Alpental info needed

I'm an mid- intermediate skier and only ski 3-4 times a year. I'm skiing the Alpental Backcountry tomorrow for the first time with a young friend who is known for taking people in over their heads. What's a mellow route to take that I might enjoy? I don't mean survive, I mean enjoy.

You should really go for the longest, yet somewhat easiest route - out the traverse to the very end, down through Great Scott bowl and then back on the traverse to the ski area. Kind of the more scenic - more alpine feel as well

In the Alpental BC - in a lot of ways the closer in you are the more challenging the route finding and terrain. There is a set of cliff bands that traverse and line the area.

I'm an mid- intermediate skier and only ski 3-4 times a year. I'm skiing the Alpental Backcountry tomorrow for the first time with a young friend who is known for taking people in over their heads. What's a mellow route to take that I might enjoy? I don't mean survive, I mean enjoy.

Not too much in the way of mellow out there if your an intermediate skier and be really careful since there are creek holes that are still open yet hidden from above.  As mentioned by Enzoloa, the cliffs are always present and the route finding can be tricky at times, especially since the last dump of snow. 

Don't forget your beacon, probe and shovel too - and hopefully the knowledge to use them.

The Scott Traverse is quite beautiful and the run from Source Lake back to Alpy is fast and tight, just be careful getting down the drainage from Pineapple Pass (creek holes mentioned above) and hopefull your boy won't get you into a bad place.

cd

This link may be helpful:

www.alpental.com/

2nd to Climberdave' comments.

Also sometimes the easy "flat" terrain is the most nasty stuff due to ice, rocks, trees, brush, creeks, slush, steep drops, etc. It all depends on your idea of fun, but it is guaranteed to be beautiful out there!

I'd get the patrol to give you a tour.

This link may be helpful:

www.alpental.com/

2nd to Climberdave' comments.

Also sometimes the easy "flat" terrain is the most nasty stuff due to ice, rocks, trees, brush, creeks, slush, steep drops, etc. It all depends on your idea of fun, but it is guaranteed to be beautiful out there!

Sweet link, thanks!!

cd

I'd get the patrol to give you a tour.

I second that. Alpy patrol gives free tours of the BC. If you don't have shovel/beacon/probe, starting this year they'll even lend you a set for the tour.

so did you survive or what?

If you don't have shovel/beacon/probe, starting this year they'll even lend you a set for the tour.

You can thank these people.

www.thedavidpettigrewmemorialfoundation.com

Thanks for all your advice. I have a lot of backcountry XC experience and have Telemarked on my skinny skis down the local black diamond but I have ski poles older than most of the people I ski with and no death wish. I ended up arriving a day late (I love to fly, I HATE air travel) but after reading the info at the Alpental.com I decided I wasn't mentally ready. Instead, we snomobiled to rampart ridge area to his secret spot. Great conditions. 6" of new pow on a icy solid base. Zero avy danger so he said. Only incident was when we skinned out of the woods onto a steep (to me) slope. My partner led and started to shovel a level track for me, such love. I asked why he would do that and he said that since my borrowed set up was a little funky and I only had 600' of vertical skin experience, if i slid I would go over a cliff 50 yds down the pitch. He was trying to make it easy for me. I told him I would make it real easy for him - I wasn't going out there ! We found another route and pushed to the top. Skiing down was great. I'm an expert at side slipping. I did manage 4 linked turns ending in a face plant but those four turns were worth the effort. I'm no longer a poser. I've moved up a notch to impostor.

Decided that when I move to the Cascades next year I'm going to start a guide service. Gonna call it "Low Adrenaline - No Sweat" and scout out some sweet places to lead.

Way to go out and keep it safe. 

When you set up that guide service let me know  - "Low Adrenaline - No Sweat" - sounds like my kind of place 

cd

Cool, looks like you found some nice snow.
The guy in the last picture, with the kerosene lantern and cast iron skillet needs to weigh in on this survival gear thread
www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...ex.php?topic=12321.0

welcome to the cascades!