Alpental "access"?! - Seeking advice

TAY'ers,
Forgive the novice question as I have not skied much of the BC near Alpental recently. I was looking to travel back through the valley to go to Kaleetan. I managed to bumb into a sign on the "road" out of the upper lot at Alpental forbidding "Uphill Traffic" and advising I contact the North Bend Ranger Station for "alternatives".

Well the NB station was totally useless on advising me of anything. I'm curious how folks here access Bryant, Chair, Kaleetan, etc. out of "Alpental". It seems I should be able to use this road as it should be "exclusive" use of the resort.

Appreciate any insight anyone can offer on the appropriate routes to take. I'm not in to conflict but feel I should have free access and feel Alpental is restricting use of Forest Service Land.

Thanks for any thoughts,
Chuck

There's often a snowshoe superhighway just over on the other side of the valley, coming up from the summer Snow Lake trailhead.

my two cents...leave the parking lot well before the resort opens, skin up using the alpental return trail and move quickly towards source lake....odds are you'll never even run in to any ski patrol.

that being said, i wouldn't consider travelling uphill on that trail when the resort is open...lots of high speed downhill traffic if the alpy bc is open.

I had the same thought when I saw the sign a couple springs ago en route to the Tooth, after the resort closed. It really got my nose out of joint.
I may even have posted it here, as I know there have been threads in years past.
It is an offensive sign when read in late afternoon 3 weeks after the resort closes for the season (the only time I seem to find myself up near Alpental).
However, by all reports, while the resort is open, that is a high speed return track to the chairlift. Therefore it would be daft to travel uphill at those times.
So, in short the sign only really applies while the ski area is open and operating, or for that matter when they are bombing, as avalanches overhead are to be universally avoided.
Hope this sheds some light.

Officially, you are supposed to access via the Snow Lake Trail (out of Lot 1).

Unofficially, everybody, his sister, his kid, and his dog, breaks the rule.

The main source of the conflict is the high speed section of groomer between the water tank and Trash Can, where everyone builds speed to get over the Lot 4 hump. If you can stay in the woods as far as the Trash Can flat, and beyond that keep to low ground and off the main traverse, you're in the clear. As far as the boundary is concerned, the ski area ends where the traverse comes out of the woods ~200 yards beyond Trash Can.

You may also be able to cross the creek and mosey up the far side of the creek, but I haven't tried.

Thanks all for the great advice . . .very much appreciated. Was looking through my old Burgdorfer book and there are plenty of trips in there that originate in that upper lot and utilize that road so I wasn't losing my mind when I thought it used to be "open access".

Totally agree that any user should stay well to the right when marching uphill and look out for high speed traffic but with that said, I don't by that Alpental is within its rights to post such an official sign for something unenforceable. My understanding is they do not have "exclusive rights" to the land use during their lease period and I am allowed to "hike" the property.

Oh well . . .nothing solveable here. I'll just enjoy the scenery and hope for the best.

Chuck