Alpental
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Alpental (King, County, WA, USA) is an "Alpine Valley" (in German) about a mile North of
I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass, in the Washington Cascades, just over 50 miles from Seattle.
Techinically a 3 sided canyon, the valley is flanked by Denny Mt. on the West, Chair Peak to
the North, and Mt. Snoqualmie to the East, with Source Lake occupying the upper valley area
feeding the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River. This has traditionally been one of the most
popular outdoor recreation areas in the Cascades, with a rich history of Northwest climbing
starting from this valley floor. There is also a ski area operating on Denny Mt. which is
called Alpental, operated by Booth Creek Ski Holdings Inc., of which controlling shares are
owned by Vail billionaire tycoon George N. Gillett Jr. of ConAgra Foods renown.
The ski concession is a small part of The Summit at Snoqualmie Ski Area, operated by Ski
Lifts Inc. under Booth Creek management, located in Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, but offers
excellent advanced backcountry skiing access to pristine undeveloped wilderness. The inbound
terrain in which the ski concession operates is considered the most difficult of the Summit
at Snoqualmie Ski Area, with 75% rated Advanced, 22% rated Intermediate and 3% rated
Beginner. The ski area at Alpental has four chairlifts that provide access to 2,280 feet
(695 m) of vertical descent and 302 acres (1.2 km²) of skiable area. The area has way more
than an additional 500 acres (2 km²) in its backcountry area, which is a major jewel of
backcountry skiing in the Cascades. The entire NE side of the ridgeline from Denny Mt.,
extending toward Chair Peak can be traversed, and a phenomenal amount of varying terrain can
be accessed on skis or a snowboard from the upper "chair 2." You can get all the way out to
"Piss Pass," and beyond from the existing chairlift. The backcountry can only be accessed by
those riding the lift who obtain passes from the Alpental ski patrol, or by those who choose
to access public land by the traditional method of parking in one of the upper lots, and
hiking up the valley floor. Alpental has a long tradition of climbing ascents starting from
these lots. The base of Alpental is 3,140 ft (957 m) with a top chairlift elevation of 5,420
ft (1652 m). Alpental's average snowfall is 444 inches (1127 cm). Night skiing is also
available on the lower mountain.
Alpental is also the name of a small sub-division of resort homes on the Alpental Access
Road
[http://www.alpental.com Alpental detailed information and history link
[http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?company=Booth+Creek+Ski+Holdings&CIK=&filenum=&Stat e=&SIC=&owner=include&action=getcompany BoothCreek Ski Holdings,Inc. SEC info.]
[http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/projects/summit-at-snoqualmie/figures/2-3-3-2-Alternative-2-Pro posed-Conditions-Alpental.pdf Master Development Plan]