Conditions Report: Jan 9 – Mid Winter Moderate
Sledding in Golden continues to be quite good. While the easiest pow stashes are getting a little harder to find, but social media is still ablaze with people finding the goods all over. We’ve received 10-20 cms in the past week and there’s approx 12 cm more in the forecast for Friday. As we’ve said before this winter, the little storms have been adding up more than expected just about every time and that trend seems to be true this week too. Grooming ops have been keeping the trails flat and East Quartz got pushed this week. The avalanche conditions are forecast to be moderate and there’s sun in the forecast.
Pow in Holt on Jan 5
Powder in Holt on Jan 5
Powder in Holt on Jan 5
Quartz Parking Lot info – Delayed…
We have not heard any more official word on this project but our sources are telling us to expect this project to start on Jan 20th. Below is the latest press release to us but it is obviously out of date now…
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 – likely Jan 20th now…
- 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.
Dogtooth FSR (Gorman)
Looks like come January, PWT will have a logging crew and hauling from the West Main road and therefore will be maintaining the Dogtooth FSR to the 3.5km lot most of the winter. Please call kms on your radio (RR27).
Main Spillimacheen FSR (Silent Pass)
A lot of forestry work is transpiring on the Main Spillamacheen FSR. 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
KHMR reported 7cms in the past week but we’ve heard reports that over double that amount fell on Tuesday evening in some parking lots to the north. The temps have remained quite steady in the lower single digits at night and that is keeping things consistent out there. The below treeline areas are still a big of a struggle and not every nook and cranny you’re used to is filled in, but the alpine is in a mid winter snowpack depth and the sledding up high has been great. There’s approx 12 cms in the forecast coming up and it looks like we will see the sun on Sunday (of course).
Powder in Holt on Jan 5
Holt Creek Jan 5
160 cms probed on the front side of Silent Pass at 2210m on Dec 22
KHMR snow report screen shot on Jan 9
Gorman Jan 4
Snow-forecast screen shot near Quartz on Jan 9
Avalanche Safety
Avalanche Conditions
Please check Avalanche.ca everyday you ride!
screen shot of Avalanche.ca on Jan 9
From Avalache.ca on Jan 9 for Dogtooth Range area: “Strong west winds have likely redistributed available snow into wind slabs. Evaluate terrain carefully for wind slabs before committing. Use extra caution in shallow snowpack areas.”
Travel and Terrain Advice from Jan 9:
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- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
- Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
- Avoid thin areas like rocky outcrops where you’re most likely to trigger avalanches on deep weak layers.
- Seek out sheltered terrain where new snow hasn’t been affected by wind.
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Grooming
Grooming
The East Quartz trail off the Quartz Creek main trail has been pushed this week past. Grooming in Quartz, Gorman and Silent trails is ongoing in an as needed maintenance. The cold temps have been keeping the trails in excellent shape.
Quartz cabin on Jan 8th night. Photo by Mark Abbot.
Staging Areas Latest Info
Quartz Creek
Silent Pass
Good riding
