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The short cross-country ski season ended with a bang with the 51st annual American Birkebeiner cross-country ski race in Hayward, Wisconsin. The race has been disrupted too often lately with Covid and lack of snow. Last season, the race was abbreviated to 30 kilometers on manmade snow thanks to a historical paucity of snow. This year, the full Birkie returned, and this was my first full race since pre-Covid. I made the trip in style, and along with doing the race, I also conducted a Mazda CX-50 hybrid review.

Mazda CX-50 hybrid review on a Birkie road trip

Go north young man – Road trip to Hayward, Wisconsin

A Mazda CX-50 hybrid keys fell into my hands on Thursday, and I immediately drove it north to Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I was immediately fascinated by the new technology. The speed limit and my miles per hour were illuminated on the dash right at eye level. This technology is called Heads Up Display or (HUD), and it was the first I had heard or seen of this new car amenity. It was so nice to be able to see this and not have to take my eye off the road to check. It did take some getting used to as I kept glancing where I normally look when the visual was right in front of me, although I soon adjusted.

Heads up display keeps those heads up

Related: 2020 Birkie fever cross-country ski Marathon

One thing I was not prepared for was the lack of a USB port. The CX-50 hybrid only had a port for a c cable, so you need to have a cable c to lightning port adapter if you have an iPhone. Without this, it is tricky to connect to Apple Car Play. Once a c cable to lightening adapter was secured, I felt more at ease in my new environment.

Sleek design on the Mazda CX-50 hybrid

Mazda CX-50 hybrid review refined design

The looks of a car do not matter a whole lot to me, but I know it does for many. Despite my indifference towards a cars visual appeal, I was immediately drawn towards the aesthetic of the car the moment it was dropped off. It was power white without a mark on it, so that helped quite a bit. Everyone likes the look of a new white car. Mazda says it best when they note on their website that “the powerful aesthetic of the CX-50 fuses strength and dynamism with meticulous detailing for a vibrant utility that calls you to explore your environment.” As soon as I saw the car, I looked forward to driving it through the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Mazda CX-50 hybrid review

Related; Mazda CX-50 Review on a Tennessee fishing trip

Eau Claire to Hayward and then to Sax-Zim Bog

Friday was a busy day as I woke up early to make the annual Worldloppet Breakfast in Hayward. After that, I picked up my racing bib and then drove to Sax-Zim Bog in northern Minnesota. Sax-Zim Bog is famous for being one of the best places to spot a great gray owl in the United States. They also have regular sighting of boreal owls, northern hawk owls, and snowy owls. I saw a snowy owl there last year, but this year I was shut out on the owl front. It was a blustery day, so I am sure most birds were tucked in and keeping warm in the woods.

The Mazda CX-50 hybrid review moves to Sax-Zim Bog

Hiking Sax-Zim Bog looking for owls

I enjoyed how the CX-50 handled the snowy gravel backroads of rural Minnesota.  The car not only comes with standard AWD, it also features i-Activ AWD. This system monitors vehicle dynamics and variations in wheel loads and automatically controls distribution of torque to provide predictable handling on unpaved roads or in difficult conditions. This is always welcome when driving in the Midwest during the winter, especially on gravel roads.

The start of wave 5 of the Birkie Classic

Completed the Birkie in under six hours

The next day was devoted to skiing my 8th American Birkebeiner cross-country ski race. I completed the race in under six hours, which is the first time I have skied so fast in perhaps a decade. The last time I skied the full race was 2020, just before Covid, and I finished that race in six hours and 34 minutes. One reason this year’s race was significantly faster was the race was shortened from 55 kilometers to 53. Even if you added 20 minutes to my time,

GoPro action shots from 2025 Birkie Classic Race

This was the first time that I actually felt like I used a proper racing strategy. Usually, I just ski as fast as I can for as long as I can. The last 10-20 kilometers, I am usually exhausted and barely have enough energy to finish. This year, I made a point to really hold back my first ten kilometers. I went at a comfortable pace instead of pushing myself and trying to keep up and pass people. Midway through the race, I began to pick it up a bit. Towards the end, I felt like I had enough energy to keep a good pace and even go faster at times.

After 5 hours and 54 minutes, made it to the Birkie finish line in Hayward, Wisconsin

Road trip back home

After a few celebratory beers on Main Street in Hayward, I took a shuttle bus back to my Mazda and drove back to Eau Claire in order to be closer to Chicago the next day. I really appreciated the cargo space in the Mazda CX-50. It had ample space for my skis, poles, luggage, and cooler. This trip was a solo trip, but it would have been easy to fit more people including a whole family with their gear as well.

Photo courtesy of Mazda

With so much driving in a short period of time, my pocketbook appreciated the 38 mpg gas efficiency. I definitely saved a lot as I probably put close to a 1,000 miles on the car as it is 400 miles each way to Hayward. It was great to have such a wonderful ride on my Wisconsin Northwoods road trip to Hayward, Wisconsin. The Mazda CX-50 handled the backroads of Wisconsin and Minnesota in style and with efficiency.

Adventure on!