Treetops Offers A Trailside Buffet for Skiers

By Jim DuFresne

Just before the start of every cross-country ski season, I ask myself the same question; do I eat to ski or ski to eat? The older I get, and the slower I shuffle down those finely groomed tracks, the answer becomes abundantly clear. I ski to eat, and I’m not alone.

From ski resorts to vineyards and brewpubs, I’ve discovered there’s no shortage of trails featuring buffet tables and tasting rooms in northern Michigan.

The most unusual is Treetops Ski Resorts’ Skiable Feast, where you have to ski – or snowshoe – if you want to eat.

“Skiing and eating, they go hand-in-hand,” said Beth Pittiglio, Marketing Manager at Treetops. “We sell out our Skiable Feast pretty quick, so we added two more waves this year for a total of six.”

A cross-country skier glides along the groomed tracks of Treetops Resort.

You can cross-country ski anytime at the Gaylord resort, which grooms almost 9 kilometers of trails for classic and skate skiers, but the feast is a special event staged five times from mid-January to mid-March.

Described as a “gourmet winter adventure,” Skiable Feast covers 6 kilometers (3.8 miles) and includes five food and beverage stations from start to finish. Literary.

The event begins at the resort’s Jones Activity Center, where prior to hitting the trail, they tempt you with a Western scramble bake packed with sausage, peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and cheese, served with fresh melon and breakfast pastry. That ought to get you kicking and gliding.

The following three stations are scattered along the trail where skiers stop to refuel on carb-infused offerings like Chorizo and sweet potato chili and tenderloin stroganoff served with gnocchi.

You want a glass of wine or pint with any of those?

Eventually, you loop back to the Jones Activity Center, where the staff rewards your effort with tempting desserts and fresh fruit.

For most skiers, this spread on skinny skis is a leisurely outing that lasts four hours which is a good thing, says Pittiglio.
“That’s a lot more carbs than most people would normally eat,” says Pittiglio. “But when you’re spending so much time outside skiing, you probably need that much fuel. It’s the best of both worlds.”

The Treetops Skiable Feast Trail Map. Click on the map to view a larger version or to download and print.

Skiable Feast includes adult libations, so Treetops also stages the Spudtacular Snowshoe Lunch for families, a two-hour guided tour along the historic Potato Railroad. In honor of the railroad grade being used in the past to haul spuds, the snowshoe route features multiple food stations, all serving potato dishes. For most skiers, this spread on skinny skis is a leisurely outing that lasts four hours which is a good thing, says Pittiglio.

“That’s a lot more carbs than most people would normally eat,” says Pittiglio. “But when you’re spending so much time outside skiing, you probably need that much fuel. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Skiable Feast includes adult libations, so Treetops also stages the Spudtacular Snowshoe Lunch for families, a two-hour guided tour along the historic Potato Railroad. In honor of the railroad grade being used in the past to haul spuds, the snowshoe route features multiple food stations, all serving potato dishes.

For dates, costs, and reservations to Skiable Feast, Spudtacular Lunch, or other winter events at Treetops, go to the resort’s website or call 866- 348-5249.