Trail Conditions

Trails       Click below for a description of local trails

Valhalla Hills Ski Trail           Hills Rail Trail        Sandon Trails

 

2021-2022

**note: As we have more of you coming daily, we are keeping it well groomed most other days depending on snow conditions. Some conditions are simply to sticky (-1-+2) and we are waiting for a temp. drop or the snow to transition up to wet. Do not be fooled by a drippy day at a lakeside village. The snow is often cold away from the lakes. It is about 2 degrees colder in winter at VHNT.

March 29th

Evening grooming of tracks and corduroy Polar express, Bear Cub and roller coaster, terrain park and Sparrow Sprint and stadium, but Sparrow Sprint is compromised by water at one  spot. If I see ski tracks I will groom more!! I will groom on Saturday and for Sunday. There were new moose tracks on Polar Express. Please be respectful and safe.

Rail Trail will get another groom to Hunter siding, but the snow on the bridges is getting really skinny for the machinery and it is time to leave the rail trail for the awakening bears the next week or two.

March 17th

I groomed the evening of the 16th and felt very selfish this morning skiing on perfect corduroy grooming that hardened well overnight. Some other skier were also out taking advantage of the spring conditions. I will be gone the next 10 days to Nationals in Whistler. Scott and Wes may get out an do a groom at some points. When I return on the 28th I will see to it that we keep the skiing open for the few hardy spring corn skiers for at least another week into April. The rail trail also regroomed well on the 15th. This early spring we will be enlarging the parking area and modify some of the trail close to the stadium.  Wish Kolibri Drobish Luck/skill and speed at Nationals!

 

March 12th PM Rail Trail groomed. Not great with wet snow, but two tracks to Red house from Reibin Road. VH Ski trails west side and black diamond groomed and were really nice today. Colder than in Hills. Caribou Crossing will be groomed on Monday. Anyone with a truck on insurance that wants to help move the above pictured groomer to the end of Reibin road from VHNT so we can groom the rail trail better over the late season please let me know. Monday to Wednesday optimally. Kip 250 358-2660.

March 12th

Trail are being groomed early morning at least 5 cm new snow. Find new snow until it warms up. Rail trail will be groomed Monday after rain goes away. Call me if you want a snow report before you go. Just keep enjoying the snow! Kip 250-358-2660.

Ski Cross races late Sat. morning. The terrain park, Otter slalom and Sparrow sprint as well as the stadium will be used. Come join the fun. bring a treat to share after by the fire. We have families from Nelson coming for the event.

 

March 9th

The rail trail  is getting groomed again. We got the 2015 Skandic running. The snow was too crusty when I groomed so it isn’t great.  The next day it warms above zero we will get it groomed better. The trails up the highway are hard and fast. I rescratched the surface this afternoon on Elk Hill, Polar Express, Otter Slalom and Sparrow sprint. Caribou crossing is hard and Bear cub is really hard. It is spring and you have to pick your time to ski. If you are timid about speed ski when the snow is slushy in the early afternoon. (it never thawed at all today!). If you like to skate fast the skiing just before it warms in the late morning is excellent as long at the trail has been groomed the evening before. We will groom through next week and the occasionally until the first week of April. Call me if you want a snow report before you go. Kip 250-358-2660.

March 4th

Valhalla Hills Nordic trails regroomed to setup overnight. Bear Bones not groomed. Jackrabbit’s end of the season party on Saturday. Games and costumes.

Still no rail trail groomed, but skied in.

 

March 2nd.

All but Black diamond trails are groomed and mostly tracked. The snow packed well except corners are a little rough. Hopefully we will get some night time cooling tonight. The snow is getting some rain, but still a good ski. Rail trail coming back into grooming very soon!

Should be colder at night and less rain into the weekend, then long range forecast if for another several day of cold and less than 0 by midweek next, hopefully after some new fresh snow. After that expect spring conditions into the end of the month.

 

Feb 27th, 2022

VHNT was fully groomed this morning and then another short heavy snow fall added some more just after and it was just right for sticking to skis that haven’t been glider waxed recently. More snow in the forecast tonight and AM.  I will groom again tomorrow morning. Tuesday will be a warm-up and then a mix of pluses on some daily highs and minus at night. We will have at least 4 more weeks of good skiing. Longer evenings and higher direct sun make skiing opportunities more inviting!

The ignition part is here finally for the other Skandic and we will get the rail trail near Hills regroomed by Thursday the 3rd if not before.

Distance ski challenge day is Sunday the 6th! Just keep on going for as many kilometres as you want on measured courses. We will have a ski cross race on Saturday the 12th. about 11am. come help, watch, or give it a shot.

Feb 23rd, 2022

As promised, it is cold and the snow is loud and well packed.

But the trails are groomed. Ski and stay warm. We should have the rail trail groomed again this weekend. We were waiting on parts where the promise was not able to be kept and went another route to locate and the spark coil should be here today.

 

Feb 18th, 2022

All trails groomed on the 16th and 17th

After a few centimeters of new snow since Wednesday. Hard under and soft on top today. Tomorrow will be wet snow probably turning to rain by noon. We will not groom until it chills out again Sunday AM. The skiing will be pretty fine next week with morning lows down to -14 after an arctic cold front drops over us.

 

Feb 11th, 2022

The snow surface has fully transformed through thawing and refreezing yesterday and stayed cold in the shade today, as it likely will tomorrow also. We groom with what is named a Ginzu Groomer, which is equipped with spring loaded cutters that do a pretty good job texturing the snow surface for a more secure ski experience. Of course it is very fast snow when cold, but that can be fun when it is textured! You just need to be more cautious on the downhills.

Elk hill, Polar Express,and Caribou crossing are resurfaced as is Roller Coaster, Bear Cub and Sparrow Sprint and tracks a mostly set there. Chickadee track along the highway was retracked yesterday. Otter Slalom and Bear Bones have not been resurfaced and ski with caution until is thawed. We will try to retexture those trails tomorrow morning.

Please keep skiing in the sunshine this weekend. The sun sets there about 2:45pm now.

Feb 9th, 2022

All the trails were nicely groomed yesterday and the snow was staying just below zero. It may get warmer today than the last 4 days, so the snow might transition today. That means fast and icy in the mornings, softening in the afternoons if the optimistic weather forecast holds true with sunshine the next few days. We will resurface the trails so they will continue to be good skiing.

We are still down two machines and waiting on parts to get the rail trail groomed. Sorry!

 

Feb 6th, 2022

Regroomed after the trees unloaded and packed better for skate on Elk Hill, Bear Cub, Roller Coaster, Polar Express and Sparrow Sprint. Chickadee track not yet regroomed since Sat. AM. Tracks are excellent and getting cold overnight tonight. It is not icy and the snow out of tracks is soft. Otter Slalom packed, but not well. Bear Bones is still nice fluffy and unskied! Still some snow in the trees and the snow is still soft untransformed except in a few spots.

Feb. 3rd, 2022

Grooming everyday trying to keep it packed. Lot plowed Feb. 2nd. More fluff today and packed and tracked. Ski early tomorrow because the next dump is coming through the day tomorrow. Next groom will be Saturday AM. Feb. 5th.

Jan 31st, 2022

All Trails groomed this morning. Track set on Beginner and intermediate trails. A New Denver resident contributed $100 today towards our grooming and clearing the parking lot. Thank You to all who have helped make our trails and new grooming machinery function. The grooming has gotten better. Go see (ski) for yourself. Enjoy!

Jan 28th, 2022

It has been and continues to be really nice to be on the groomed trails and off. The valley fog makes for very consistent stable conditions underneath it. All trails are well groomed. Elk Hill loop will be regroomed this morning. The moose moved SE Wednesday taking advantage to the firm snow along the Caribou Crossing trail and stayed clear of the highway.

The Rail Trail from Reibin road to Red House was groomed yesterday, Thursday.

There is a significant shortage of skiers using Otter Slalom and Bear Bones our black diamond trails. In snow conditions like this, those of you equipped with waxless bases and any ability to use a snowplow technique to slow your speed, should go enjoy the tour around those trails. They are being groomed wide and smooth. They venture up into some nice places and give you a little playfulness not found on the Rail Trail or at Sandon’s K&S. For those of you that know the Eastern Canadian forests, BearBones trail will remind you of that with all the birches. The elevation at the parking lot is 795m and the highest point on BearBones is 900m.

 

Jan. 24th, 2022

This is probably the best week of skiing at Valhalla Hills Nordic Trails in the entire year. If you are a skate skier or classic the trails are firm and the snow is just the right temperatures. The parking lot is fully plowed. The rail trail is still short an operating snowmobile. We are waiting on parts now for both our alternative machines. I saw the moose yesterday between Otter Slalom and Caribou Crossing up on a bench. It was a calm moose as most are.

Also lots of moose activity along the rail trail beyond Hunter Siding and before the bench. Keep your dogs on leash anytime there is possible wildlife conflict. Dogs remind moose of wolves and wolves prey on moose. Please be respectful. Thank you!

 

January 20th, 2022

More than 10cm of new snow with a little still coming and finished grooming at noon. If my Toyota Prius can get in and out of the lot, anyone’s car will, but lot is not yet plowed.

All trails are excellently packed with a hard base underneath. If your favourite trail is Otter Slalom the new snow awaits you. I did not get it packed. Tracks set on all beginner and intermediate trails.

Moose activity around Caribou Crossing!

The forecast is for super skiing weather all week. Get out there and enjoy.

If you are new to our club we are at 135 members and still growing. Please join http://www.zone4.ca and keyword is “Valhalla”

Anyone looking to lend some energy, we still need snow shoveled on Caribou crossing to take out the dips.

Kip Drobish

 

January 15th, 2022

Cold then warm. This is feeling more normal and I will remind skiers that above zero track skiing is really good skiing. These variables in temperature don’t need to keep you away! The winter wonderland awaits you. We have been keeping most of the trails groomed at Valhalla Hill Nordic Trails. The parking is well plowed. The tracks are setting very well and the skating was great yesterday. With our Skandic groomers and some of our twisting and climbing trails, the heavy transformed snow can be very challenging, but we are getting it packed except for Bear Bones which was packed well last Sunday. The rail trail was groomed last week end. We are having engine issues with our second and third snowmobiles so the rail trail grooming is less regular, but it is skied in since the last snows on Tuesday, Jan 10th. Go have some fun. Be careful in mornings when it starts to ice-up over night the next several days.

January 1st, 2022

Keeping it groomed . The skiing has been excellent but mighty cold. The sun was out much of the last week if you get there before 11am when it goes behind the mountains this time of year. The rail trail was also regroomed. We are getting some more snow this afternoon. We will be out grooming again Sunday if it snows very much.

We have club racers Aylan Kipkie and Rowan Vibe/Coleman in Kimberly for BC Winter Games trials tomorrow and Kolibri Drobish (U20) at World Junior Trials next week in Canmore, AB. Wish them all success!

December 23rd, 2021 (Thursday)

Rail Trail has been groomed this morning during the blow-out of the passing front. Wow, did the snow get sticky all of a sudden. We got the Rail Trail groomer going after taking it down to Playmor Power and fixing a wire problem, but now it has a new problem. It is only running on 2 of its three cylinders. Any volunteer mechanics out there would be charming to enlist!

Our new Skandic was operating at Valhalla Hills trails this morning with Wes Coleman going round and round, so many of those trail should be packed by now. We will try to keep the trails packed consistently through Christmas. Lots of snow in the forecast for the weekend and then much colder by Tuesday and Wednesday which should make for nice hard and durable tracks and less new snow. Anyone with a snow shovel and gumption is welcome to take your shovel out to Caribou Crossing, the trail that follows the hydroline SE in the New Denver direction from the parking lot, and go shovel snow in on the trail at numerous places where the water kept melting new snow until recently. You can tell by the dips. Our goals is 4 metres of width.

December 16th, 2021

Welcome back to Winter!

Valhalla Hills Nordic Trails are open with very nice skiing. Groomed for skating and classic. We are still dealing with some water issues on Caribou crossing and Bear Cub connector after a lot of rain in November. We have a new wider Ginzu groomer so the quality of your experience ski skating is going to rise a couple of notches. We still would love to come into a Piston Bully 100 snow cat even if we could just borrow it a few times each season. Preferably an electric one!

Rail Trail still not machine packed. The rail trail will be groomed soon! We are getting one of our snowmobiles fixed.

VHNSC will be selling its 2004 Arctic Cat touring 660 snowmobile. It has a quiet 4 stroke Suzuki engine in it and always seem to start easily. Anyone interested contact Kip Drobish or Scott Kipkie.

2020-2021

Started in November and then rained, restarted slowly in Dec.

Finished March 31st.

2019-2020 Season

Started Nov 26th

Finished March 25th

Skied until Late April

2018-2019 Season

Started Dec 12th

Finished March 25th

2017-2018 season

Started Dec 4th ended April 8th

2016/2017 season

Started Dec 4th ended April 1st

2015/2016 season

Started Nov 24th ended March 5th

2014/15 season
Started Dec 6, ended March 3

2013/14 season
Started November 29, ended March 23