March 30, 2017 Golden BC Snowmobile Conditions

Snowmobiling conditions in Golden BC have changed to spring. We’ve had some new snow this week past but also some warmer temperatures and some wind. Travel is quite good and there have been many happy sledders this week past. Sledders should be very cautious about big overhead cornices and the impact that warmer temps will play on the snowpack.

Breaking in to Grizzly Bowl on March 26, 2017. Photo by @sledbiglines

Gorman Lake March 30, 2017.

Snow Beta

We had about 20-30 cms of powder this week. There’s been a fresh re-set a couple of times this week. It’s been pretty sweet.

KHMR snowreport on March 30, 2017

Fresh snow ski penetration in Gorman on March 30th, 2017

Avalanche Conditions

Please always check Avalanche.ca for the latest updates.

PLEASE READ THIS BLOG: March 2017 Low Probability-High Consequence Avalanche Cycle

Screen Shot 2017-03-30 at 6.56.50 PM

Thursday March 30th saw significantly warm temps in Gorman and a lot of snow was moving. The cornices are huge this year and the smart sledder stays far away from their paths.

Check out this video from Gorman on March 26th, 2017.

Be careful out there! #playtime #goldenbc #playsafe #avalancheca #sleepinggiants #gormanbc #veryspicy

A post shared by Tacopossee (@tacopossee) on Mar 26, 2017 at 4:25pm PDT

Sledding over fresh avalanche debris on a destructive slide that happened probably on March 29th, 2017. Location Holt.

Holt Creek avalanche debris on March 30th. This is a common play area in the lower trees of upper Holt.

Caution should be taken around cornices.

Weather

28cms in the forecast this week. The key to the whole thing is temperatures. Looks like we’re going to stay below freezing.

Screen Shot 2017-03-30 at 6.57.32 PM

Riding Areas

Colder temps have been keep the trails in in pretty good shape but when it warms, they get bumpy fast. We will do our best to push around mashed potatoes for as long as we can.

Quartz Creek

Conditions: Compacted powder, slush, sun effected snow, some preserved deep powder.
Grooms scheduled: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday evenings (Fridays and Wednesdays, if needed).
Fees: Everyday ($25/rider).
Parking: Parking lot will be cleared as needed. Lots of room for enclosed trailers. Portable toilets in parking lots. Pretty muddy in the parking lot due to melt freeze.
Propane and firewood have both been restocked in upper cabin. Please use conservatively.

Gorman Lake

Conditions: Compacted powder, slush, sun effected snow, some preserved deep powder.
Grooms scheduled: Friday and Sunday
Fees: Everyday ($25/rider).
Parking: 3.5km lower lot. It’s pretty mucky in the lot this week. Your running shoes will hate you so put some boots on.
Road: Expect the road to be muddy mess in the evening. The Dogtooth FSR is a steep, winding, mountain road with big exposure off the sides. By the time you realize you’re going too fast, it’s too late. The smart driver pops it in the 1st gear and let’s their engine do the breaking on the way down. We’ve had 3 trucks off the road on the Dogtooth FSR (Gorman Lake access) this year.

Silent Pass

Conditions: Powder in the shade (north slopes) and sun baked snow on south aspects. Everything in between on other aspects.
Grooms scheduled: Thursdays (Saturdays if required)
Fees: Everyday ($25/rider).
Parking: Parking is about 100m after the McMurdo turn off at 46.5km. Try not to box anyone in. NO PARKING on the main road on weekdays please.
Road: The last 6km of road are rutted ice lanes. Not that trailer friendly but many people have done it. The parking lot is cleared and is mostly dirt (and mud).

Please watch our road safety video.

West Bench Trail

Conditions: A little bumpy but still good to go. Get out there and ride the trail before it melts out.
Grooms scheduled: Will get flattened on March 31 as we take a cat from Quartz to Gorman.
Fees: Everyday ($25/rider) payable at Gorman or Quartz trailhead.
Parking: Park at Gorman or Quartz parking lot.