The Skiers' Guide to Alpental

Good advanced level resort. Connected to another more family friendly resort but you do have to drive between them. Small resort but close to Seattle and a good value.

Alpental is loved by the locals for extreme terrain. However, there is not much of it and the lifts there are small. There is even less on piste terrain, do not go here for pistes. Locals today will still tell you how awesome it is but that its only worth going on a weekday due to crowds.

Alpental is like a gnarly 36 hole backcountry range of mountains all packed into mini golf course. Steeps, drops, chutes, trees all beckon the expert. When it snows (and it does so often), the pow can last if you know where to look for it.

Pro tip, be one of the first when the Nash opens after a dump and when the traverse lines drop.

Alpental is a great place to ski during a storm.

If you're lucky I90 will close after you arrive and it'll be just you and the locals.

Close to Seattle for convenience but brings out the crowds.

Alpental has been called the la grave of north america.

Bring your beacon if there is snow, because this is a hill for the real ones. Its motto is something like, when you are ready, Alpental is waiting. Really, its only worth going to if you are an expert skier and If the snow is good but if those 2 boxes are checked. This is the gnarliest and steepest terrain in the north west.

2 lifts. Well, there are actually 4, but only 2 matter. The other two are tiny lifts that take you to super short green and blue runs. (Ski school lifts).

The 2 that matter: a (semi fast) quad that takes you to a Sloooooow 2. This is the magic. Skip it on a weekend, (45-50 min lift lines) and rip it on a weekday w/ pow. Big big steep powder laps that run the entire mountain, or side country gates that require a beacon/probe/buddy etc.

This side country is legendary. Cliffs and avy danger are real, but some bombs are dropped and some cliffs are marked (not a lot).

Like I said, its for the real ones.

I only ride it when there is fresh snow on a weekday. But Ive had some of the deepest and gnarliest days of my life here.

Rip hard, be safe, have fun!


Oh. In terms of acomodaciones or apres or wtv: naw. This hill isnt about that. They got beer and pizza and stuff.

Also, its right next to the other snoqualmie summits which offer easier terrain and a few more amenities on the same pass. But Alpental is its own monster.