Conditions Report: Back At It! W24 Pre-Season
And just like that, we’re back! Are you ready to sled Golden this year? This is a pre-season hello to let you know how things are. Yes people have been sledding. Yes, it’s still too early for us to recommend you come. Yes you can sled from the parking lot at Quartz. Yes, there are open water crossings before the cabin. Yes, you can buy your seasons passes here. Yes, we will be installing new systems at Quartz cabin to get the telemetry station back up and running.
No, we haven’t started grooming. No we don’t have any info about Silent Pass yet. And No, you shouldn’t go into Gorman!
Nov 13, 2023 in Quartz
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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
Fall 2023 Hours
The Trans-Canada Highway through the Kicking Horse Canyon will be free of construction stoppages for the Thanksgiving holiday long weekend, from 12 noon Friday, October 6 through 12 noon Tuesday, October 10. Thereafter:
- From 12 noon Tuesday, October 10 until the end of November 2023, expect half-hour stoppages during the daytime and evenings, as well as overnight closures from 10 pm to 7 am.
- The number of overnight closures may be reduced toward the end of the period. Check the Highway Status Calendar and DriveBC for schedule updates, and roadway signage for real-time construction zone status.
- The alternative route of Highways 93S and 95 is available for use during overnight closures
- Non-through traffic from the east, i.e. westbound traffic destined for Lake Louise, Field, Beaverfoot and the Kicking Horse Rest Area immediately east of the 4.8 km canyon construction zone will not be affected
See the Highway Status Calendar and DriveBC for details.
TCH-1 work being done in Sept 2023
SNOW AND WEATHER
It’s still what we’re calling pre-season out there. There’s been approximately 70-90cm of fluff accumulate but there is basically no base.
There’s 60-70cms of somewhat compacted snow at Quartz cabin.
Unfortunately there’s not a ton of snow in the forecast so it looks like the holding pattern will continue.
Snow pits in Quartz to start the year.
treading carefully on Nov 13 in Quartz
Snowforecast near Quartz on Nov 16
Avalanche
At this time of year avalanche info is harder to find than during the normal operating season. Please make sure you check Avalanche.ca everyday you ride.
There are some good posts via the MIN network available to read on avalanche.ca.
There has been some scary incidents and indications already, so please make yourself aware and prepared.
Glacier National Park avalanche forecast screen shot on Nov 16, 2023
Grooming
Grooming operations have not yet started in the zones. Typically we need 80-100 cms of compacted snow before we can start. A cat is being moved to Quartz in the near future so that we’re ready when the snow is.
