Words and photos brought to you by Seattle Photographer, Jake Garrett.
The people of the Pacific Northwest must have done their snow dances, the snow has fallen and it has come with a vengeance.
Last season Washington saw very little snow, so little that the majority of Washington ski resorts struggled to stay open with most calling it quits well before springtime. The Summit at Snoqualmie was likely hit the hardest in comparison to most resorts in the Pacific Northwest. All season they scraped by on a thin layer of snow all the while getting hammered by warm temperatures and heavy rains, a season short lived.
The 2015/2016 winter season is not so similar; actually it’s quite the opposite. The amount of snow that has nuked from the sky and the time frame in which it has accumulated is absolutely insane. So insane that one of the greatest kept secrets of the snow skiing world was able to open in December with conditions that rival its mid season snow pack from historically record setting seasons of the past.
Set in a deep valley cut by glaciers from a time long before ours, this ski hub has some of the steepest and most unforgiving terrain in the entire United States. Thick northwest Spruce and Fir trees crowd the sub alpine slopes while large open rock faces are broken up by couloirs’ and watershed runoff making for a playground like no other. This little resort is known as Alpental.
Snoqualime pass has already received 208″ of snow this season – more than doubling what they received in all of the previous 2014-2015 season.
Lift lines? What are those?
Calling home to The Summit at Snoqualime, local girl Sophia Rouches is no stranger to what Alpental has to offer. Seen here ripping a pow turn off of chair 2.
Team rider and Northwest Local, Jamie Baril, is notorious for “finding the line” and sending it big on pow days. Seen here boosting off a natural booter.
Big smiles were the theme of the day – Jamie Baril, Sophia Rouches and Jay Hergert.
Paul “Bagels” Stanley getting face shots all day.
Jay Hergert pokin’ it out and keeping it rad.
Located on the top of Snoqualmie pass, The Common Wealth restaurant is the newest addition to the The Pass Life project – offering skiers & snowboarders some of the best locally sourced comfort food, beers and craft cocktails around.
Gourmet sandwiches, burgers, craft beers, you name it – there’s no better way to end a powder day at Alpental.