12/9/2010 Alpental

Lots of new snow but the slopes are still filling in. Steep areas are still steep and need more snow to be safely skied. I would watch it up there, I started a killer 3plusx60x100 SLAB (yes you read right!) between Nash and F%%# and had to quickly bail to a high point, it was what I would call a close one but skiing it was great dropping down the pillowy cliffs! There was a decent SNAP as the slab went, under me but I got out of it easily.

Slabby cliff areas sliding very easy with lots of MARITIME "powder" loading up on trees, cliffs and slabby areas. We also went into Upper Snake Dance Bowl (thats just skiers left of Widow-maker) and saw a large slab occur under us (without sliding) on a moderate slope. Wow! Anything off piste sounded bad, felt worse and slide right away. But its partly because the slopes are filling in the steep spots, chutes and holes. Snow consolidation is beyond my scope but I would characterize the Alpental snowpack consolidation as: minimal.
Snow on top of chair-2 was nice powder and it changed to heavier maritime powder as you went down. There was maybe 40 people there all day. Visibility was lousy early but got better as it got colder at about 1PM.
Still filling in on the lower mountain pretty dramatically. You would think Alpental would be well filled in but it is so steep that it takes ALOT to reach that filled in point. But don't get me wrong, there is ALOT of snow for December 9th. Friday tomorrow might be a good day to go up for powder, I suspect it MIGHT rain up there on Sunday.
Really fun skiing the big and small pillows that were everywhere.
No BC at all, not even Snake Dance or knoll one, to much wallowing to be doable and not filled in yet although where we DID get untouched snow on open slopes, it was incredible, the best I have seen at Alpental for December 9.
BTM

Tradition is the illusion of permanence. Woody Allen

Just got up here after work, hope today is just as good! Couldn't go yesterday but the road crew is currently plowing a pretty impressive amount of super wet snow out of the lots and the sides of the road, like you said great base building for this time of year. Time to sleep, hope you guys forget to track my stashes until I get out there......

I started a killer 3plusx60x100 SLAB (yes you read right!) between Nash and F%%# and had to quickly bail to a high point, it was what I would call a close one but skiing it was great dropping down the pillowy cliffs! There was a decent SNAP as the slab went, under me but I got out of it easily.

Hense the rope lines indicating that Felson was closed. :
Why does this surprise you when there was clear evidence surrounding you (debris everywhere)?

Why does this surprise you

Who said I was surprised?

I also think you may be confused about location or you just made a mistake.
But gosh gravitymk...maybe someday you can (properly) show me around Alpental, that would be really neat and rad-dickal.
BillyTheMountain

Skied pretty heavy today. It was decent above 4k where it was untracked, although with a distinctly concrete-like mouthfeel, and some interesting bottomless holes apparent still if you got areas with big rock gardens. Below 4k the cut-up snow proved challenging to my early season legs, especially when the visibility went south. I certainly wasn't the only one wallowing. I think November spoiled me.

Easy shears in new snow. Ski patrol seemed to get lots of results from ski cuts and bombs, judging by all the debris everywhere.

The beacon basin was broken when I checked at noon, although someone with BARK had been notified. Great set up, and awesome that it gets so much use. Hopefully it'll be fixed soon.

Do you think that it is still worth bringing rock skis or is there enough snow to cover most of the rocks?