Nov 27, 2010, Alpental Valley GSB/Stokes
11/27/10
WA Snoqualmie Pass
2070
2
Skied West until 11:30am w/my daughter, then went to go tour around in the Alpental valley and check out the coverage. Somehow managed to put my keys in the pack and then lock the pack and the dog in the car in the lot at Alpental, and I couldn't get Nash to open the locks. Luckily the Summit security came by and popped the lock pretty quick, after an hour or so. Thanks guys! Talked to a couple different patroller friends about uphill travel policies and let them know where I was headed and then set out late-ish 1:45 solo with the dog toward Source Lake. Solid snow shoe trail was in to Source lake, placed low enough to skirt the drainage below Mushroom Coulior. Debated on where to break off uphill since the trees and brush are still really thick around Big Trees and several spots I've climbed up before looked less than inviting. Ended further up the valley and skinning up through No Fog, which still has a few open holes to navigate around. The clouds and fog rolled in and it started to dump again while I was in the Great Scott Boulder field. Skiable on the sides of the bowl but a lot of BIG boulders in the middle. Good consolidation and settling, skied more like boot top with the fatties but there really is just only 40 inches of base. Amazing to think how much snow fills in here by mid-winter. Since I wasn't keen to ski out the trail from Source lake, I popped over to Stokes Bowl and had great snow in the Bowl and then down to Lower Stokes. Still a lot of boulders to dodge in the middle of the runs but the standby lines skied decent, albeit with lots of pillows and rollers that will disappear with more snow.
Source falls
looking back to Source Creek drainage from Great Scott and the last wisp of blue sky.
Boulder field- the clean lines are to skiers right.
Nice walk in the woods, snow was a little too deep for Nash dog on the down, I had to make ~5 turns and then wait for him. Really needs several more feet to fill things in and make this tour more friendly, lots of holes and sketchy trees slowed things on the skin track up.
Source falls
looking back to Source Creek drainage from Great Scott and the last wisp of blue sky.
Boulder field- the clean lines are to skiers right.
Nice walk in the woods, snow was a little too deep for Nash dog on the down, I had to make ~5 turns and then wait for him. Really needs several more feet to fill things in and make this tour more friendly, lots of holes and sketchy trees slowed things on the skin track up.
Scenery up there so varied and impressive , glad you got out.
We missed you today... we had to set our own skintrack. :(
We missed you today... we had to set our own skintrack. :(
I walked by just as the security folks got your car open, cool. Coming back from Chair Peak Basin ("CPB"???) with my golden lab Lucy. We followed the skin/snowshoe track out to Source and then up to the top of the Apron. Lucy started to struggle with the unconsolidated snow there so it was time to turn around.
Experienced the same conditions; pretty low snow, lots of rollers and some decent holes (landed in a four foot one 2/3 the way down). Had to too go even slower and more conservative then normal as it felt like I would run straight in to a boulder otherwise (not good). But the turns, for what it is worth, were nice.
You made a great decision not skiing out the skin trail. Hardest ski out in my 25 years of going back there. Was good for me to work on my perserverance and patience. Lol.
Experienced the same conditions; pretty low snow, lots of rollers and some decent holes (landed in a four foot one 2/3 the way down). Had to too go even slower and more conservative then normal as it felt like I would run straight in to a boulder otherwise (not good). But the turns, for what it is worth, were nice.
You made a great decision not skiing out the skin trail. Hardest ski out in my 25 years of going back there. Was good for me to work on my perserverance and patience. Lol.
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