Ski Touring: The BBSC is not just about bicycling. Once the weather gets too cold and the snow covers the Midwest many members take to the cross-country trails, both locally and in Wisconsin. Talk to the club Ski Touring Director with questions or comments - see the contact list for details. Always check the club event calendar or club email for current events, especially while COVID restrictions are in effect.
Ski Breakfasts: A favorite activity of both skiers and non-skiing BBSC members are the ski breakfasts. Each Saturday in December, January and February, members meet at 9am at a restaurant that is located near some of our local trails. Some people ski prior to eating, and others may head for the trails afterward. All members are welcome whether they ski or not. The Ski Touring Chairperson usually has information on ski conditions throughout Illinois and nearby sites in Wisconsin. Future trips are usually discussed at these informal meetings. (This activity has stopped recently due to COVID restrictions - we hope this activity will start up again in the winter of 2021/2022.)
Local Ski Areas: Rock Cut State Park is an excellent area when we have the snow. Trails are groomed for skate skiers and there are tracked trails as well for the striders. Trails are rolling with some hills and flats are also found here. Trails and conditions can be found on the Northern Illinois Nordic web at: (ni-nordic-facebook).
- Sinnissippi Golf Course in Rockford has tracked/groomed trails with hilly terrain. This course can be skied at night. Rockford Park District information is available at: (www.rockfordparkdistrict.org).
- A few Winnebago County Forest Preserves (www.winnebagoforest.org), the Boone County Conservation Areas, Byron Forest Preserve and Lowden-Miller State Forest in Ogle County are alternatives to the groomed if you are a classic skier that doesn't mind breaking trail on occasion. None of these are groomed or maintained, but many locals ski them and usually one can find tracks to follow. McHenry County (www.mccdistrict.org) also has several areas groomed for skiers.
- Nearby in Wisconsin many fine ski sites can be reached within a two or three hour drive. These include the John Muir and Nordic trails in Walworth County, McMiller and Scuppernong Trails in Waukesha County. The Madison area has Elver Park and other places nearby. Most are available on the Wisconsin State Tourism Website (www.travelwisconsin.com) or the Madison Nordic Ski Club site (www.madnorski.org).
Through special events, including moonlight skiing, lessons or trips to nearby trail sites, BBSC encourages its members to enjoy winter on skis. Check the BBSC or Northern Illinois Nordic web sites for details. Hey, it’s a great way to stay fit for the biking season!
Out of Town Ski Trips: The BBSC schedules trips to Wisconsin ski centers when possible. These vary in time from a weekend to weeklong. Lodging is at a local motel and the group usually meets for breakfast and dinner
Groomed Trails in Winnebago County
- Rock Cut State Park: groomed at least weekly with areas for both skating and classical skiing. Terrain varies from gentle to rolling with a few good hills.
- Rockford Park District: skiing is allowed on all city golf courses - please stay off the greens.
- Sinnissippi & Aldeen Golf Courses: groomed regularly for both classical and skate skiing. Sinnisippi has a mile loop with gentle or rolling terrain and one significant hill.
- Atwood Park: has a 3 mile groomed loop trail on the south side of the Kishwaukee River for classic and skate - hilly. Trail can get a bit narrow for skating in some sections.
Additional Info: look in the "ski" folder in the club Documents library for more details about ski equipment and local forest preserve options.