February 17, 2005, Great Scott Bowl, Alpental

Skied Alpental up into Great Scott Bowl on the 17th. Early season mentality; you go because you want to ski, not because conditions are dialed.

The valley floor in lower Alpental had almost no snow. We kept skis on for most of the approach, though conditions forced one short walk at the start. It's the kind of thing you accept in February when snowpack is thin and you're committed to making something work.

Once above the scoured lower drainage, things improved. The surface hoar was striking and the crystals were enormous in the sheltered flat spots, the kind of well-developed hoar that looks beautiful and skis terribly. We weren't too concerned given the overall thin snowpack; this wasn't terrain where a reactive layer was going to do serious damage.

The approach to Great Scott Bowl steepens gradually from Source Lake and the upper bowl comes into view after a long, moderate skin. The bowl itself was a pretty good ski with some exposed rocks and bony sections toward the edges, but the main fall line had reasonable fill. Not a highlight-reel day, but satisfying for mid-February.

Descending back toward the valley, wind crust asserted itself on the lower open terrain. Lower Alpental is exposed and wind frequently scours those slopes while the bowl above stays sheltered. The exception was the No Fog area — that stretch from treeline down to Source Lake had excellent snow, noticeably better than everything around it. Worth remembering: when conditions are marginal, the No Fog zone often holds quality snow when the rest of Alpental doesn't.

If you're planning a day at Alpental and want to scope the touring options beforehand, the Snoqualmie Pass backcountry skiing guide has an entry for the Alpental area and the rest of the pass objectives.