm Oakvik was his coach.  

Doug will be be the speaker at the NSSTC general meeting on January 14, 2025.


“Norm Oakvik: The Inconspicuous Coach and Book of Champions”, Hardcover, 7 in x 10 in, 420 pages, $53.95. 

It would be a great stocking stuffer!


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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                             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.