Alpental - 04/23 Sorry wrong day...Just noticed..

The really unexpected PHAT chance report from the most wordy person… So the really really big wordy Alpy report from someone from the southern parent resort….Pulled into the main parking lot around 8:45, but boots on in the parking lot (ugh) and got a nice half price tix and jumped onto Armstrong by 9:10….Heard forecasts of possible dry periods early for today – Not! Kinda misty early and down right wet mid morning (testing the winter goretex).  Expected some folks on the slopes – Not! (or at least not many, think I rode with 3 or 4 on Armstrong and one real talker on Edel). Expected soft snow everywhere based on overnight temps – Yep! Primo soft week old snow off what piste was done last night….a little cupped and very dirty, but very happy skiable on smallish bumps off Armstrong early (was mainly doing Eisfallen early morning – I do like that run after I remember my favorite line – been a few years since I’ve gotten to ski it).  Around 10:15 finally went up Edelweiss, wet down low and snowing at the top.  Edel bowl path back down skied nicely with happier bigger bumps all over the place…big window break in the weather next ride up sucked me into almost hamster mode skiing the next three laps on International to the base!  Very nice and very big bumps and very big unmarked holes and very big unmarked rock piles poking up through the snow and some pretty nice cracks (glacier movement? ha ha).  Said almost Hamster mode – but the round trip is pretty casually slow…but more time to contemplate life.  Had a nice late lunch pizza slice and beer.  Did a few more runs early afternoon, looked like the weather was breaking, but showers kept blowing through (windshield wiper weather)…Forecast said more precip, so I bailed out around 1pm (looked pretty nice as I was pulling out of the muddy parking lot). Big bonus…home at 2pm and heading out for a sunny bike ride!

Other – Alpy does have soup…but it was Clam chowder and Chili today. As noted I had some nice pizza…most of the food service was shut down… I remember some nice end of season Mex food specials in the past (must be Crystal management problem).  Parking pretty easy and close in…drove up and checked out the massive “upper” parking lots that I did not know about – whats it like when those things get full?

Other other – As noted in some Alpy reports this season the dog crap hazardous waste site around the edges of the parking lot are pretty impressive…made me pay attention where I parked and walked…What is it about folks that have dogs? ???

Other other other – Plenty of snow right now, but getting bare in spots (makes it fun)…dropping into Upper Nash will be very challenging soon….with cooler weather this next week maybe one more weekend will happen….Fun day as usual, even with the wet gloves.

Other other other other  - Probably just used up all the Aplental space on TAY for the rest of the season …sorry ;D

Still space available and many turns after 1 as well.
Those big ole LoTs up top have names, LoT4 is uppermost.
Shot10 has a head, Main a bridge. Holler tomorrow from bottom of St Bernard for Bobby.

The air dried out nicely by early-mid-afternoon and so did our clothing. There  was actually almost  a line on Armstrong for a few minutes once the  sky brightened up and a few  sunbreaks appeared!

Some dog owners actually pick up  after their pups, but clearly not enough of them... Go check out the start of  the XC ski/snowshoe road into the  Gold Creek valley up near exit 54 in  late season if you want some ugly perspective on the topic - makes the road up toward the water tower above Lot 4 look like spic-and-span Switzerland!

Still gross but I hope better since the dog park thread.