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Alpental (King, County, WA, USA) is an "Alpine Valley" (in German) about a mile North of I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass, 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. 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 Booth Creek Ski Holdings Inc., of which controlling shares are owned by Vail billionaire tycoon George N. Gillett Jr. of ConAgra Foods renown.

The ski concession is a small part of The Summit at Snoqualmie 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 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.

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

Alpental detailed information and history link - -

BoothCreek Ski Holdings,Inc. SEC info. BoothCreek Ski Holdings,Inc. SEC info. - -