Alpental (late) Fall Touring

It’s that time again.  Tomorrow (Wednesday 1_8_14) is last day for open access to hike or skin up at Alpental. To clarify, that means NO Uphill travel in our Special Use Permit terrain until we give it all back next spring. That includes the Back Bowls.
   It’s sure been a slow start for us, but that means you had it extra long this fall, and it’s actually been pretty OK.  There’s been almost daily use for 5 or 6 weeks now.  Lots and lots of snow currently up at the top, so much so that for the first time in my experience we’ve even been contemplating operating Chair 2 on its own and offering Chair 1 for downloads if desired. I’m sure hoping we get enough new snow this week to take that off the table! The hardest part is trying to figure how to limit guest numbers to a couple hundred of the most deserving passholders.  Anyway, not to ramble extensively, we plan to start setting up the mountain Thursday hoping forecasted storms will give us enough extra coverage to weather the inevitable rain.  Success there would very likely mean explosive avalanche control work so that triggers the policy.  The signs will go out tomorrow afternoon and after that the only uphill hiking or touring allowed will be while the area is actually open for business (loading lifts) and then you must also make contact with Patrol Dispatch so you we can agree on a route to hopefully suit your desires and also to advise what terrain is open for your descent.  All the same closure rules still apply to terrain when you go up under your own power.  All this is done of course to maximize our own crew safety and minimize the possibility of one of us triggering a slide which could affect an unsuspecting traveler.  One new addition is a direct outside phone line to Alpental Patrol Dispatch. You can get that new phone number from the new lift and run sign at the bottom of Chair 1.  I’m not posting it here because when I tested it the other day it connected to someone else.  That will be promptly fixed one way or the other.  Please don’t use that number for current conditions. Use it only for emergency calls, or uphill travel requests. Mostly, once these uphill restrictions go in effect, almost everyone goes somewhere else to tour and that helps it not be a big deal.
Thanks for the support, and hope to see you making some powder laps soon. -Gib

Haha! Connected to someone else. .. I bet the voice answered either "Silas speaking" or "Amar here"

Thanks, Gib. Will the beacon park be available?

back bowls boundary have a terminus point?
bobby

Stoked to see this message .

A daily lottery among season-passholders and some limited first-come first-serve daily tickets would offer a way to whittle down numbers enough to keep Chair 2 safe, efficient, and fun.

Oh, it's been too long a wait for this post this season, been doing my best to help with slope compaction.

Put me down on that short list of most deserving passholders, let's go with oldest BC passes.

restrictions noted. Will pass the word along to those who don't frequent TAY and/or currently have limited internet access. To echo bobby's question, is the edge of the "back bowls" still considered to be along draft dodger ridge?

if you need help with additional skier compaction, you know where to find us :

To echo bobby's question, is the edge of the "back bowls" still considered to be along draft dodger ridge?

Agreed - just to erase any uncertainty about this, knowing a specific terrain feature that defines the end of the uphill policy would be great. I've heard conflicting info about this in the past, but have it on good authority that Great Scott, Source/Snow Lake Divide are always fair game.

Oh, it's been too long a wait for this post this season, been doing my best to help with slope compaction.

Put me down on that short list of most deserving passholders, let's go with oldest BC passes.   

hey i am right behind you and got my ancient bc pass at the ready, able and willing to follow the rules.
b

Probably wouldn't try to change the phone number if it went straight to Silas or Amar.
Beacon park needs another couple feet to bury the targets adequately but it's surely on the list. Permit boundary is indeed along the top of Draft Dodger. We had a new exit gate out there last season and will continue and improve that marking.
Great Scott, Wonder Gulley, China Bowl, Snow Lake divide are all outside permit so available to touring up the valley anytime. On that subject, may see some new signs this season at lot 4, REALLY trying to seperate that upvalley route from the Back Bowls return trail. If we can all keep to appropriate paths everyone should benefit. /G

thanks rob.
bF

On that subject, may see some new signs this season at lot 4, REALLY trying to seperate that upvalley route from the Back Bowls return trail.  If we can all keep to appropriate paths everyone should benefit. /G

Get a few people on snowshoes to set a track a few feet closer to the stream; all the others will follow . . .

Gib:
Fully agree up/down should be separated but no one wants to expose themselves to unnecessary Avi danger by skinning up the NE side of the valley. The choke is Mushroom Couloir/icefall to Source Lake. A new path could be made on e around the cliff but don't know how to deal with the choke. If someone takes the initiative to set poles with up arrows most will follow.

bold signage after the watertower, not at parking lot dog shit hot spot, informing snowshoe families and their pets of an appropriate route off the established out trail.
so sketchy on a weekend day flowing against uphill traffic. way to many close calls and verbal confrontations from interacting with these folks.
visitors to this area should be informed that it is NOT ok to let their special dog run loose.
bF

One new addition is a direct outside phone line to Alpental Patrol Dispatch. You can get that new phone number from the new lift and run sign at the bottom of Chair 1.  I’m not posting it here because when I tested it the other day it connected to someone else.  That will be promptly fixed one way or the other.  Please don’t use that number for current conditions. Use it only for emergency calls, or uphill travel requests.

Bump: anybody able to post that number now?

i'll look and see if it's posted.
b

Alpental Patrol Dispatch (from the sign): 425-434-6732

We've been getting a few spring inquiries.  The plan is to really hit hard the available information in the base area but we have no plans to change the underlying policy.  No uphill travel unless the area is open and you make contact with patrol for an approved route.
That means even when we go to weekends only, (Fri, Sat, Sun this week) it's not OK to tour midweek when it's closed.  We allow it at the rest of the Pass, Hyak to West, but not Alpie.  The reason is that weather will dictate our work on short notice even this time of year.  We did explosive cornice work on a closed day last week both in designated area and also back bowls, and it could easily happen again.  This is a USFS approved policy so please help us out and comply.  The Chair Peak Basin, Snoqualmie Mountain, and basically the rest of the Cascades are all yours for the taking.  Please help us in efforts to never have a tragic accident and I promise to up the ante on public information quality.  We'll give Alp back to you right after closing for season, looks like that will likely be Cinco de Mayo again this year. Thanks /G