The groomer went out early yesterday morning and groomed and set track on Loops A & B of the Valkyrie Trails. Due to the extremely warm temperatures for this time of year, the groomer was not able to do Loop C. The base on a majority of the trails is about 6 inches and dropping with the temperatures. The Teuton and Valkyrie Trails have very soft snow and it is sticky. Predicted weather for the rest of the week will be too warm to attempt grooming. Until we receive colder temperatures and more snow, grooming is on hold. Get out and enjoy the warm weather skiing!

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

The groomer came out early this morning and groomed the Teuton Trails. The tracks were reset before it got too warm. A few skiers said the trails are excellent even if a bit soft. The Valkyrie Trails were not groomed due to the temperature being too warm so it would have done more harm then good. Weather depending, the groomer may try to come out to groom the Valkyrie Trails tomorrow. It is so warm and sunny up at the Valhalla Recreation Area that you can ski in just a sweatshirt. Come on out and enjoy the beautiful weather and trails!

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

The Valkyrie and Teuton Trails finally got some good snow. The base on 8 to 10 inches on both the Teuton and Valkyrie Trails. The snow packed tight after grooming and setting tracks. They are fast! On the Valkyrie Trail where trails were bare in the pines the wind has blown down needles into the tracks so beware. It has been very windy the last few days, so the Sunbowl Loop may have snow drifted across the trail. The parking areas and paths are getting drifted with snow in spots as well. The warming room and chalet are open. The sledding hill got new snow that should make it really fun. Note: the back door of the chalet (closest to wood shed) is in the process of being repaired and is locked. Please use the side door or the door towards the sledding hill entrance.

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

The Valkyrie and Teuton Trails got a few inches of new snow over the past few days. The groomer went out and packed the new snow and groomed all of the trails on Thursday, January 5th. The base is about 3 inches on the Teuton and portions of the Valkyrie Trails, so no tracks were able to be set. On the Valkyrie Trail where it was bare, there is now about an inch of snow that finally covered the ground. Tracks will be set once we get enough snow. On the Sunbowl Loop, there is drifting of snow across the trail due to the strong winds. The parking areas and paths are getting drifted with snow in spots as well. There is ice under the snow in the parking lots and around the buildings- please drive and walk with care.
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.

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

No new snow came over the New Year's weekend. The Teuton trails are still in good condition, but there's still not enough snow to try and set tracks. The Valkyrie Trails still have bare sections in the pines, while other sections of the trails have some snow, but not enough to try and set tracks. Grooming is on hold until we get more snow. Trees that came down during the high winds over the weekend were removed off the trails. Please report any new down trees that need to be cut off the trails. The parking lots, paths, and around facilities are icy- please use care when walking or driving. A big storm with lots of snow is needed now!

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

No new snow came over the Christmas weekend or this past week. The Teuton trails are still in good condition, but there's still not enough snow to try and set tracks. The Valkyrie Trails still have bare sections and the Sunbowl Loop has been rolled, but may have a thin layer of ice. Grooming is on hold until we get more snow. The parking lots, paths, and around facilities are icy - please use care when walking or driving.
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.

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

Skied A, B and C on the Teuton side on Christmas afternoon. There was a solid base on the trails, but it was definitely a little icy and rutted in spots, which made the downhills more interesting, but it was still a blast and the k's flew by! A few inches of fresh snow would make for beautiful skiing. No classic tracks and with the icy conditions I wouldn't recommend that.

(Paul Belknap)

With the temperatures being so warm this week, the base on the Valkyrie and Teuton Trails has been reduced. The groomer reported that the base on the Teuton Trails was down to around 3 to 4 inches. On the portions of the Valkyrie Trail that has snow, it is in the same condition. The groomer was able to take the groomer out to pack down and smooth out the Teuton Trails, but no tracks were able to be set. Due to the current conditions on the Valkyrie Trails, no additional grooming will be done until more snow hits the trails. The main parking area and secondary parking area have soft spots due to the warm temperatures melting the snow. Please use caution driving and walking in the parking areas. Think more snow and colder temperatures!

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

The groomer rolled what little snow that fell on the Teuton and Valkyrie trails over the weekend. The base is about 7 to 8 inches on the Teuton Trails, so the groomer will be trying to set tracks on these trails on Friday after it snows and is colder. There are portions of the Valkyrie Trail that are still bare, but some with snow that has been rolled and there is about a 7 inch base at those locations. Due to the lack of snow, the groomer won't be attempting to set tracks. The Forest Service has received a proposal to test dual fat tire bike and skiing use on Loop B of the Valkyrie Trail. The Forest Service is exploring what would need to be done in order to manage this portion of trail to meet the needs of both user groups in order to safely test it out for a season. This test may or may not happen this season and comments are welcomed. Please note that fat tire bikes are not allowed to be used on any of the trails at this time. Many roads across the forest are packed down by snowmobile use and maybe utilized for fat tire bike use. The secondary parking area was opened today, but the entrance has ruts due to someone driving into the area, so please drive with care. Also, with the warmer temperatures there are some soft spots in both parking areas and around the facilities, so please take care driving and walking. The chalet and warming room are open as of today as well. The sledding hill has some snow, but needs a lot more to cover the vegetation on the hill. Think more snow and colder temperatures!

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)

The groomer went out on Monday to check the trails. The snow has not reached all of the trail treads yet. The groomer reported that there are numerous sections on both the Teuton and Valkyrie Trails that are still bare. Where the sections of trails received snow, there was about 7 inches of light and fluffy snow that was rolled. The main parking lot is currently open. The secondary parking lot is still closed due to the heavy saturated soils. Parking is prohibited along the FR 435, so please use the main parking area. Please note that our grooming will primarily be provided by volunteers.

(Teresa Maday, US Forest Service)