Information About

Alpental




Alpental is a both a valley in King County, Washington , United States and an Alpine Ski Area in the valley. The valley is about 50 miles (80 km) east of Seattle, Washington , north of Snoqualmie Pass , in the Washington Cascades . It is a popular outdoor recreation destination in both the summer and winter. The ski area is one of four the four areas which make up the The Summit At Snoqualmie . The name is the German word for ''alpine valley''.


THE VALLEY


The valley runs north to north west from Snoqualmie Pass for about 3 miles (5 km). Geologically, it is a three sided canyon. Along the west side of the valley a ridge runs between Denny Mountain , Bryant Peak and Chair Peak . Source Lake occupies the upper valley area at the north side of the valley. This lake is the source of the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River , which meets the other forks of the Snoqualmie River prior to Snoqualmie Falls near North Bend, Washington . The Snohomish River is formed at the confluence of the Snoqualmie and Skykomish River s, and flows on into Puget Sound at Everett, Washington . and On east side of the valley lies Guye Peak, Cave Ridge and Snoqualmie Mountain .

The valley is about 50 miles (80 km) east of Seattle, Washington. The Alpental Road (Forest Service Road No. 9040) begins at I-90 Exit 52 at Snoqualmie Pass and runs into the valley. The Alpental Road may also be reached by taking the Denny Creek Road (Forest Service Road No. 58) in the summer months.


RECREATION


Alpental Valley is a popular outdoor recreation area in the Cascades during both the summer and winter.

In the summer, Alpental Valley provides a starting a point for hikers and climbers. The hiking trails provide access to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness ; there is a rich history of climbing starting from the Alpental Valley floor.

During winter, people downhill ski and snowboard at the challenging but relatively low-key Alpental Ski Area (part of the The Summit At Snoqualmie ski resort). The expert run Internationale is well-known among Puget Sound area skiers and snowboarders, and has been affectionately nicknamed "Nash." The ski area is served by four chair lifts and a rope tow on the west side of the valley beneath Denny Mountain. People backcountry ski, snowshoe and ice climb in Alpental Valley using the upper parking lots, traditionally known as lots 3 and 4, as a starting point.

The Sahalie Ski Club operate a private ski area in the Alpental Valley; for members, benefits include access to a lodge and two rope tows.

Avalanches are a risk in the Alpental Valley; a number of people have died in the valley as a results of avalanches.
  Last Porterfield
  First Elaine
  Title Beautiful backcountry can be deadly for the beaconless
  Work The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  Date 2005-01-23
  Url http://seattlepinwsourcecom/local/157790_avalanche23html
  Accessdate 2007-01-01



  Last Blanchard
  First Jessica
  Title Alpental avalanche kills one man, injures another
  Work The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  Date 2005-01-23
  Url http://seattlepinwsourcecom/local/207697_avalanche13html
  Accessdate 2007-01-01



OWNERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT


The land is the valley is in a mixture of public and private ownership. Most of the upper slopes of the valley are public owned under the management of the United States Forest Service (USFS). The Summit at Snoqualmie (including Alpental) is owned by CNL Income Properties with a long-term lease to Booth Creek Resorts .1 The ski runs of the Alpental Ski Area are on USFS Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest land and are is operated under a Special Use Permit (SUP) by Booth Creek Resorts . Booth Creek has applied for permission to further develop the ski area further up the valley.
  Last Welch
  First Craig
  Title Bigger, better Snoqualmie envisioned
  Work The Seattle Times
  Date 2005-12-28
  Url http://archivesseattletimesnwsourcecom/cgi-bin/texiscgi/web/vortex/displayslug=snoqualmie28m&date=20051228
  Accessdate 2007-01-01



  Title Summit at Snoqualmie Master Development Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement
  Publisher USDA Forest Service - Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
  Date December 2005
  Url http://wwwfsfedus/r6/mbs/projects/summit-at-snoqualmie/downloadshtml
  Accessdate 2007-01-01



REFERENCES




For more information of recreation in the Alpental Valley see:
For maps of the area see:



EXTERNAL LINKS