SAWTOOTH VALLEY TRAILS IMPROVING

Cross country ski groomers in the Sawtooth Valley are still trying to dig out from early season storms that laid low some huge trees along the ski trails and deposited  3 to 4 feet of drifting snow. We seem to be turning a corner with some generally improving conditions and brighter days ahead. While some ski trails may be suitable for some flat track touring at this time, even that may be questionable as another snow storm began pounding the valley on this morning of the Winter Solstice and 6 to 12 inches of new snow are predicted by midnight. At Park Creek, Skyrocket, Sego, Larkspur and half of Camus trail have been compacted and rolled and some ginzu grooming has taken place. Trails are looking pretty good,  but access to the trails from the parking area is only possible via the sledding hill as Lupine loop is still blocked by multiple fallen lodgepole pines. Work on tree removal is scheduled for Tuesday. At Alturas Lake, Over the Hill, South Loop, and the Trail to the Lake as far as the bridge junction were compacted and rolled over the weekend. The lower half of Sheep Thrills was snowmobile packed and tree removal has begun there.