Jan 4, 2017 Golden BC Snowmobile Conditions

After a lot of great snow, it’s back to cold temps and clear skies again in Golden BC. The taps may have turned off but the exploring opportunities have been amazing. Our trails are in great shape and the coverage is quite good. If you dress warm, a great day is waiting for you in Golden BC this weekend.

 

Snow Beta

The cold and clear temps have tightened the snowpack but please stay vigilant. Always  remember to check the avalanche conditions.

Please acquaint yourself with this important blog from Avalanche Canada regarding the recent snowmobiler avalanche death in Valemount. Our hearts go out to the affected friends and families of this tragedy.

Weather

Brrr. It’s been cold again but there is a luckily a bit warmer temps in the forecast. There isn’t too much in terms of new snow to expect this week.

Travel and Active Forest Road Safety

 

The highways continue to be full winter driving conditions. Please travel with care. Check out DriveBC for current conditions.

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 just 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

There’s packed powder in all 3 of our managed areas. The winds have had their way in the alpine but you can still find good snow in the trees. All areas are groomed regularly and parking lots are cleared weekly.

Quartz Creek

Conditions: Good coverage. Deep snow where fresh. A lot of compaction from traffic.
Grooms scheduled: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday evenings (Fridays and Wednesdays, if needed).
Fees: Everyday  ($25/rider).
Parking: Regular  parking lot maintenance is occurring. Lots of room for enclosed trailers. Portable toilets in parking lots.
– Propane and firewood have both been restocked since Christmas.  Please use conservatively.

Gorman Lake

Conditions:  Packed powder – windswept alpine. Good travel. Far basins have been pushed.
Grooms scheduled:  Thursdays and Saturdays
Fees:  Everyday ($25/rider).
Parking:  3.5km ‘lower lot.’ There’s plenty room for enclosed trailers.
Road:  Has been really bad. We had another truck over the bank this week. PLEASE drive slow.

Silent Pass

Conditions: Packed powder – windswept alpine. Good travel.
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: Road is  currently maintained by logging interests and there is active logging all week long. It gets plowed on Sundays. Please stay out of these guy’s way. We’re working on better communication from our kiosk to avoid any collisions.

Please watch our road safety video.

West Bench Trail

Conditions:  We’ve finally got a groom in on WBT.  Riding from Gorman to Wyseman corner is now good. Wysemen Corner to Quartz is  has not been groomed and is still thin.
Grooms scheduled:  Gorman to Wyseman was groomed on Dec 28.
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)

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.

Welcome to Tourism Golden, the official travel and tourism site for Golden and Kicking Horse Country, BC Canada.

Golden is located between the Canadian Rocky Mountains and Columbia Mountain ranges and with close proximity to six of the most stunning national parks that Canada has to offer; Banff, Glacier, Jasper, Kootenay, Mount Revelstoke and Yoho.

Golden also sits at the confluence of the Kicking Horse River, a Canadian heritage river famous for whitewater rafting, and the Columbia River, a BC heritage river which meanders through the longest protected wetlands in North America.

With a varied selection of accommodation plus winter activities and summer activities, including family friendly activities, the friendly mountain town of Golden continues to be a perfect holiday destination from which to enjoy and explore the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

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