Home > Trip Reports > Jan 9, 2018, Snoqualmie pass (Alp)

Jan 9, 2018, Snoqualmie pass (Alp)

1/9/18
WA Snoqualmie Pass
4030
9
Posted by Jake the Brit on 1/9/18 11:54am
Snowing at Alp parking lot at 1.30PM toady, wet & heavy.

Skinned up though the area. New snow was 4" deep mid afternoon & seemed to bond well to the crust underneath & the general coverage was much better than I or the Frenchman expected.

We were swept off by very fine patrolmen at 3.45, who reminded us that we should check in (at ticket window), only skin up during operational hours,
..and as an asides; that we should go and skin in the mountains. Ha. Right on!
I just wanted to clarify the uphill policy that you said was "confusing"...this is directly from the ski area's website:


Uphill Travel Policy

Rules for traveling uphill at The Summit at Snoqualmie and Alpental via any method; including touring or skinning (skis or splitboard), hiking, climbing, snowshoeing, etc. The Summit allows uphill travel within its ski area boundaries ONLY when users obey the following rules.
Rules of Uphill Travel: For All Summit Areas

    Uphill users must travel on the sides of trails, avoid the primary downhill path, and maintain visibility so downhill users can avoid them.
    If uphill users are a contributory cause to a collision or incident, they may be held liable.
    Be open and courteous to ski patrol and staff. Their job is to keep everyone safe, including you.

Rules of Uphill Travel: Specific to Alpental

At Alpental during the operating season uphill use is allowed ONLY WHEN THE AREA IS OPEN TO CUSTOMERS. When Alpental is closed to customers, it is closed to uphill travelers. This means that if no Alpental chair lift is open to guests, you may not travel uphill; including periods when lifts are delayed or on standby, Mondays, at night or any other period of closure during the operating season.

    Before heading uphill, you must first make contact with patrol staff to determine whether a route can be approved for that day and time.
    This policy applies to all terrain, including the Back Bowls area.
    When traveling to areas beyond the boundary such as Chair Peak or Snow Lake, always stay climbers right and off of any path or resort return trail. Uphill travel is not allowed for any terrain on the South side of the Alpental Valley until you reach Source Lake.
    From Source Lake the distinct drainage known as Great Scott trends south and up to the Tooth and Pineapple Pass. These areas are outside the resort boundary and open to ski touring and other forest users, but please do not travel east into the Alpental ski area permitted terrain.

Alpental Restrictions Active

As of December 5, 2017 our operating season has started. All Alpental specific uphill travel restrictions are now active.

Please Note:

    The operating season starts when there is sufficient snow cover for workers to begin winter activities. This is communicated via the posting of signs in base facilities, notification on social media, and this website. End of season is communicated through the same means.
    For more information, review our trail maps and Back Bowls map that display area boundaries.
    These uphill travel rules were developed in partnership with the United States Forest Service.

Parking For Uphill Travelers

Parking lots at the ski area are either leased or privately owned for use by guests of The Summit & Alpental. Please do not use ski area parking lots on weekends or holidays. This is especially so at Alpental. If you are not a patron of the ski area, park in the "Lower Lot" as seen on the trail map. The lower lot is located just below the Alpental foot bridge and the first parking lot on the left as you travel up Alpental road. Consider carpooling whenever possible and be sensitive and respectful to ski area guests, the ski area and their parking policies & signs.
Snoqualmie Mountain Control Warning

The southwest slopes of Snoqualmie Mountain (including The Phantom) can occasionally pose an avalanche threat to the road and parking areas during times of significant weather and snow pack events. Please be aware that those slopes are target zones for avalanche explosives delivered via artillery or helicopter. Avalanche control activities and the closure of those slopes are always communicated in advance. A map and sign in the main Alpental parking lot contains additional information.


I'm not sure what is confusing about this...please don't break the rules that were put in place for everyone's safety and plead ignorance when you should know better.

I don't know why you'd choose an operating base area vs. one that isn't. Both Summit East & West were closed yesterday and probably would've made a better choice as it was snowing below pass level.

I also don't know why you'd think that, even if you checked-in with Patrol like you are required to, that they'd be okay with turn-earners on the upper mountain after chair 2 closes and the area is swept.

But thanks for the report... makes the FOMO from this morning a little easier to swallow as I wasn't able to make it out to sample the goods.

author=Mr.Doober link=topic=39465.msg159006#msg159006 date=1515601726]

    When traveling to areas beyond the boundary such as Chair Peak or Snow Lake, always stay climbers right and off of any path or resort return trail. Uphill travel is not allowed for any terrain on the South side of the Alpental Valley until you reach Source Lake.
    From Source Lake the distinct drainage known as Great Scott trends south and up to the Tooth and Pineapple Pass. These areas are outside the resort boundary and open to ski touring and other forest users, but please do not travel east into the Alpental ski area permitted terrain.



Has the requirement always been to tour all the way to Source lake before climbing? Without being... um... specific... I haven't always done that... I'll say that I've climbed only once past the point where all direct resort downhill traffic is no longer possible.

author=ErikT link=topic=39465.msg159030#msg159030 date=1515695416]
Has the requirement always been to tour all the way to Source lake before climbing? Without being... um... specific... I haven't always done that... I'll say that I've climbed only once past the point where all direct resort downhill traffic is no longer possible.


IDK -- but page 70 of their special use permit shows the permit area boundaries

http://a123.g.akamai.net/7/123/11558/abc123/forestservic.download.akamai.com/11558/www/nepa/5617_FSPLT1_018078.pdf

Technically it appears one could start working up hill a bit prior to reaching source lake, practically I don't think that makes a lot of sense.

author=ErikT link=topic=39465.msg159030#msg159030 date=1515695416]
Has the requirement always been to tour all the way to Source lake before climbing? Without being... um... specific... I haven't always done that... I'll say that I've climbed only once past the point where all direct resort downhill traffic is no longer possible.


According to page 70 of that document it looks like Draft dodger ridge to the mushroom drainage are inbounds. Hummocks and Big trees might be out of bounds. But I don't think thats why they made this statement. I think they want to encourage you to go as far out as possible further mitigating the volume of downhill skiers you will encounter. OTH people hammer at big trees and no-fog all the time as they are some of the easiest ways down. If you are touring up anywhere before trashcan or even heavenly trees you probably aren't saving that much time and are assuming quite a bit of risk from people descending on you. I believe the climb from source lake to great scott basin is like 800' or so. Not very strenuous.

IMHO This policy is a great one. It encourages uphill travel in a safe way and brings the mountain community together. It feels far less inflammatory than Crystal's policy. Also Alpental is great about allowing uphill travel off-season.

Agreed with others, please do not break these clearly stated rules. We've seen what happens when there are frequent violaters (new crystal policy).

It is perfectly possible if not common to ski to source lake from the ski area. Within a couple hundred feet anyways - most skiers will turn back east a little sooner to reduce the flat traversing.

so just be warned, snowshoeing is going to overrun
the source lake dog park trail within the next 3 years.
someday they may enforce their own parking rules

Encouraging to know that the there is still an uphill policy and it is generally acknowledged and accepted with limits. Hopefully, more ski areas will embrace the same.

I have to admit, I haven't toured up the "North" side of the drainage to Source Lake in years.  I tour up the outfall of the Alpental BC areas and stick to the right.  Most skiers clearly do the same, but all generally seem to also be pretty sensible and stick to the side.  However, the comment that snow shoe users and dog walkers may ruin it for everyone is spot on.  The only danger I've ever encountered on the way out is hoardes of non-skiers spread all over the path and the occasional brown smear from a dog.  I've always thought a "marked" snow shoe trail closer to the creek, or better yet, maintaining the Snow Lake trail for snow shoe users made a LOT more sense, and it would be a nicer snow shoe route to boot.  I guess skiers could travel the same way...

That said, I generally don't spend much time there except week-day morning before work when parking isn't a concern.

author=flowing alpy link=topic=39465.msg159073#msg159073 date=1515816572]
so just be warned, snowshoeing is going to overrun
the source lake dog park trail within the next 3 years.
someday they may enforce their own parking rules


When the Summit renewed their special use permit and updated their master plan a few years ago the new plan expanded parking at Central considerably,  but not at Alpental-- missed opportunity?  Or something else ?

Reply to this TR

14020
jan-9-2018-snoqualmie-pass-alp
Jake the Brit
2018-01-09 19:54:45