Conditions Report: Sunny Spring Resets
Quartz pow on March 14, 2023
Quartz March 14, 2023
Quartz on March 14, 2023
Riley Suhan Backcountry Race
Only 16 sleeps left until the most awesome event in snowmobiling! Registration is OPEN for the 4th Annual Riley Suhan Backcountry race on April 1, 2023. Check the link for more info. Only 50 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
We’ve had approximately half a meter (50cms) of snow in the last week and all the zones got a pretty good reset. There’s sunny skies forecast for the weekend. Looks like temps will remain cool, so the snow will stay preserved.
The best snow seems to be in the sub alpine bowls where accumulations can be quite deep.
March 14 in Quartz
Avalanche
Please make sure you check Avalanche.ca everyday you ride.
The alpine continues to be the main area of concern.
“Watch for hazard increasing during peak daytime heating. Natural avalanches are possible and human-triggered avalanches are likely.
Avoid thin areas like rock outcroppings where you are most likely to trigger deep persistent layer” – copy and pasted from Avalanche.ca on Mar 16
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.
There has been some restrictive avalanche conditions this week which have affected our ability to perform full grooms. We expect grooming operations to normalize by the end of the weekend. There are some areas that may be 1/2 groomed due to avalanche restrictions.
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 is getting a pass tomorrow.
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.
road for first 1km. expect it to be plowed for trucks and groomed on the other side.
parking lot looking good on March 14
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.
Avalanche activity in Gorman on March 11
pow in Gorman on March 11
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.
