Conditions Report: Dec 26 – That’s More Like It
It’ll be a busy week in Golden for snowmobiling and for good reason; the December riding is really good. The past week we’ve had 50+ cms of snow and there’s skiff or two in the forecast. Temps are staying well below 0 in the riding zones (no rain) and that has made for some nice soft snow. The Gorman emergency shelter is in and Silent has seen its first groom of the season. This week we ask you to park as efficiently as possible as this is one of the busiest weeks of the year.
Silent Pass on Christmas week 2024
Silent Pass Dec 22
Quartz Parking Lot info UPDATED
Please beware of the upcoming Selkirk Mountain – Quartz Creek Rest Area Clearing & Brushing Project located on Highway 1 and Quartz Creek FSR. Kenpesq’t Construction has been contracted by the Ministry of Transportation and Transit to carry out this work. Please be advised that the start date for this work has been postponed and is now scheduled to begin on January 6th, 2025, and is expected to be completed on January 10th, 2025 (weather permitting).
Project Details:
- Estimated Project Start Date: January 6th, 2025
- Estimated Project End Date: January 10th, 2025
- Work Hours: 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM Monday to Friday
- Affected Areas: Selkirk Mountain – Quartz Creek Rest Area / Snowmobile Staging Area
- Traffic Impact: Expect traffic delays and intermittent road closures during the project, which may cause disruptions to travel along HWY 1.
- Golden Snowmobile Club Impact: Restricted access for snowmobile staging during active tree clearing operations.
- Estimated Duration of Delays/Closures: Intermittent east-bound traffic delays on HWY 1 up to 10 minutes in duration.
SledGolden will be updating our website and social media channels in terms of how this project will affect our operations. At the very least, the truck parking lot near the kiosk will be closed during this time.
Quartz parking lot logging information
Travel
TCH-1 Highway
Highway 1 is fully open east of Golden with NO scheduled stoppages and overnight closures. Nothing beats cursing at 100km/hr on the last 4 kms into town. The new highway shaves 10-20 mins off a trip from the east these days.
Dogtooth FSR (Gorman)
Whiskeyjack Logging will be hauling down from the 7.5km for the next 2-3 weeks, and until they’re done PWT will continue to plow up to the top parking lot. Please be aware about the increased traffic and be extra vigilant.
Looks like come January, PWT will have a logging crew and hauling from the West Main road as well so will be maintaining the Dogtooth FSR to the 3.5km lot most of the winter.
North Fork Spillimacheen FSR (Silent Pass)
A lot of forestry work is transpiring on the North Fork between 31 and 36kms. Please yield to all logging trucks and use a radio to call your kms (RR3)
Hauling logs on the ‘Main’ on Spillimacheen FSR -use RR3
Snow & Weather
SNOW AND WEATHER
There has been a lot of snow in the past week with approx 50cms of new snow falling. This snow really helped cover the areas and fill in the cracks. Riders were confidently diving in to their pow carves this week and getting rewarded with deep choking snow.
The forecast doesn’t have a lot of snow in it (5cms) so the name of the game is lap up all the good stuff that already on the ground.
160 cms probed on the front side of Silent Pass at 2210m on Dec 22
KHMR snow report on Dec 26
Snow Forecast for Quartz area on Dec 26
Duncan bowl in Silent on Dec 22
Avalanche Safety
Avalanche Conditions
Please check Avalanche.ca everyday you ride!
screen shot from avalanche.ca on Dec 26 for the Purcell areas
From Avalache.ca on Dec 26 for Dogtooth Range area: “Rocky, wind-affected areas are a prime suspect for large, human-triggered avalanches. Seek out sheltered, moderate-angled slopes for the best and safest riding.”
Travel and Terrain Advice from Dec 26:
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- Avoid freshly wind-loaded features, especially near ridge crests, rollovers, and in steep terrain.
- If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.
Grooming
Grooming
We’re happy to report that grooming in all 3 of our trailheads is now taking place. The emergency shelter/warming sea can ‘cabin’ has also been placed in Gorman. All 3 zones will now be groomed as necessary and all 3 will have kiosks with staff for the remainder of the winter.
grooming in Silent Pass Dec 24
Silent Pass payment kiosk
Staging Areas Latest Info
Quartz Creek
Silent Pass
Silent Parking at km 31 lot on Dec 22Gorman Lake
Whiskeyjack Logging will be hauling down from the 7.5km for the next 2-3 weeks, and until they’re done PWT will continue to plow up to the top parking lot. Please be aware about the increased traffic and be extra vigilant.
Looks like come January, PWT will have a logging crew and hauling from the West Main road as well so will be maintaining the Dogtooth to the 3.5km lot most of the winter.
