Alpental _FINALLY!_1_16_15

FINALLY!  Today (Friday 1_16_15) 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.
   I think it worked well to leave you all full access extra long AGAIN this fall.  We plan to start setting up the mountain Today hoping that with some help from Grooming we can open ASAP. We will want to be able to safely do explosive avalanche control work as needed - so that triggers the policy.  I'll include a recap here: The signs will go out this afternoon, 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 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.  We also have 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.  Please don’t use that number for any reason other than 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 continued support. -Gib

Thanks Gib -- been great having the access up to this point. Hopefully you can spin the chairs soon.

"SOFT" Opening on Saturday without advertising, no lessons.  Sunday better with some additional snow, Chair 2 frontside MLK midday.  ALOT of Positive feedback, we must all really be Jones'n.  I'll guess at least Thursday through Sundays, hopefully to add the Nash side asap.