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⚫ '''Alpental''' is a ] and "Alpine Valley" (in German) in ], ], about a mile north of ] at ], in the ], about 50 miles east of ]. It offers skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, hiking, climbing and other alpine activities. Geologically, it is a three sided canyon where the valley is flanked by ] on the west, ] to the north, and ] to the east, with ] occupying the upper valley area and feeding the South Fork of the ].
{{uncat|September 2006}}
⚫ '''Alpental''' (King, County, WA, USA) is an "Alpine Valley" (in German) about a mile North of I-90 at ], in the Washington Cascades, just over 50 miles from Seattle. Techinically a 3 sided canyon, the valley is flanked by Denny Mt. on the West, Chair Peak to the North, and Mt. Snoqualmie to the East, with Source Lake occupying the upper valley area feeding the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River.


== History ==
In 1967 mining claims were transformed into the Alpental ski area. In order to gain access to the area an agreement had to be made with the Sahalie Ski Club to allow a road through their property. Alpental ski area agreed to maintain roads at their cost for the Sahalie group in exchange for this access. Though the road accesses public forest land, the road is not part of the forest service, or county road system and is maintained by Ski Lifts, INC. In 1967, mining claims were transformed into the Alpental ski area. In order to gain access to the area an agreement had to be made with the Sahalie Ski Club to allow a road through their property. Alpental ski area agreed to maintain roads at their cost for the Sahalie group in exchange for this access. Though the road accesses public forest land, the road is not part of the forest service nor the county road system, but is maintained by Ski Lifts, Inc.


== Recreation ==
This has traditionally been one of the most popular outdoor recreation areas in the Cascades, with a rich history of Northwest climbing starting from this valley floor. There is also a ski area operating on Denny Mt. which is called Alpental, operated by ], of which controlling shares are owned by Vail Zillionaire profiteer tycoon ] of Congo Foods renown. This has traditionally been one of the most popular outdoor recreation areas in the Cascades, with a rich history of Northwest climbing starting from this valley floor. There is also a ski area on Denny Mt. called ], operated by Booth Creek Ski Holdings Inc., of which controlling shares are owned by Vail entreprenuer ]


The ski concession is a small part of ] Ski Area, operated by Ski Lifts Inc. under Booth Creek management, located in Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, but offers excellent advanced backcountry skiing access to pristine undeveloped wilderness. The inbound terrain in which the ski concession operates is considered the most difficult of the Summit at Snoqualmie Ski Area, with 75% rated Advanced, 22% rated Intermediate and 3% rated Beginner. The ski area at Alpental has four chairlifts that provide access to 2,280 feet (695 m) of vertical descent and 302 acres (1.2 km²) of skiable area. The area has way more than an additional 500 acres (2 km²) in its backcountry area, which is a major jewel of backcountry skiing in the Cascades. The entire NE side of the ridgeline from Denny Mt., extending toward Chair Peak can be traversed, and a phenomenal amount of varying terrain can be accessed on skis or a snowboard from the upper "chair 2." You can get all the way out to "Piss Pass," and beyond from the existing chairlift. The backcountry can only be accessed by those riding the lift who obtain passes from the Alpental ski patrol, or by those who choose The ski concession is a small part of ] ski area, but offers excellent advanced backcountry skiing access to pristine wilderness. The inbound terrain in which the ski concession operates is considered the most difficult of the Summit at Snoqualmie ski area, with 75% rated advanced, 22% rated intermediate and 3% rated beginner. The ski area at Alpental has four chairlifts that provide access to 2,280 feet (695 m) of vertical and 302 acres (1.2 km²). The area has more than 500 acres (2 km²) in its backcountry area. The entire NE side of the ridgeline from Denny Mt., extending toward Chair Peak can be traversed, and a great deal of varying terrain can be accessed from the upper ''chair 2''. Backcountry access from chairlifts is by permission through the Alpental ski patrol, or by hiking from one of the upper parking lots. The base of Alpental is 3,140 ft (957 m) with a top chairlift elevation of 5,420 ft (1652 m). Alpental's average snowfall is 444 inches (1127 cm).
to access public land by the traditional method of parking in one of the upper lots, and hiking up the valley floor. Alpental has a long tradition of climbing ascents starting from these lots. The base of Alpental is 3,140 ft (957 m) with a top chairlift elevation of 5,420 ft (1652 m). Alpental's average snowfall is 444 inches (1127 cm).


Night skiing is also available on the lower mountain. Night skiing is also available on the lower mountain.


The upper parking lots, traditionally known as lots 3 and 4 at Alpental are public land, managed by the USFS Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest, and are free and open to the public under Article F in the , under which this particular ski concession operates. These lots are kept clear of snow and open to the public as part of the agreement with the USFS which issues the ski area's Special Use Permit. Aside from being the most choice real estate in the valley, the upper public lots not only are a convenient place to park and ski or snowboard down to the lifts, they have historically been an excellent point to access many winter climbing, skiing, and snowshoeing routes. Lot 4 is described as the start of several tours in Martin Volken's guidebook; Backcountry Skiing Snoqualmie Pass. The upper parking lots, traditionally known as lots 3 and 4 at Alpental are public land, managed by the USFS Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest, and are free and open to the public under Article F in the . These lots are plowed and open to the public as part of the agreement with the USFS which issues the ski area's Special Use Permit. The upper public lots are a convenient starting point for many winter climbing, skiing, and snowshoeing routes. The north slopes of the valley are steep and very avalanche prone.<ref> {{cite book
| author = Martin Volken
| title = Backcountry Skiing Snoqualmie Pass
| id = ISBN 0762710667
| date = 2001-12-01
| publisher = Falcon
}} </ref>


⚫ Alpental offers many opportunities for climbing as well as touring. From Chair Peak (or the Tooth, or Bryant Peak) in the winter:<ref> {{cite book
Here is an excerpt:
| author=Jim Nelson and Peter Potterfield
⚫ | title=Selected Climbs in the Cascades
| publisher=The Mountaineers
| id = ISBN 0898867673
| date=1993
| pages=46}} </ref>
<blockquote>
The difficulty of this approach varies, depending on snow conditions. Drive I-90 to Snoqualmie Pass and Exit 52; cross under the freeway by heading north, and follow signs to Alpental. Drive Alpental Road north 2 miles to the parking lot. Hike upvalley, staying left (south) of the creek, to the head of the valley above Source Lake. This area is prone to avalanche. Use extreme caution.
</blockquote>


== Controversy ==
"Approach: Take Interstate 90 to the Snoqualmie Pass west exit. Drive on Alpental Road to the uppermost parking lot (3,220 feet). Leave your vehicle here. From the parking lot you'll see a groomed path leading deeper into the Alpental valley. Follow this path to the end. From here you continue up the valley, staying well above and south of the Snoqualmie River. Be aware that the north slopes of the valley are steep and very avalanche prone."
Booth Creek Ski Holdings, the operator of Alpental, has petitioned the ] for permission to develop Alpental's backcountry.<ref> {{cite web
⚫ | url = http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/projects/summit-at-snoqualmie/
| publisher = ]
| format = pdf
| title = Draft environmental impact statement (DEIS)
| date = 2002-10-01
| accessdate = 2006-09-28
}} </ref>
Organized opposition exists for this proposal.


⚫ There are indeed many opportunities for climbing as well as touring. For example if one wanted to climb Chair Peak (or the Tooth, or Bryant Peak) in the winter as Jim Nelson and Peter Potterfield describe in their guide:


== References ==
"The difficulty of this approach varies, depending on snow conditions. Drive I-90 to
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== External links ==
Snoqualmie Pass and Exit 52; cross under the freeway by heading north, and follow signs to
⚫ * History of area and virtual tours
* Environmental group opposing backcountry development


]
Alpental. Drive Alpental Road north 2 miles to the parking lot. Hike upvalley, staying

left (south) of the creek, to the head of the valley above Source Lake. This area is prone

to avalanche. Use extreme caution."

⚫ Nelson, Jim and Potterfield, Peter, Selected Climbs in the Cascades, The

Mountaineers,/Seattle 1993, p 46.

Booth Creek Ski Holdings, Inc. is currently requesting that the USFS approve its plans to

develop Alpental's backcountry.

Alpental is also the name of a small sub-division of resort homes on the Alpental Access

Road

⚫ [http://www.alpental.com Alpental detailed information and history link



⚫ [http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/projects/summit-at-snoqualmie/figures/2-3-3-2-Alternative-2-Pro
posed-Conditions-Alpental.pdf Master Development Plan]

Revision as of 08:28, 28 September 2006

Alpental is a ski area and "Alpine Valley" (in German) in King County, Washington, US, about a mile north of I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass, in the Washington Cascades, about 50 miles east of Seattle. It offers skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, hiking, climbing and other alpine activities. Geologically, it is a three sided canyon where the valley is flanked by Denny Mountain on the west, Chair Peak to the north, and Mt. Snoqualmie to the east, with Source Lake occupying the upper valley area and feeding the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River.

History

In 1967, mining claims were transformed into the Alpental ski area. In order to gain access to the area an agreement had to be made with the Sahalie Ski Club to allow a road through their property. Alpental ski area agreed to maintain roads at their cost for the Sahalie group in exchange for this access. Though the road accesses public forest land, the road is not part of the forest service nor the county road system, but is maintained by Ski Lifts, Inc.

Recreation

This has traditionally been one of the most popular outdoor recreation areas in the Cascades, with a rich history of Northwest climbing starting from this valley floor. There is also a ski area on Denny Mt. called Alpental, operated by Booth Creek Ski Holdings Inc., of which controlling shares are owned by Vail entreprenuer George N. Gillett Jr.

The ski concession is a small part of The Summit at Snoqualmie ski area, but offers excellent advanced backcountry skiing access to pristine wilderness. The inbound terrain in which the ski concession operates is considered the most difficult of the Summit at Snoqualmie ski area, with 75% rated advanced, 22% rated intermediate and 3% rated beginner. The ski area at Alpental has four chairlifts that provide access to 2,280 feet (695 m) of vertical and 302 acres (1.2 km²). The area has more than 500 acres (2 km²) in its backcountry area. The entire NE side of the ridgeline from Denny Mt., extending toward Chair Peak can be traversed, and a great deal of varying terrain can be accessed from the upper chair 2. Backcountry access from chairlifts is by permission through the Alpental ski patrol, or by hiking from one of the upper parking lots. The base of Alpental is 3,140 ft (957 m) with a top chairlift elevation of 5,420 ft (1652 m). Alpental's average snowfall is 444 inches (1127 cm).

Night skiing is also available on the lower mountain.

The upper parking lots, traditionally known as lots 3 and 4 at Alpental are public land, managed by the USFS Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest, and are free and open to the public under Article F in the . These lots are plowed and open to the public as part of the agreement with the USFS which issues the ski area's Special Use Permit. The upper public lots are a convenient starting point for many winter climbing, skiing, and snowshoeing routes. The north slopes of the valley are steep and very avalanche prone.

Alpental offers many opportunities for climbing as well as touring. From Chair Peak (or the Tooth, or Bryant Peak) in the winter:

The difficulty of this approach varies, depending on snow conditions. Drive I-90 to Snoqualmie Pass and Exit 52; cross under the freeway by heading north, and follow signs to Alpental. Drive Alpental Road north 2 miles to the parking lot. Hike upvalley, staying left (south) of the creek, to the head of the valley above Source Lake. This area is prone to avalanche. Use extreme caution.

Controversy

Booth Creek Ski Holdings, the operator of Alpental, has petitioned the USFS for permission to develop Alpental's backcountry. Organized opposition exists for this proposal.


References

  1. Martin Volken (2001-12-01). Backcountry Skiing Snoqualmie Pass. Falcon. ISBN 0762710667.
  2. Jim Nelson and Peter Potterfield (1993). Selected Climbs in the Cascades. The Mountaineers. p. 46. ISBN 0898867673.
  3. "Draft environmental impact statement (DEIS)" (pdf). USFS. 2002-10-01. Retrieved 2006-09-28.

External links

Category: