Conditions Report: Going Racing
This is the weekend to come to Golden folks! The 4th annual Riley Suhan Backcountry race is upon us and it promises to be the funnest time you can have on a snowmobile this weekend. Rain, sleet, snow or shine we will be running the race in Quartz this Saturday and there’s still a few spots to sign up. Compare times with your buddies, win tons of door prizes, and throw lots of high fives as the positive vibes flow. This is one you don’t want to miss.
The man himself, Riley Suhan in the gate.
All around good times at the RS Backcountry Race
Riley Suhan Backcountry Race
Only 1 more sleeps left until the most awesome event in snowmobiling. There is a still a few spots left to register. 4th Annual Riley Suhan Backcountry race on April 1, 2023. Check the link for more info. Only 19 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
There’s 20cms in the forecast with classic spring weather, which means a bit of everything: sun, clouds and snow.
The main areas are pretty pounded but if you put the work in to explore you can find fresh snow.
Fresh bowl by hopeful sledders this week.
Avalanche
Please make sure you check Avalanche.ca everyday you ride.
The alpine continues to be the main area of concern.
“Be aware of loose avalanches stepping down into persistent weak layers and creating large releases. Shallow rocky areas should still be considered suspect.” – copy and pasted from Avalanche.ca on Mar 30
Grooming
Grooming operations for all 3 staging areas Quartz, Gorman and Silent are still firing with grooms on the main trails scheduled as needed.
Spring afternoons mean there may be some grooming restrictions due to increased avalanche danger but our grooming crews are working around these as best they can.
They have plowed a truck lane up to the 1km at Quartz, so people need to stay on the side trail and be aware of any traffic. No public traffic beyond the kiosk.
East Quartz got a pass up to the start of the slidepath, Oldman got groomed last on March 16.
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.
They have plowed a truck lane up to the 1km at Quartz, so people need to stay on the side trail and be aware of any traffic. No public traffic beyond the kiosk.
Gorman Lake
This is the time of year Gorman shines. There’s 20cms in the forecast so it could be good by Sunday/Monday.
DFD warming cabin has been installed.
Silent Pass
Silent has a lot of good spots left. The main trails have been compacted. It’s deep where no one has been.
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.
Please stop in at the kiosk even if you are not going to be riding Silent.
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.
