Alpental, WA: 03/26/2016

Alpental... The Crown Jewel of the Summit Complex at Snoqualamie Pass.  

If you're in Seattle, with time for a day trip, Alpental is a great option.  The Summit complex is an easy drive from downtown Seattle, and offers 4 ski areas (East, Central, West and Alpental) on 1 ticket.  Central and West are the PNW equivalent to Mountain Creek... so don't even consider either as an option.


East has a bit more character to it's topography, but in my opinion, Alpental is the true attraction at Snoqulamie pass.  



Although top to bottom vertical is over 2400 ft, the mountain rides better as 2 pods that serve up 1200 vf per run.  The pod that is served by the Armstrong Express HSQ offers everything from cruise-able old growth trees, to wide open steeps.  The pod served by the Edeilweis double is essentially lift served back country.  A run down from the top of Edeilweis via International provides full 2400 vf through some pretty amazing scenery.  There are a multitude of backcountry options on both sides of the highway.  Hard to believe the place is located 45 minutes from a major metropolitan area.

It has remained cold, but there has been no new snow on the East side of the Cascades for about 10 days.  I had some business in Seattle and snow was in the forecast for the West side.  It's been a decent March at the Pass.  Perhaps this would be my last Pow day of this season....19 inches in 48 hours on the upper mountain.  When I arrived the 24 hour totals were 5 at the base, and 10 at the summit.  Cold and Dry up High.... Hot and Wet down Low.  The visibility was variable.  The sun would come out for 5 minutes, and then it would be socked in, and snowing for 15 minutes, and then the sun would come out.  No wind, cold at the top, comfortable at the bottom.  The crowd was fairly light.  By 11AM the snow was on the heavy side below mid mountain.

There is still plenty of snow at the Pass...

I would suspect that corn will be harvested here well into May this year.

In the line-up...

... with a fairly light crowd


Riding Armstrong


Variable Visibility




Tracked Out by 11


Back down in the Emerald City by 1... Beautiful Spring Day...Sunny and 60

Nice. All that snow makes me want to get on a plane.

Brownski wrote

Nice. All that snow makes me want to get on a plane.

Us too..

Alpental looks rad. It's wild how the snow sticks to such steep terrain in Washington. I imagine people throw down some rowdy lines around there.

What's up with the two dudes in orange suits? NASA? That white thing they are holding looks like a spaceballs helmet.

Good to see a Riblet double chair still in use.

raisingarizona wrote

What's up with the two dudes in orange suits? NASA? That white thing they are holding looks like a spaceballs helmet.

Ha!!  Yup.  There was an anime convention in Seattle (or something like that)... lot's of people walking around the city in costume

Thanks for the report - it looks like you are in for a good spring corn harvest.