Cross Country Skiers at Forbush Corner Nordic

The Past and Future of Snowmaking at Forbush

creating whales of snow — Early Morning Snowmaking, Forbush Corner

With some great snow grooming equipment and dedicated workers and volunteers, Forbush Corner’s locations, between Graying and Gaylord Michigan, in the heart of Northern Lower Michigan’s snowbelt region has resulted in a Nordic ski area that has had some of the finest cross country ski trails available.

But even with its great location, the snowy season seems to be getting shorter and shorter. Five years ago, the directors of Forbush Corner Nordic, a nonprofit cross-country skiing facility with a generous donation, installed snowmaking equipment on two kilometers of the facility’s 30-plus kilometer trail system. This $1.2 million dollar expansion included the creation of a pond, a pump house and laying underground piping system with individual above-ground “snow sticks” that help lay down a generous base for skiing. SMI Snowmakers of Midland Michigan, a company with a global reputation were the main contractors for the design and system installation. In addition, much volunteer work went into preparing the trails for the system. These improvements cross country skiers are able enjoy the trails from late November-Early December through March and even into April -- giving people more time to discover not only Forbush Corner but possibly a new-found love of cross-country skiing.

Snowmaking guns in action — More Whales of Snow

Fast forward to the summer of 2024, the board of directors, and with additional generous contributions, Forbush Corner has once again started preparing trails for the installation of 1.3 km of additional snowmaking. A new contract was recently signed with SMI Snowmakers, and the installation is scheduled for this fall.

The past few winters have shown that the right decision was made 5 years ago to add snowmaking, and this addition will result in a greater variety of terrain with snowmaking, the ability to ski on manmade snow well a section of trail has new snow added. Forbush Corner Nordic has trails for all ability levels. With the 3.3 km of state of the art snowmaking, and it’s location in Mid-Michigan snowbelt, your practically guaranteed to have some great xc ski conditions through out the entire ski season.

Funding Forbush Corner Nordic

Income from shop sales, rentals, and passes is primarily used for operating costs for the ski center and trails. Examples of these expenses include utilities for buildings, electricity for making snow, fuel for groomers and other equipment. Improvements to buildings, purchase or replacement of equipment, and expansion of the snowmaking system comes from donations to Forbush Corner Nordic, a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization. Please consider a donation so we can continue to improve our infrastructure and keep passes at levels that will encourage other to give the wonderful sport of Cross Country skiing a try.

Contributions can be made through this Paypal link, through an individual’s charitable mutual fund, stocks/bond transfers or by check. We are a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization, registered with GuideStar and with the State of Michigan. Checks should be made out to Forbush Corner Nordic and mailed to the following address. Forbush Corner Nordic PO Box 118 Gaylord, MI 49734

The Past and Future of Snowmaking at Forbush

Funding Forbush Corner Nordic

The Final Product