This is an old revision of this page, as edited by EncMstr (talk | contribs) at 08:28, 28 September 2006 (wikified; remove gobs of non-NPOV material; format cites and paragraphs; stab at framing controversy). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 08:28, 28 September 2006 by EncMstr (talk | contribs) (wikified; remove gobs of non-NPOV material; format cites and paragraphs; stab at framing controversy)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)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
- Martin Volken (2001-12-01). Backcountry Skiing Snoqualmie Pass. Falcon. ISBN 0762710667.
- Jim Nelson and Peter Potterfield (1993). Selected Climbs in the Cascades. The Mountaineers. p. 46. ISBN 0898867673.
- "Draft environmental impact statement (DEIS)" (pdf). USFS. 2002-10-01. Retrieved 2006-09-28.
External links
- Alpental website History of area and virtual tours
- Free Alpental Environmental group opposing backcountry development