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December 29, 2002, Alpental

12/29/02
WA Snoqualmie Pass
8254
7
Posted by jackal on 12/31/02 7:46am
A string of messages with two trip reports about Alpental has started in the Random Tracks forum in case you're interested. Yup... it should be here.
Good powder in Chair Pk and Source lake area on sunday.
Jack
Just wanted to let everyone know that conditions have really taken a turn for the worse at Alpental.  It didn't snow at all thurs - all rain.  Did it rain at all the passes or just at snoqualmie?

From the telemetry it looks like it probably rained (a lot) at Paradise, Stevens, and at least lower Crystal yesterday (Thurs).

Can you describe the snowpack around Snoqualmie now, after yesterday's rain? Is it bottomless wet mush, or reasonably compacted? I'm interested because thinking of a woods tour somewhere up there on Sunday. Unfortunately this storm coming in tonight is supposed to bring heavy wind and precip, with snow levels above the main passes, yet again.

jackal - I've copied the two reports you mention below:

12/30/02 at 9:17am
by Bud
"I yo-yo'd a few laps on lower International at Alpental on saturday and there was enough coverage over the boulderfield below the cliffs on Denny Mtn, so I bet that the Pineapple Pass area has enough snow by now, don't know about Commonweath basin, seems like ya might need a little more snow before there will be good skiing in the trees back up in there."

12/31/02 at 9:37pm
by jackal
"I went up Sunday 12/29 and found deep powder! Headed up the trail about 8:30 a.m. from the upper parking lot (lots of new signs warning about high speed skiiers coming down and avalanche control being done at any time, so don't come up here!). Followed two early-rising skiiers' tracks up to the basin under Chair Pk. Heavenly powder. I couldn't find bottom in many places with my pole. Back down in Source Lake Basin, there were LOTS of snowshoers. ÊI took one run up and down the basin then glided back down the snowshoe widened trail to the parking lot and found over 100 people sledding all over the lower slopes of Alpental. Wow. It was like everyone discovered the same free sledding secret. I headed up to Lower International where there were a few people yo-yo'ing. The lower slopes where the sledders were still had lots of brush poking through, but the snow was great higher up.
cheers"

I really wouldn't classify the snow right now up there as very good at all sorry to say.  Out in the woods I think you would find thick wet snow with a good crust on it.  That could change of course, however as I sit here writing this at 4:25 am it appears that it is raining and has not snowed last night. (i am not currently at alpental but have been there all week)  Where the snow level was/is exactly I don't know.  Maybe it could snow at a low enough level today? or did it last night? My feeling is that it rained basically all the way to the tops of the peaks on thurs (maybe 5000-5500) and that climbing out of the larfy snow may not be possible but a few inches above 4,000 or so would really be nice.

So, as far as sunday goes, it all depends on how low the snow level goes in my opinion.

Oh, as far as the snowpack goes it seemed reasonably compacted on friday day.  Not bottomless mush.  Maybe it could get mushier if it rains a lot, which may be happining.  I have to go to the airport later today so will not be up there saturday and maybe not sunday either.  If anyone goes up, I am curious where the snow level was/is.

alpentalcorey - thanks for the additional info, it's very helpful. It looks like it has been raining just about everywhere overnight. Forecast is looking OK for tomorrow, and hopefully there will be at least a few inches of snow before the precip ends.

Charles

 Lift skied a little bit on Fri AM at Alpental. pretty grim. refrozen crusty semi groomed, rain looked like it made it up to at least the top of denny. A little bit of fresh still in the trees the lee north side of the tops.  In the woods it was refrozen breakable crust with rain runnels. It did not draw me to far back . Came home to work on my boat!!!
casting my eye on Sunday but the conditions.......

CW

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december-29-2002-alpental
jackal
2002-12-31 15:46:18