New Years Eve at Alpental

Went up to Alpental yesterday and it was nothing short of amazing! They opened chair two around 1030 (I think) and the top was amazing. Once you got down Nash and into Snake Dance or Elevator, the snow got really deep. It snowed most of the day, just lightly but the wind kicked here and there making it kind of nasty on the lifts. Got to ski with a couple of old bucks who could rip in powder better than I could, it was fun trying to keep up with them on Elevator. They showed me some great stashes and some of the best terrain I've skied there. I got into a little trouble on my last run though, I was heading down elevator and came down a line I hadn't skied before. I stopped on top of a cliff and some people below recommended I climbed up because it was at least 70 feet and I didn't think there would have been enough snow to plop down into. So I slowly climbed back up in waste deep powder, it was only like 50 feet but it took like 45 minutes. Even with an almost nasty drop, I had an amazing time there; the snow, the people and the vibe was just amazing!

Glad you didn't go airborne......the Alpy BC can sneak up on ya!!

Well, wish I coulda been there the last few days. Now it's closed....and it warmed 6 degrees at the top between 10 and 11 am.....but 22 new in the last 30 hrs...

I hoped that Stevens would open today, due to it snowing less there, warming less, but we were caught just a few miiles short with the road closure, which isn't supposed to open till tomorrow....Dang it. So I'm back home, which sucks donkey balz.

and it may rain, if it isn't already, from the Pass south--(32 at paradise already)

Avy condiitions will or are going to Extreme...aaarrghh

Too much snow sucks, eh?!

I had an amazing time there; the snow, the people and the vibe was just amazing!

Thank you for 1Positive report! Can't wait to get up there.

The snow that fell into the senescence of 2008 was nothing shy of spectacular. Don (Rusty Knees) called me from the pass last night reporting “…silky smooth powder.” “Hell with the parties in town…” I said, “I’m on my way my friend!” God was it smooth. I ripped a run at Central with him and his son, wished them the best and headed over to Alpental for a few laps before the bullwheel was put to rest. The last few were solemn and reflective as the hardy mountain dwellers were getting ready to party, already fulfilled by the day’s harvest.

It didn’t take long to tear away the gore-tex, splash my face in the bathroom sink and head upstairs to shake down the shack. The dance-floor was rockin’ with many beautiful women co-mingled with a broad spectrum of male expression. Some bracing their trapezoidal figures firmly with crossed arms; some old-timers in their trousers, undergarments, and goggles; some looking like the jam kids I toured with throughout my teenage years, some like police officers keeping the peace (thanks to you for keeping everyone safe). The band played to midnight, when the patrollers waved down the darkened slope of Sessel aglow with fusees…extinguishing them at year’s close in the snow.

The party went on for a few hours, moving from the lodge to lot 3 and I gained a new understanding of that community. Thanks to my new friends for letting me crash in their camper, and for a wonderful breakfast this morning. The first bomb woke us at 6:55 and it shook the camper all the way from the top. We slept in, sensing the chairs weren’t turning for us…just for those brave souls willing to “…walk down the mountain for four hours” in the 2’ of wet snow that fell overnight. So much snow! I didn’t envy patrol this day for their claim to first tracks. They were dogged and ready to go home after one tour.

I took off hastily when the word came that the only opportunity to get down the pass was noon. So now I sit home, writing to all of you in front of a warm fire looking forward to some down time baking apple pie. I hope it tastes as sweet as the lasting sense of powder I soared through last night. I wish you all the best for the coming year, and hope our patience is rewarded soon in the BC with face shots galore. If nothing else, I hope the heavy snow will cap off and stabilize the much needed base layer. Ullr, we children of winter are now ready for the cold and stormy weather! CHEERS!