Both trail systems were groomed the best they could be due to the weather and snow conditions. On the Teuton Trails, all the loops were groomed and tracks reset yesterday. They are most likely in excellent condition after a cold night to help freeze the tracks and trail down and are in excellent condition. Loops A and B on the Valkyrie Trails were the only two loops that could be groomed due to conditions. The entrances to get onto Loop C are blocked by ice berms. The Valkyre Trails are in fair condition and are thin. The upper parking lot has been closed off due the ground being so saturated that a vehicle was stuck and caused deep rutting. The secondary parking area was also closed due to the soft, wet soils and deep ruts. Parking is available in the main lot below the closed upper parking area. With warm forecast, the Forest Service will be announcing if they are putting the annual trail closure into effect for all trails on Monday, March 6th.

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

2-3 inches of fresh powder on 1-3 inch crusty base. 100% coverage. Did Teuton A,B, and C loops.

(Steve Lindell)

Beautiful skiing this morning. 1.5 feet of natural snow. VR 50 worked great. VR 55 an hour later. Should be good skiing for the next week... unless nature has its disastrous imprint. Early morning skiing is recommended. The Valkyrie trail is a magnificent... a wonderful wilderness ride. The tracks are firm so you can really ride the downhills with abandon. A real April treat in February.

Photos:

(David Paulson)

There was a brief window of opportunity to get out and groom Wednesday. On the Teuton Trail system, the groomer was able to break up the icy trail conditions and groom and reset the tracks. The higher winds have been blowing leaves, pine needles and branches onto the trail tread, so be aware. On the Valkyrie Trail system, the snow has melted down to the ground in various spots. The groomer was able to get snow into the trail to cover some of these bare spots, but there are still pine needles and leaves poking through. Due to the weather conditions, the groomer was not able to groom Loop C (Sunbowl Loop). Just like on the Teuton Trail system, there are pine needles, leaves and branches being blown on the trails.

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

Snow has finally arrived! The trails in the Valhalla Area received about 6 new inches this week. The Teuton Trail system was rolled, groomed, and tracks set on Wednesday, February 8th. The Valkyrie Trail system was rolled, groomed, and tracks set on Thursday, February 9th. Both trail systems have excellent snow conditions. Warmer temperatures have set in today and are predicted through next week. This could melt the new snow on the trails considerably and put a hold on grooming operations. Get out and enjoy the warm weather skiing and hope the snow hangs on through the unseasonably warm temperatures. Please note that fat tire bikes are not an authorized use on any of the trails. Many roads across the forest are packed down by snowmobile use and maybe utilized for fat tire bike use. Pick up your Motorized Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) to see what roads maybe available to ride. The warming room and chalet are open for the season and also have maps and information.

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

The Teuton and Valkyrie Trails have approximately 6 new inches of snow finally! The Teuton Trails were rolled, groomed and tracks set. The groomer is reporting that the tracks set up well with the new snow over the last few days. A good cold night will help freeze down the tracks so they are solid. The trail conditions are excellent. The Valkyrie Trails will be rolled, groomed and tracks set on Thursday. It looks like it should be a beautiful warm weekend to get out and ski. The chalet and warming room are open for use between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM. The sledding hill has fresh snow and is ready for the kids to use. Come out and enjoy the trails and sledding hill.

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

Two inches of new snow fell on the ski trails. All trails have a 4-5 inch base and are in good to excellent condition. The Teuton Trails were groomed and tracks set on Wednesday. The groomer reported that the snow conditions made it difficult to re-establish tracks. The skating lane is reported to be very fast. The Valkyrie Trails were groomed and tracks reset on Thursday, February 2nd. The snow conditions made setting new tracks difficult. Loop C (Sunbowl) is in good condition, but if we receive any windy days, drifting may occur across the trail where it is open and not protected by any vegetation. More snow is needed to help improve the snow conditions so the tracks set up. Please note that fat tire bikes are not an authorized use on any of the trails. Many roads across the forest are packed down by snowmobile use and maybe utilized for fat tire bike use. Pick up your Motorized Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) to see what roads maybe available to ride. The warming room and chalet are open for the season and also have maps and information. The daily user fee to use the trails or facilities is $5/vehicle per day or the 2016 Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Annual Pass is still valid through March 2017.

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

About 2 inches of new snow fell on the Valkyrie and Teuton Trails over the past few days. The Teuton Trails were groomed and tracks were set. The tracks didn't set up well and more snow is needed. The groomer reported that skiers are finding that the snow is fast due to the current snow conditions. Tomorrow the groomer plans to do the Valkyrie Trails. We really need more snow to get the tracks to set up better and improve the snow conditions. The Teuton Trails have a base of 4-5 inches and are in good to excellent conditions.

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

A dusting of snow over ice hard base. Okay for flat skiing, but the hills would be treacherous. There is a decent base so it would not take much more snow to rescue this beautiful trail. However until there is more snow, better to go elsewhere.

(Chip Treen)

Some debris starting to be exposed due to melting. Base looks OK for now, light rain may soften it.

Photos:

(Peter Nordgren)