Skiing, luge deals abound in Michigan

• Reprints

Updated: February 6, 2012 8:54AM

“It snowed — finally — Hello Winter 2012!!!” was Monday morning’s Facebook post by a friend who lives an hour away in Michigan.

Although most of us don’t quite share that kind of enthusiasm for the white stuff, a lot of us do like to make the most of it with an occasional day of skiing or of getting out and playing in the snow.

If it does keep snowing in Michigan, or even just stays cold enough for snow making, there are some nice skiing deals being offered, and a unique opportunity to experience luge.

† Register now for Saturday’s Pure Michigan Trails Day, a free day of cross-country skiing or snow shoeing at the Cross Country Ski Headquarters in Roscommon, Mich., for adults or children who are new to these activities.

The day begins with fitting for free rentals, followed by an introductory group clinic covering the basics of the sport you choose. Next, the novice group follows a tour leader to a cabin for free hot dogs and cocoa by a bonfire. After that you can head back to the lodge or continue to explore trails until 2 p.m. CST.

For complete details, go to www.cross-country-ski.com and click on the events calendar. To register, send your name, address, age, shoe size and choice of sport to skibones@aol.com. Roscommon is about a five-hour drive from northwest Indiana. The website also offers links to nearby overnight accommodations.

† Discover Michigan Skiing offers a discount introductory package for first time snowboarders, downhill or cross-country skiers, age 7 and over, at participating facilities through the end of January. The package includes a beginner lesson, rental equipment and a lift or trail pass all for $20 for cross-country skiing, $30 for downhill skiing and $40 for snowboarding.

For complete details, a program voucher and list of participating ski facilities, go online to www.goskimichigan.com and click on Discover Michigan Skiing. Next, call the ski area of your choice to make a reservation. Reservations are required and spaces are limited.

† Get a “Ski Free” voucher when you buy 10 or more gallons of Shell gasoline at a participating station in Michigan. The voucher is good for a free lift ticket through April 16 with the purchase of a full price adult lift ticket at participating ski resorts across the United States, including 25 facilities in Michigan.

Be sure to get the voucher and receipt stamped at the station, and then make plans with another skier to hit the slopes. Complete details, including lists and maps of participating stations and ski resorts are available online at www.skifreedeals.com.

† For something completely different you might try your hand (or more correctly, your whole body) at luge. The Muskegon Winter Sports Complex has one of only four luge tracks in the country and claims to be the most publicly accessible.

The Muskegon Learn to Luge Experience offers beginning group luge instructions in 2½-hour clinics. A coach offers handling and safety instruction, and then the new “sliders” carry their 25- to 40-pound sleds upstairs to the beginner starting point. From there you sled down on the iced track at speeds that might hit 30 miles per hour.

If you survive it — I mean, enjoy it — there typically is time for three to eight runs in each clinic.

The Learn to Luge Experience costs $40 and is open to ages 8 and up with proof of health insurance. For complete details, and a link to their funny commercial, go to www.msports.org.