Alpental info needed

I'd get the patrol to give you a tour.

I second that. Alpy patrol gives free tours of the BC. If you don't have shovel/beacon/probe, starting this year they'll even lend you a set for the tour.

so did you survive or what?

If you don't have shovel/beacon/probe, starting this year they'll even lend you a set for the tour.

You can thank these people.

www.thedavidpettigrewmemorialfoundation.com

Thanks for all your advice. I have a lot of backcountry XC experience and have Telemarked on my skinny skis down the local black diamond but I have ski poles older than most of the people I ski with and no death wish. I ended up arriving a day late (I love to fly, I HATE air travel) but after reading the info at the Alpental.com I decided I wasn't mentally ready. Instead, we snomobiled to rampart ridge area to his secret spot. Great conditions. 6" of new pow on a icy solid base. Zero avy danger so he said. Only incident was when we skinned out of the woods onto a steep (to me) slope. My partner led and started to shovel a level track for me, such love. I asked why he would do that and he said that since my borrowed set up was a little funky and I only had 600' of vertical skin experience, if i slid I would go over a cliff 50 yds down the pitch. He was trying to make it easy for me. I told him I would make it real easy for him - I wasn't going out there ! We found another route and pushed to the top. Skiing down was great. I'm an expert at side slipping. I did manage 4 linked turns ending in a face plant but those four turns were worth the effort. I'm no longer a poser. I've moved up a notch to impostor.

Decided that when I move to the Cascades next year I'm going to start a guide service. Gonna call it "Low Adrenaline - No Sweat" and scout out some sweet places to lead.

Way to go out and keep it safe. 

When you set up that guide service let me know  - "Low Adrenaline - No Sweat" - sounds like my kind of place 

cd

Cool, looks like you found some nice snow.
The guy in the last picture, with the kerosene lantern and cast iron skillet needs to weigh in on this survival gear thread
www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...ex.php?topic=12321.0