Conditions Report: That’s It That’s All

April 13, 2023

Snowmobile conditions continue to be awesome in Golden as recent snowfalls have reset the entire range this week with approximately 1 m of new snow. It’s still a good time to come sledding, however, SledGolden grooming operations have wrapped for the season and there are no more scheduled grooms. There will be no one charging trail fees at any of kiosks from now on.

The TCH-1 is closed till Sunday morning and Quartz has been ploughed fully to the 1km mark. Gorman is still ridable from the lower parking lot and the Silent road is a bumpy muddy mess. All the new snow and warming conditions have made avalanche conditions spike.

Keep reading to hear more about sledding in Golden this week.

Spring pow in Oldman

signs going up in Gorman on April 12

Travel

TCH-1 Highway

A reminder that the Spring 2023 Extended Closure begins April 11 at 12 pm MT and will continue through April 15.

Highways 93S and 95 may be used as alternate routes during this time.

The highway will be fully open on Sunday, April 16 from 12 am until 8 pm, returning to a regular schedule of stoppages and overnight closures at 8 pm.

See the full schedule on our Highway Status Calendar: http://ow.ly/mztw50Kw9yu

Always check DriveBC.ca for the most current information.

SNOW AND WEATHER

It’s definitely spring here in Golden but the high alpine is holding the cooler temps. KHMR reports 93 cms of snow in the past week and zones like Quartz and Silent often get more than that. The spring heat can cook the snow quickly in the direct sun but it’s been mostly cloudy lately with windows of blue. The good news is the daylight is out for a long time so there’s no need to rush in the mornings.

There’s quite a bit of fresh snow out there and it can be pretty deep in spots.

Avalanche

Please make sure you check Avalanche.ca everyday you ride.

“The past storm snow has added additional weight and stress to a weak and unpredictable layer that remains a concern and undermines the base of the snowpack.

Thin, rocky and steep terrain is the most prominent terrain features that the deep persistent slab has continued to be problematic.

As the freezing level rises and the sun appears, you will find that conditions change drastically through the day.” – copy and pasted from Avalanche.ca on April 13

Grooming

Grooming operations are now completed for the season. There will no longer be any scheduled grooms nor will there be any day tickets sold at the the kiosks. Thank you for a great season.

Trail Area Conditions Reports

Quartz Creek

Conditions: Fresh Snow

Grooms scheduled: none

Parking: At main lot -

Road: ploughed to dirt to the 1km with rock trucks hauling gravel

Additional notes: The Quartz access road is ploughed to dirt to the 1km and gravel trucks will be making regular hauls on the road. It is not recommended to ride in Quartz any longer due to this vehicle situation.

Gorman Lake

Conditions: fresh up high. firm down low.

Grooms scheduled: none (1 more to get the mobile cabin)

Parking: 3.5km - can still sled from here.

Road: bumpy and muddy

Additional notes: Gorman is still reachable from the lower parking lot as of April 12.

Silent Pass

Conditions: closed for the season

Grooms scheduled: closed for the season

Fees: closed for the season

Parking: 31km - leave room for large trailers to turn around.

Road: active logging on road. Road has been ploughed so it will get muddy and rutted in warm temps.

Additional notes: Silent is closed for the season. If you’re going there please watch out for logging trucks.

East Quartz

Conditions: Fresh

Grooms scheduled: none

Fees: $30 as per Quartz

Parking: Main Quartz

Road: N/A

Additional notes: no more grooming up the E Quartz road this season beyond the main Quartz trail.

Old Man

Conditions: closed for the season

Grooms scheduled: closed for the season

Fees: closed for the season

Parking: At Quartz Creek upper lot

Road: N/A

Additional notes: Old man got groomed on March 16.

Westbench Trail

Conditions: not passable

Grooms scheduled: N/A

Fees: $0

Parking: Gorman or Quartz

Road: N/A

Additional notes: not open at this time

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.