On January 27th, skiing will be free in the Methow Valley.    It's the Methow Valley's "backyard ski day", and there will be no trail passes required on the 200km MVSTA trail network.     Local rental shops will have free rental skis for beginners or anyone who needs some skis to use.   There will be free baked goods at trail heads.   And free shuttles for point-to-point skiers. Grass-roots programs that introduce people to cross country skiing are a key to the development of the sport.     Do your part and encourage your friends to try skiing.    Better yet, take someone skiing!Stone Grinding ScheduleYou've been training to get the most from your skiing, so make sure your skis aren't a limiter.Prepare all of your skis to run their best with a fresh stone grind and hotbox service. At Nordic Ultratune, a stone grinding batch starts every Thursday and those skis are ready for shipping on the following Monday -- just 4 days later. Return shipping is FedEx Express Saver, which is 3rd day delivery. So, skis that are shipped out on Monday will arrive back to you on Thursday.Here's the upcoming service schedule at Nordic Ultratune. Use these dates to make sure you get your skis ready before your most important events.Skis in by Jan 19th will ship out on Jan 23 and arrive back to you by Jan 26th..Skis in by Jan 26 will ship out on Jan 30 and arrive to you by the Feb 2nd.Skis in by Feb 2 will ship out on Feb 6Skis in by Feb 9th will ship out on Feb 13th and get to you by Feb 16th.You can see that there are still a few service batches scheduled before the big Marathon races (including the Birkie!).     There is still time to get a fast grind on your skis before your biggest events! But don't delay... ...fast boards are a joy to ski on, and they're a real advantage.Download a work order form here. A description of some of the grinds is here.