Conditions Report: Awesome and Caution
Gorman Feb 28
Lang, Feb 28
Lang Feb 28
Riley Suhan Backcountry Race
Registration is OPEN for the 4th Annual Riley Suhan Backcountry race on April 1, 2023. Check the link for more info. Only 70 spots left!
Travel
TCH-1 Highway
Highway 1 is open east of Golden with scheduled stoppages and overnight closures. It’s always good to check : Kicking Horse Canyon Calendar
SNOW AND WEATHER
Over a metre of snow has fallen in the last 2 weeks (55cms + in the last week) and you can imagine that it gets pretty deep where no one has been. There have been alpine winds that have touched the recent snow and you can feel it in the alpine. Below treeline is shaping up better than it has all year.
Looks like temps will remain cool, so the snow will stay preserved.
There’s 12cms in the forecast and the blue sky is on its way.
Avalanche
Please make sure you check Avalanche.ca everyday you ride.
The alpine winds have been at play and a lot of natural avalanches are occurring right now with the storm snow, especially in the alpine.
“Steer clear of freshly wind loaded features. Wind slabs are expected to remain reactive to human triggers.
Avoid thin and rocky start zones, especially in the alpine and upper treeline where deeply buried weak layers remain concerning.
There are preliminary reports of a serious avalanche incident near Invermere today. We do not currently have anymore information on this.” – copy and pasted from Avalanche.ca on Mar 1
Grooming
Grooming operations for all 3 staging areas Quartz, Gorman and Silent are in full swing with grooms on the main trails scheduled as needed.
Trail Area Conditions Reports
Quartz Creek
Quartz is fully operational. Regular grooming to the cabin is occurring. Day tickets will be sold and passes checked 7 days a week.
The main paths are compacted but there’s some good pockets to be had.
Gorman Lake
It’s a thin year in Gorman area but it’s starting to feel like normal. The tree line and below hold the most snow. The alpine slopes should be considered very suspect for stability.
DFD warming cabin has been installed.
Silent Pass
Silent has a lot of good spots left. The main trails have been compacted.
Please note that the kiosk will now be issuing parking passes for the Silent Pass parking lot. Vehicles in the parking lot will be cross checked with pass purchases to help ensure that we can continue to pay for operations in this area.
Silent Pass Parking
East Quartz
Old Man
Westbench Trail
Grooming Map
The map below is linked to the safety InReaches we have in our groomers and we have been able to make the tracks public. How to use the map: (works on Chrome but may not work on Safari. iPhones may or may not work properly)
- Press on the + next to the groomer/zone you want the latest information for.
- Once the line is visible, press on the line to see the date & time the groomer was last in action.
This map only shows the most recent groom. You can inquire at any of our trailheads for additional grooming information, including number of riders since the last groom.
