May 24, 2008, Alpental

Gee, NOAA sure missed the forecast today!

Home for a family Memorial Day weekend, I was surprised to see blue sky this morning. Wife was busy catching up from the work week and son was recovering from a pulled muscle, so I headed up to Alpental solo. I don't think there was any freeze overnight, so the snow was soft from the beginning. There was fun slushy bump skiing and nice (if slow) smooth skiing on the sides. Seemed like a pretty good crowd for a Memorial Day weekend. I didn't ski very long, but it was great to time-travel back to the 1970s, when lift skiing in May was a regular thing.

Have fun!

NOAA whiffed today's forecast a bit too. Beautiful weather for most of the morning while I was there. Warm but not crazy warm. Could see all the way to Glacier Peak. Stayed in slackcountry. Best runs were three down Brownie Bowl to Gunbarrel. Found this by improptu tacking onto a "tour" (thanks, Lori!). Higher snow gloppy but in trees it is kinda sorta getting corny, albeit with lotsa gunk on surface. Upper I entrance is getting a little chewy at very top, hope I didn't get any scrapes.

Was up there today also. Took one run in the backcountry, debris and creeks starting to pop up but a fine day not too hot or cool in shorts most of the time.

I was up there on the 24th too and had a great time.  My only concern is with all the litter on the slopes.  Just about every run I did I was able to score a beer can/bottle/cup.  Call me old fashioned but littering the mountains is so out and the drinking on the lifts and runs seems contrary to the sport.  I saw the same issues on May 4th and left due the high number of people drinking and skiing.  Any suggestions on who to bring this up to?  Obviously the lift operators weren't taking care of it.

Oh yeah. I forgot to add that I was almost impaled at the end of the day by a REI rental ski that came flying out of nowhere into the base area and hit the fence. I never did figure out who lost it up there but it was going super fast. The brakes didn't appear to engage.

Still, I had a great day but now have to trim some skins before going skiing again.

Yesterday I was at Alpental as well and had two Bloody Mary's, two beers and smoked ten cigarettes. The skiing just seemed to get better the more I drunk.! :

But I did put all my litter in the correct receptacle so I agree with you on the littering.( and my wife drove me home)

Just about every run I did I was able to score a beer can/bottle/cup. Call me old fashioned but littering the mountains is so out

I forgot to add that I was almost impaled at the end of the day by a REI rental ski that came flying out of nowhere into the base area and hit the fence.

I commented that you can't ski on or off a lift without running over a beer can...even in the BC. Don't understand that littering logic ??? I like the snowboarder gal who places her folded beer can between her goggle band and her helmet-creative.
Liquor and skiing are a long standing protocol for many riders at Alpental, but it seems to be more prominent and tolerated now than before. Personally, I don't think about getting mowed over by someone who is tanked, but that does not does not mean that I or others could not fall victim to impaired riders. It's when the bottle is passed around at the end of day and everyone takes off all at once that makes me wait or take off sooner.

I thought REI quit renting skis for the season a while back?

Yesterday I was at Alpental as well and had two Bloody Mary's, two beers and smoked ten cigarettes. The skiing just seemed to get better the more I drunk.! :

By now, I know to steer clear of you even when you have had nothing to drink.

Just gotta watch the tons of dog crap that is deteriorating on the surface of the snowpack by the lots. Or the cesspools of crap in the water on the lots. Really became mindful if the dirt on my ski was crap or really dirt when I cleaned them off. The gloves got a cleaning too.

Even without a drink-The skiing was AWESOME!!!! It was about as good as spring skiing gets!!