Feb 7, 2008 - Alpental, Epic Graupel!

A most unusual day, even by the standards of this stormy winter. After toughing out the 2 hour (no information) wait we skied a bizarre surface of deep graupel on the lower chair. Ski penetration was nil, and tracks immediately filled in with the self-levelling roller bearing ice pellets. Dry graupel fell hard all day, and in places pooled up ski pole deep.
After an odd encounter with a patroller coming down from Chair 2 (Quote: "blowing hard, I wouldn't open it, the skiing sucks and I'm going home") it opened on the very next run! He must have been one of the many ski industry ambassadors one encounters around here.
International, Snake Dance and Shot 6 all skied great once you had adjusted to the smooth, fast surface. Every run was fresh. Graupel sloughs were running all over the place, but the pellets were so cohesionless they never amounted to anything.
Probably one of the oddest (and most enjoyable) day of skiing in 17 years in the Pacific NW.

Agree with everything Mr. Martin said above. The complete lack of crowds (almost ski on Chair 2's) made for a super fun day. I have never in 28 years experienced snow like that, and have to say, despite its wierdness, it was quite fun. No surprise about all the avy activity since then, there were 5 inches of BB graupel on my car when I left at 1:30, that's one serious weak layer.

The book "Deep Powder Snow," by Dolores LaChapelle, has a paragraph or two about skiing a foot or two of ball-bearing graupel at Alta, and how amazingly well it skied. I'll try and dig it out.

The book "Deep Powder Snow," by Dolores LaChapelle, has a paragraph or two about skiing a foot or two of ball-bearing graupel at Alta, and how amazingly well it skied. I'll try and dig it out.

I lived at Alta in the '90s. We had one day with about 7-8 inches of graupel (with occasional lightning, too, if I remember right), the lifts were deserted and the skiing was excellent.