Alpental 12_26_14

Happy Holidays, I truly wish I was giving my normal fall “speech" about taking the area back for setting up the mountain and beginning operations but we have once again had our own special set of weather circumstances. We can only play the hand we’re dealt.  There is still not enough snow cover for Alpental Snow Safety staff to move around the slopes properly for assessing and possibly reducing avalanche hazard.  There have been some small slides on a few slopes but they have been fairly isolated.  In response we have left open access to areas within the permit area and allowed the really hard core early season sluggo’s to skin and hike on the mostly brush and rock covered  resort terrain.
This may end quickly.  If the coming storm forecast verifies, slide hazard could rise quite rapidly.  So for now, it remains open public access but for those who care to listen - travel is not advised in avalanche prone terrain for inexperienced users or parties not trained and equipped for field risk assessment and self rescue. Please keep up on NWAC forecasts for weather and avalanche hazard, and always remember that your decisions can affect the safety of others. Alpental Patrol Staff are not on the mountain, organized rescue resources may be only available from afar, and we each are responsible for the decisions we make. As it should be, I say, but let’s hope for a quick change and make it a really Happy New Year.  Cheers….Gib