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Gnarly Alpental area tracks: who skied that????

  • hankj
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19 years 11 months ago #174526 by hankj
Curious about a few big lines I've been eying -- no I'm not planning on riding any of them, ever, just curious about who does.<br><br><br>I've seen lots of ski tracks, but this one looked pretty impressive today: two tracks in a super-gnarly looking couloir fairly low down on the hillside pretty much across from ALpental, more or less below cave ridge. That is one narrow, steeeeeep, blue-ice-patched perilous looking slot. I've been watching it fill in all season, and wondering if anyone would ski it. Can anyone on this board take credit?<br><br>Also, what about that big couloir that bisects the mountain that is straight in front of of you as you descend the road from windy pass (maybe ESE of Mt. Catherine?) Does that have a name? Anyone ever ski it? And why did god put that big chunk of granite at the bottom, and right in the middle, and right where you'd just about reach top velocity if you fell? Is she just perverse?<br><br>And one final question: As you ride up the high speed quad at Alpental there is a crevice in the HUGE cliff above Shot 6, just a little to the viewers right. Four or five years ago I heard that that crevice has been skied and boarded on big snow years, that there are several mandatory airs and lots of weird route finding, and that if you are caught by the patrol they will beat you and send you to prison. Can anyone confirm if this is true? Has that line been skied? It looks feasible if you look at it and squint just right, but then when you open you eyes again it doesn't seem remotely possible.<br><br>any answers to any of these pressing questions is appreciated.<br><br>

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  • mfonda
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19 years 11 months ago #174527 by mfonda
I saw the tracks coming down across the valley from Alpental today too, looked pretty amazing. Also, it looked like that super steep face which usually doesn't have much snow on it (right to the left of Armstrong Express right at the bottom) looked like someone skied it. Pretty impressive :)

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  • Lowell_Skoog
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19 years 11 months ago #174528 by Lowell_Skoog
Replied by Lowell_Skoog on topic Re: Gnarly Alpental area tracks: who skied that???

Also, what about that big couloir that bisects the mountain that is straight in front of of you as you descend the road from windy pass (maybe ESE of Mt. Catherine?)  Does that have a name?  Anyone ever ski it?

<br><br>Jan Kordel (an occasional TAY poster) skied the Twin Lakes couloir two years ago.

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  • Lowell_Skoog
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19 years 11 months ago #174529 by Lowell_Skoog
Replied by Lowell_Skoog on topic Re: Gnarly Alpental area tracks: who skied that???

I saw the tracks coming down across the valley from Alpental today too, looked pretty amazing. Also, it looked like that super steep face which usually doesn't have much snow on it (right to the left of Armstrong Express right at the bottom) looked like someone skied it. Pretty impressive :)

<br><br>Is that what they call Shot 8? The November 1987 issue of Sports Northwest magazine said that Craig Wilbour (a DOT avalanche control supervisor today) skied that in 1970.

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  • philfort
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19 years 11 months ago - 19 years 11 months ago #174530 by philfort
Someone skied shot 8 on Saturday... tracks were there in the afternoon, but not the morning.<br><br>I think the chute across the valley, under cave ridge or Guye Peak, is called Kevorkian?<br><br>As for Twin Lakes couloir, it may look gnarly from head on, but it's actually a pretty reasonable ski - doesn't get much steeper than 40 degrees.  Not sure what you mean by chunks of granite in it though... it's a clear shot to the valley...

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  • Dr. Crash
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19 years 11 months ago - 19 years 11 months ago #174532 by Dr. Crash
Shot 8 is nice, and not that steep. Patrol will pull your pass for skiing it though if they see you. They understandably don't want too many people to think it's an Alpental run.<br><br>There are a number of "Shot" runs at/around Alpental, named from avalanche control locations. Shot 4 is notably gnarly, and I know only one person who skied it, though there may be more.<br><br>drC

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