West of Washburn and south of Bayfield, rests a slow fifty-four mile ATV loop that climbs good steep hills and snakes through the sandy pine woods of the Chequamegon National Forest.

Terrain

We got an early start, parked our truck and trailer at the Valhalla View Pub & Grub where you can eat well and also gas-up, then rode all day. Unfortunately, it was too early for the restaurant to be open and there weren’t any outside bathrooms. But about five miles farther West on County C there is a trailhead with bathrooms and a football-field-size parking area.

The Valhalla trail is predominantly a shallow sand trail, although there can be as much as eight inches of deep sand in some of the turns and down-hills. We also rode some deep sand “moguls”, although they were confined to one location.

In the late morning, we threaded in and out of a few sandy “play” areas that kept us entertained for a good half hour. There is active logging, so keep right. Once, when riding two abreast on an ATV route we came close to being hit head-on by a logging truck—obviously our error.

We wandered a few of the inactive logging trails and got stuck in some unexpected mud that was the consistency of thick sludge. You may want to shift your quad into four-wheel drive before you enter the wetter areas on old logging trails, they sure deceived us. Although finding some good bear tracks made it all worth the effort. (See photo.)

We also had time to wander down a few forest roads where the temperature cooled significantly as we approached Lake Superior. It’s a good idea to bring extra clothing; lake squalls can blow inland changing the riding conditions in a flash.

Located in the Lake Superior snow-belt, about ten miles from shore, the area gets buried in snow. The sandy soil combined with the large amounts of precipitation has caused erosion. To help preserve the trail, wood chips cover the steeper grades, some crossings, and stop sign junctions. They can be slick when wet. Another way the trail stewards fight the erosion problem is by incorporating snow melt-ways that resemble the run-away truck lanes on steep segments of highway.

We bring maps wherever we go. This time, we used an ATV map, a Snowmobile map, and a DNR county map of the area, cross-referencing as needed. From our experiences, the trail maps of Valhalla were accurate, but the DNR map was the only map showing all the forest roads. We used all three maps plus GPS and got turned around anyway. But hey, that’s part of the fun for us.

Flora, Fauna and the Wildlife

One of the things I love most about trail riding is the forest smells. There’s something about pines in sand, needles baking in the sun that gives off a perfume sweeter than anything ever sold. The breezes off Lake Superior give a cooling effect in the summer and carry fresh whiffs of the water.

When we visited in early June, the fruit trees were in bloom. Apples are a big business up here together with all the pies, cider, and cobbler that accompany them in the fall. In spite of my allergies, I couldn’t resist removing my dust mask and just smelling the air. June is also a wonderful time for wild flowers. The Lupine spires in colors from white to soft pink to dark purple. Indian paintbrush can enchant a whole meadow with an orange glow. Then there are the flowers that shout “summertime”: yellow buttercups, columbine, and lots of daisies.

Birding was good too. The white flash of tail feathers gave away Flickers who liked to flit a few feet ahead of us through the trees. Perhaps they’ve learned that these crazy machines kick up yummy bugs. We also heard Wood Thrush and Cardinals, although we didn’t see them in the thick forest. I rode through one puddle engulfed by a fluttering storm of yellow Swallow Tail Butterflies.

We saw lots of squirrels, hawks and even a few bald eagles. Ground hogs are common and sometimes dig burrows in the middle of the trail, leaving football size holes that can jar you if you’re not watching.

We ate lunch at Long Lake (the southwest end of the Valhalla loop). It’s a narrow lake with a few sand beaches. Bring your fly rod if you fish, we saw anglers at the shoreline.

Side Trips

While we were exploring, we got off on both the Moquah Spur and the Tri County Corridor Trails. They were both straighter than Valhalla with more open terrain, some of it logged. Moquah wasn’t as sandy as Valhalla; we even rode some firm clay in a couple of lower path segments.

The Tri-County Corridor is a railroad grade trail resurfaced with crushed rock, making it fast and not very dusty, so the temptation is too cook-it. It’s a multi-use trail though, so it’s possible to come up on horses, hikers and bicyclists. Horses scare easily. Your best move is to stop, shut down and wait for the critters to pass you.

We’ve been on both ends of the horse VS ATV situation. 99.9% of the ATVers we’ve encountered while horseback were wonderful. But, we’ve also been harassed by ATVs “buzzing” us. The horses bolted every-which-way into the heavy undergrowth. Both people and equines emerged bleeding and bruised and it was another half-hour before the critters settled. Please ride cautiously in the presence of others. We all need to play a positive role in reclassifying ATVers as successfully as Harley riders have been redefined.

In the late afternoon, we trailered home on an alternative route through the small town of Moquah where we saw a one-story structure so confusing that we couldn’t decide whether they were fixing it up or tearing it down. Whatever the purpose, we were surprised to see a neon open sign lit and the door standing ajar. No, we didn’t have the nerve to go in, but I couldn’t resist a snap. Talk about character!

Dining and Staying

The Pub & Grub is known as the “Best stop on the Trails”. They offer a full salad bar, Friday Fish Fry, Saturday Prime Rib, and nightly specials. There is plenty of parking for any size trailer in their lot.

Adjacent to the Pub & Grub, the Valhalla Trail Lodge has ten cabins available to rent with parking right outside the door. A couple of the cabins have Jacuzzis for unkinking after a long day’s ride. See Valhallatraillodge.com. for more information.

If fine dining is more your thing, try the Wild Rice Restaurant outside of Bayfield. Or the Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield where you can also spend the night surrounded by antiques in the historic building. Go to: www.rittenhouseinn.com for additional information. Be aware it’s easy to spend over two hundred dollars on a multi-course gourmet meal for two at either of these restaurants, but the food and dining experience is worth the expense.

Camping information is available at: www.travelbayfieldcounty.com. and www.washburnchamber.com.