Feb 16, 2017 Golden BC Snowmobile Conditions

Conditions for snowmobiling  in Golden BC right now are  a mixed bag of blower powder, packed powder, rain soaked powder and slush.  It all depends what elevation you’re at. We’ve had a lot of snow in the last week (52cms+) and  we’ve also had every other kind of weather too, including: wind, sun, rain, and fluctuating temps. Now is the time to be conservative with terrain choices because the avalanche conditions are changing rapidly and hard to predict.

Snow Beta

We had 52cms reported at KHMR over the week and that’s on top of 39cm the week before. Quantity is not our issue, but the temps and wind have made quality the real game to chase.

The last couple of days it’s poured rain in town but the trees up high are still white. The temperature line is hovering around 6000ft or 1800m, which is just below Quartz Cabin.

Avalanche Conditions

Please always check Avalanche.ca for the latest updates.

Weather

The weather promises to be a mixed bag of just about everything over the next week. We’ll see some snow, some rain down low, some sun, some wind and some clouds.

Travel and Active Forest Road Safety

Please travel with care. Check out DriveBC for current conditions.

Logging Road Travel

 

There have been numerous incidents in the last couple of years between logging trucks and snowmobilers. Please read the following guidelines and watch the new video we made.

• When entering onto an active logging road proceed with extreme caution.  
• Never attempt to pass a logging truck. If it pulls over, it is most likely preparing to meet another truck.  
• Every log truck has radio communication. If you do not have a radio, you are safest to follow behind a log truck and it will call your position for you.  
• If using a radio, call your kilometre locations and indicate whether you are traveling ‘up’ or ‘down’ .
• Always call your location when starting out from the parking lot, starting onto a new road and at the ‘must call’ signs.  
• Always yield the right-of-way to logging trucks.  
• There are many wide spots along the way. Anticipate the location of the loaded truck and pull into a wide spot before you meet and wait for the truck to pass.  
• When pulling over into a wide spot, park as far up as possible to leave room behind you for others.  

Looking to buy a VHF radio so you can communicate properly on forest roads? Please call Alpine IT in Golden BC.

Riding Areas

Quartz Creek

Conditions:  Deep powder and packed powder up high. Compact slush down low.
Grooms scheduled: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday evenings (Fridays and Wednesdays, if needed).
Fees: Everyday  ($25/rider).
Parking: Parking lot will be  cleared as needed. Lots of room for enclosed trailers. Portable toilets in parking lots.
Propane and firewood have both been restocked in upper cabin.  Please use conservatively.

 

Gorman Lake

Conditions:    Deep powder, wind effected powder, temperature effected powder and wet soup in the parking lot.
Grooms scheduled:  Thursdays and Saturdays
Fees:  Everyday ($25/rider).
Parking: 3.5km lower lot. There’s plenty room for enclosed trailers.
Road: Road is  being regularly sanded but not graded.  It’s very icey in the morning and evenings even if we sand it. We’ve had 3 trucks off the road on the  Dogtooth FSR (Gorman Lake access) this year.  Gorman is a steep, winding, mountain road with big exposure off the sides. By the time you realize you’re going too fast, it’s too late. The smart driver pops it in the 1st gear and lets their engine do the braking.

Silent Pass

First off, we want to apologize for the absolute gong show last Saturday at Silent. The forestry company who was maintaining the road shut down operations before the storm, a week earlier than we expected. We were caught on our heels with no plans for grooming from the 6 km or ability to plow the next 40 km of road.

It looks like we’re going to have to pay to maintain the road from now on and we assure you every dime we collect in Silent gets put back in to Silent. In fact, we subsidize Silent Pass grooming expenses with money we collect at Quartz.

Currently it is possible to drive to the 46km parking lot but the road is a bumpy single track. The parking lot is cleared and there is spots there to turn around but there’s not a lot of spots before the parking lot to turn around.

Conditions:  Deep powder. Incredible in spots. Rain soaked down low.
Grooms scheduled:  Thursdays (Saturdays if required)
Fees:  Everyday ($25/rider).
Parking:  Parking is about 100m  after the McMurdo turn off at 46.5km. Try not to box anyone in.  NO PARKING on the main road on weekdays please.
Road:  Currently it is possible to drive to the 46km parking lot but the road is a bumpy single track. The parking lot is cleared and there is spots there to turn around but there’s not a lot of spots before the parking lot to turn around.

Please watch our road safety video.

West Bench Trail

Conditions:    Groomed all the way from Gorman to Quartz on Saturday Feb 12.
Grooms scheduled:  as needed
Fees:  Everyday ($25/rider) payable at Gorman trailhead (or Quartz, but access is not recommended from Quartz as of yet).
Parking:  Park at Gorman parking lot.  (Quartz end not recommended)

Mt. 7

Groomed on Jan 28, 2017 to the main paragliding launch. There’s a bunch of people on side by sides and quads who chewed up our flat trail. 🙁

Susan Lake

Groomed on Jan 24, 2017

Sponsors

Without our sponsors we couldn’t operate. Please support them when you come in to town and tell em we sent ya!

Where’s the place to get food and drink around Golden? The Riverhouse is an authentic metal bar that deserves to be visited.

 

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PS- If you ever needed incentive to wear your tether, this is it.