Resort advice -- passes / uphill access

Hey folks,

I'm an occasional lurker and longtime jealous east coaster (well, except this past winter, ahem) who is following his girlfriend out to Seattle at the end of the year. I joined TAY in 2013 for an awesome spring trip where I linked up with you locals and skied Joffre Lakes and the Liberty Bell.

As I prepare to shove off I wanted to get some advice on resorts, as I haven't done any lift accessible skiing in the PNW other than Whistler and one socked in day at Baker.

SO, for those inclined to play favorites, please make your case. Some factors I'm considering:

-any can't miss season pass deals, esp early season specials and/or under 30 prices?
-who's uphill friendly near seattle? ideally during operating hours but if not, best bets for dawn patrolling
-any resorts located somewhere that it's easy to access nearby backcountry trailheads? (this might be an odd question given that it seems the entire state of Washington is a backcountry playground, but I'm coming from an EC perspective...)

Thanks in advance,
Greg

Pretty much every local ski area will be asking full price for passes come Nov. 1st - some (*ahem* Crystal) already are. At this point it's tough to say who will get the best snow this winter, but it should be leaps and bounds better than last "season". So if you're okay with eating the full price of a pass, your best bet might be to wait until the snow flies then bite. Or do what one of my coworkers tried to do last year and ski around a bit before deciding on a pass for the following season. Most resorts offer some sort of "combo pack" which lets you buy a handful of tickets in advance at a discounted rate.

What I'll say is that The Summit at Snoqualmie, which includes the famed padded seats of Alpental, is by far the cheapest option. That said, sometimes you'll find yourself skiing in 34F rain (if you're lucky - freezing whatever if you aren't). But for being ~1 hour from downtown Seattle, it really can't be beat. The Summit offers a variety of passes, from nights-only (and there are some epic nights) all the way to unlimited with 50%-off tickets to Crystal. Their LTD pass offers access to all base areas midweek and just restricts you from getting rad at Alpental on weekends (which can be a gongshow in mid-season with lessons, powderhounds and more). If you're at all touring-inclined, which it sounds like you definitely are, it's not a bad idea to pick-up a weekday-only pass and go tour away from the crowds on the weekend (or if it's either too dangerous or too shitty, drop the cash on a discounted day ticket, which most resorts offer to their weekday passholders).

Stevens is the second-closest and second-most affordable resort to be a passholder at. The downside is that the drive is at least 50% longer than that of the Summit and can take easily over 2 hours on the way home on a busy weekend day. However, the base is higher elevation, they tend to get more direct easterly flow keeping their snow lighter and they have, in my opinion, better backcountry access and "lift-served" backcountry terrain than the Summit. The major downside to Stevens is they have a limited amount of parking - I've never been turned-away but I have had to park in satellite lots on the east side of the pass and hoof it or hop a short shuttle to the base. Your best bet is to get there by 9am on a weekend at the latest, earlier if it's a fat day.

Crystal is the most expensive option, but they do offer the most terrain and have excellent backcountry access (including some "controlled" stuff on the south side of the resort). The drive up will take you at least 2 hours but a good 50% of that is spent putzing through towns in the lowlands, so the overall drive time is more consistent than Stevens. Crystal bills itself as the most resort-like ski area, with limited snowmaking, a gondola (that takes you to the exact same place that two high speed chairlifts get you) and the fanciest options in terms of dining and overall experience. But don't be fooled - the place has a gritty underbelly and there are plenty of dirtbags who snag first chair, send it all day, close the bar out and do it all again the next morning.

Baker is the furthest away ski area - a good 2.5-3 hour drive, the last 60-90 mins of which are on the notoriously twisty and gnarly Mt. Baker Highway. Despite having the cheapest day tickets in the state, Baker sports the second-most expensive season passes, probably because it all-out dumps and if you're skiing at least 2x a week you're getting your money's worth. However, it's a long drive and you can't expect to do back-to-back daytrips from Seattle. The backcountry access at Baker is unlike anything you've ever experienced. Patrol requires a beacon + shovel + probe + properly-equipped partner to re-enter the ski area and they are not shy about pulling tickets and passes for those who violate the rules. But in general, if you wanna ski the deepest snow of your life, fall-with-grace down the gnarliest lines this side of AK and dry your boots out on a wood burning stove in a cabin in the woods without cellphone service, Baker is the place to be.

Personally, I've been renewing my passes to both Stevens and Snoqualmie at their lowest rates since graduating college 4 years ago. I get a lot of days in at the Summit before/after work and the occasional day there on the weekend, but for the most part I rip around Stevens on the weekend. When conditions allow (and the crowd is bonkers), I go tour with friends. It's definitely not an every weekend thing, but at least a few times a month (esp. when you factor in dawn patrols). The total cost is somewhere in the $800-900 range, which for 40+ days spent occupying chairlifts (even if only for a few hours), seems reasonable. But if I had to pick just one, I'd probably go with an unlimited pass to the Summit and tour when conditions warranted it. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to spin laps with the (in)famous flowing alpy, an opportunity not to be missed.

As for uphill access at ski areas, pretty much every resort has a policy. Some are more strict than others, but in general, when there's 5+ feet of snow on the ground above 3000', you can just skip the resort altogether. I only really "tour"within ski area boundaries before and after the season starts. Sometimes we'll use the lifts to save on vert and time, or access areas not yet open for the season (e.g. backside at Stevens), but not often.

We have some OR & WA resort uphill policies compiled/linked from here:
www.ussma.org/resort-uphill-policies
... but if anyone has any additions, corrections, etc., would be much appreciated if you could let us know, thanks.

Gib should post the latest Alpental policy a few days prior to the patrol taking the hill over.

Nice write up pipedream...real good effort. I learned something...nothing unusal about that....

Although it's a bit far from Seattle white pass has fewer bc tourers with open access to incredibly delicious terrain. Lift tickets are not cheap but get you up to where the goods are.

One of the best ski areas in the world is just north of Vancouver. 5 and ten day Edge cards are a bargain. I have a full pass but my wife has a ten day one and the days don't count till December 18th! She will probably get in 10 free days by then! With the Dollar strong and gas cheap there is no reason to not be up there whenever you have a few days available. Last year was challenging but was heads and shoulders above all other West Coast resorts.

Alpental uses explosives and other measures for avalanche control -- checking in with Alpental ski patrol before hand should always be done.

At the non-Alpental Snoqualmie (West, Central and East) areas uphill travel has been generally tolerated

Even at night snoqualmiepassskimo.blogspot.com/

Best to be polite, stick to the edges of runs and be friendly with any ski patrol folks that come up to chat and work with any safety oriented requests they may make.

Summit East / Hyak is only open weekends -- mid-week dawn patrol treks there are a common work out.  The summit did a good brush trimming at all their areas over last summer, so it won't take so much snow to cover the brush this winter.

FWIW:  In the '90s Kittitas County tried to impose an admissions tax on the sale of lift tickets on the non-Alpental ski areas at the summit (Alpental is in King County)   The ski areas fought back and contended that the lift tickets were for riding the lifts only and not for access to the ski area itself -- they won that case -- so if they start getting hard core about excluding uphill travelers -- Some letter writing to the Kittitas County Commissioners might be in order   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I don't think Kittitas County commissioners have any say so about SUPs with the USFS

I don't think Kittitas County commissioners have any say so about SUPs with the USFS

Sure -- but if the ski areas start telling people they can't be in the SUP without a lift ticket -- then the County could impose their admissions tax on the sale of lift tickets.   If they the new owners of the ski areas "forget" that -- a letter from the county commissioners should help them set the correct policy.


FWIW: Here is the Record of Decision (ROD) in the most recent Special Use Permit (SUP) for the Summit at Snoqualmie.

a123.g.akamai.net/7/123/11558/abc123/for...17_FSPLT1_018078.pdf

AFAICT: The subject of "public access" within the SUP isn't spelled out -- perhaps it is just assumed from general USFS policy.

For the most part I've haven't had negative encounters. There was one time as I was approaching "Grand Junction" on the XC trails that someone rather grumpily as to see my ticket (for using the groomed XC trails) I think they were just having a bad day or something -- as they were a little confused when I showed them my "Summit Crew" id card.

I've never understood the desire to tour within ski areas, especially when they're in operation. Why not ski the adjacent areas? For me, avoiding the resorts is a major motivation for going touring. What's the attraction?

Quick access , more skiable with low snow coverage , no worries about snow stability , lights at night.

E.g. Summit East / Hyak is closed mid week and is commonly used for "dawn pattol" session s before work. Similarly Summit Central and West are sometimes used for rando racing workouts in the evening .

I've never understood the desire to tour within ski areas, especially when they're in operation.  Why not ski the adjacent areas?  For me, avoiding the resorts is a major motivation for going touring.  What's the attraction? 

Right now, the attraction for me is that the cut ski runs runs can be skied with very little snow, and the adjacent areas can only be skied when there is full coverage. Avoiding the ski area in Wenatchee means no local touring possibly until January, while if you were allowed to ski inside the boundary, you could start skiing before Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately for Wenatchee folks, Mission Ridge closes it's doors to all visitors except when lifts are running until they are done with early season snow making. Right now, the skiing on the cut runs would be fabulous with new snow over the past couple days on top of a thin settled base. All that fresh is going to spoil unskied though. "Keep out".

Quick access ,  more skiable with low snow coverage , no worries  about snow stability , lights at night.

E.g.  Summit  East / Hyak is closed mid week and is commonly  used for "dawn pattol" session s before work.  Similarly  Summit Central and West are sometimes  used for rando racing workouts  in the evening .

Yeah, none of those reasons resonate with me. Would rather just ride the lifts if skiing the groomer is my objective. Touring for me is about getting out, not a convenience workout. If I want that, I can just go running.

Yeah, none of those reasons resonate with me.  Would rather just ride the lifts if skiing the groomer is my objective.  Touring for me is about getting out, not a convenience workout.  If I want that, I can just go running.

Everyone's different. When you live in the mountains like Mike and myself (much of the time) your daily objectives change. Sometimes a ski trip can be just an hour or two and that is your workout. Eight inches in a groomed trail or logging road is more fun than a treadmill in a gym. It's also about availability. Most early seasons at Whistler will see me skinning or hiking to areas that in mid season are lift accessible. At other times I'll go miles away from the crowds to play the game.

Everyone's different. When you live in the mountains like Mike and myself (much of the time) your daily objectives change.  Sometimes a ski trip can be just an hour or two and that is your workout. Eight inches in a groomed trail or logging road is more fun than a treadmill in a gym. It's also about availability. Most early seasons at Whistler will see me skinning or hiking to areas that in mid season are lift accessible. At other times I'll go miles away from the crowds to play the game.

Very nice post Look at me...hamster treadmill extraordinary, happy in my path, happy when I jump out of my "easy" world...actually pretty much always happy when the boards are attached to my feet and I'm sliding down hill (especially since I'm kinda lazy the lifts provide me with the uphill transport)...Yee Haa....Every one have a big time how ever you get up the hill... ;D

FWIW Summit West will be spinning its lifts this weekend... I'll bet it will be packed.