Where to buy cross-country skis. And a new snowmobile trailhead.

While winter is starved of snow, here’s a heads-up on some things you’ll want to know so you can ski or snowmobile when the flakes do come back.

As we’ve seen, it usually comes with just a few days' notice. And then it arrives in blankets, blizzards or sneaky little snowfalls. Better be ready.

Where to buy nordic skis

Every once in a while, someone is ready to move on from renting cross-country skis (aka, nordic skis) at local parks and wants to buy their own set. They ask me where they can buy them in the general South Bend area.

Outpost Sports in Mishawaka used to sell them until the store closed a couple of years ago. That left a noticeable gap, but there are some growing options if you're willing to make a bit of a drive.

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Play It Again Sports, 3527 S. Main St., Elkhart, does sell a limited number of cross-country skis, boots and poles, both used and new. Like other winter gear, they dwindle as they’re bought up through the season. Call them at 574-293-2462.

The next closest?

The Outpost Store in South Haven, which long-time Outpost employee Jacquie Lea bought and reopened in May 2022, is now selling Fischer skis, boots and poles, along with snowshoes and cold-weather clothing. Find the store at 114 Dyckman Ave., South Haven. Call 269-637-5555 or visit outpostsportssh.com.

Then there's The Ski Shop at Milham Park, 4200 Lovers Lane, Kalamazoo, which is actually on a city golf course that gets groomed for cross-country skiing when conditions permit. The shop also sells and services downhill skis and snowboards. Many of the people who work in the seasonal store had worked at the former Lee’s Adventure Sports stores in the Kalamazoo-Portage area, Joe Prior, the golf professional who runs the sales operations but leaves the ski expertise to the staffers, says.

However, Prior quickly points out that the Rossignol and Fischer cross-country skis that he stocks all come from factories in Ukraine. About three weeks ago, he finally got an order he’d placed in January 2022. Lea reports a similar delay at the Outpost store in South Haven.

Prior has placed more orders since then, but, given the war’s impact, it’s unpredictable when they’ll arrive. The store has enough cross-country gear for taller skiers, a few for medium sizes and “it’s hit or miss” for smaller sizes, he says. Call 269-344-7639 or visit theskishopatmilhampark.com.

Beyond that, you can shop for cross-country gear at Uncle Jib’s Ski Shop, with downhill gear, too, at its stores at 650 Riley St., Holland (616-416-3010) or 626 Romance Road, Portage, Mich. (269-775-1396). Visit unclejibs.com.

Next furthest is Bill and Paul’s Sporthaus, 1200 E. Paris Ave., Grand Rapids. In a quick call, I learned that it’s starting to sell out of some standard sizes. Call at 616-458-1684 or visit billandpauls.com.

If you know of another store that sells cross-country gear that’s closer, drop me a line.

Meanwhile, you can also look for downhill skis and snowboards at Swiss Valley’s ski shop in Jones and for snowboards at Third Coast Surf Shop, 212 State St., St. Joseph.

New snowmobile trailhead

The Buffalo Run Snowmobile Trail in South Bend, which at 68 miles is the longest one in Indiana, moved one of its three trailheads this season.

The trailhead at the South Bend Motor Speedway closed after roughly 35 years when a new landowner along the route there decided to deny access, according to Deak Thornton, who coordinates the trail and is president of the Indiana Snowmobile Association. Snowmobile trails operate along private land through the permission of landowners, which is why it’s critical for riders to respect trail rules and avoid ever veering off of the trail.

So, in an agreement with another landowner for this winter, a new trailhead has been set up along Pear Road, south of Indiana 2 and north of Harrison Road. It’s a patch of a cornfield that local volunteers will snowplow when the trail is open, with room for roughly 25 or 30 vehicles and trailers, Thornton says. It's marked with a big sign.

Buffalo Run still also has a trailhead at Stella’s Bar and Grill, 59400 Crumstown Highway, South Bend, and at Groceries By Joe, 485 E. Michigan St., New Carlisle.

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The trail route changes from year to year. Sometimes it may be because a farmer plants wheat along the route. This year, the west end of the trail heading into New Carlisle had to veer south of a new solar farm that’s in the works.

Local volunteers try to host an open house for the public once a winter when enough snow finally permits the trail to be opened and groomed; stay tuned. The Christmas blizzard, with all of its blowing, Thornton says, didn’t provide enough snow to open.

For a map and details on this and other Indiana snowmobile trails, visit on.IN.gov/snowmobiling.

Swiss Valley’s new run

Swiss Valley Ski & Snowboard Area in Jones is touting a new black diamond (advanced) run that’s open only when there’s enough natural snow on it. Which is not now. But the run did open after the Christmas blizzard.

You’ll find Weezy’s Way about halfway down Mountain Do (the long intermediate run), along the right side. It curls through the woods and plunges back to the bottom of Mountain Do.

During the off season, some of the hardwood trees were harvested to create the route. It’s named after the guy who drove the bulldozer for the project. The resort warns that the run does have obstacles. It’ll be open during daylight hours.

Swiss Valley’s other natural-snow run is Graduation, which is a steep slope starting near the rentals building. It, too, awaits snow. As of Monday, the resort had only four runs open as it was squeezing in snow making when temperatures sank.

Find columnist Joseph Dits on Facebook at SBTOutdoorAdventures or 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Where to buy cross-country skis and Buffalo Run snowmobile trail moves