The Summit at Snoqualmie
Encyclopedia
The Summit at Snoqualmie, located on Snoqualmie Pass
, Washington, is a winter resort providing alpine skiing
and snowboarding
, Nordic skiing
, and winter tubing owned by CNL Investment Properties, Inc. and managed by Boyne Resorts
.
The Summit consists of four base areas that used to be individually owned and operated resorts. Alpental, Summit West (formerly named Snoqualmie Summit), Summit Central (formerly named Ski Acres), and Summit East (formerly named Hyak and PacWest), border Lake Keechelus on the East and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness
on the West/North. The Summit at Snoqualmie is the closest ski area to Seattle, and is easily accessible via Interstate 90
.
The vertical drop ranges from 2280 ft (694.9 m) at Alpental, to 765 ft (233.2 m) at Summit West. Combined, the four base areas have a total of 18 chairlift
s, and 6 surface lifts. The resort is open seven days a week, with night operations 6 nights per week.
Alpental
is the only one of the four base areas located north of I-90 and is known for its advanced and backcountry terrain including some of the steepest runs around.
to produce a promotional video simply titled "Alpental". To gain access to the area, an agreement had to be made with the Sahalie Ski Club to allow a road through their property. Alpental ski area agreed to maintain this section of road at their cost for the Sahalie group in exchange for this access for 99 years.
The ski area opened for the 1967-68 season with 3 lifts and 5 rope tows, had night skiing from the beginning and was closed on Mondays, as it is today. In 1977 the ski area was sold to Westours (an Alaska tour operator) then in 1984 Westours sold to Ski Lifts, Inc.. In 1998, Alpental (along with the three other Snoqualmie Pass ski areas) were sold to Booth Creek Ski Holdings Inc. In 2007 Booth Creek sold the ski area to CNL Income Properties, Inc. and is managed by Boyne USA Resorts.
After the purchase by Booth Creek in 1997 Ski Acres was renamed Summit Central. In 2008 the Silver Fir triple chair was replaced with a high speed quad called Silver Fir Express.
Summit East (formerly known as "Hyak") is the easternmost of the four base areas and is accessible via I-90 exit 54. Adjacent to the alpine ski area, the Hyak area has free cross-country skiing on groomed trails along Lake Keechelus on the Iron Horse Trail
(maintained by the Washington State Parks).
The area was purchased in 1980 by Pac West until they too filed bankruptcy in 1988. Pac West was one of the few ski resorts to allow snowboarding, along with Mt Baker ski area. Bob Barci helped set up the first snowboard competition in 1985 which was won by Craig Kelly
.
In 1992 the area was purchased by Ski Lifts, Inc who now owned all 4 local Snoqualmie Pass ski areas. In 1998 Booth Creek purchased the areas from Ski Lifts, Inc. and in 2007 sold all areas to CNL. Booth Creek signed a management agreement with CNL then on September 19, 2007 announced the management of the Snoqualmie Pass ski areas was sold to Boyne USA.
On January 7, 2009, a large avalanche destroyed the Keechelus ski lift, one house and damaged 3 others, which ended downhill skiing and snowboarding for the rest of the 2008-2009 season and the entire 2009-2010 season. Alpine operations returned for the 2010-2011 season with the installation of a used triple chair on the front side as well as reopening terrain in Hidden Valley re-using a combination of parts from the old Keechelus and Little Gold double chairs.(closed since 1987)..
Snoqualmie Pass
Snoqualmie Pass is a mountain pass that carries Interstate 90 through the Cascade Range in the U.S. State of Washington. The elevation of the pass summit is , and is on the county line between Kittitas County and King County...
, Washington, is a winter resort providing alpine skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
and snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
, Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
, and winter tubing owned by CNL Investment Properties, Inc. and managed by Boyne Resorts
Boyne Resorts
Boyne Resorts is the third largest owner and operator of ski and golf resorts in the United States and is the longest running management team at nearly 60 years. The company employs over 7,000 fulltime and seasonal staff. It operates 13 resort properties - 10 ski resorts and 11 golf courses. The...
.
The Summit consists of four base areas that used to be individually owned and operated resorts. Alpental, Summit West (formerly named Snoqualmie Summit), Summit Central (formerly named Ski Acres), and Summit East (formerly named Hyak and PacWest), border Lake Keechelus on the East and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a large wilderness area spanning the Cascade Range of Washington state in the United States. The wilderness is located in parts of Wenatchee National Forest and Snoqualmie National Forest, and is approximately bounded by Interstate 90 and Snoqualmie Pass to the south...
on the West/North. The Summit at Snoqualmie is the closest ski area to Seattle, and is easily accessible via Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
.
The vertical drop ranges from 2280 ft (694.9 m) at Alpental, to 765 ft (233.2 m) at Summit West. Combined, the four base areas have a total of 18 chairlift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
s, and 6 surface lifts. The resort is open seven days a week, with night operations 6 nights per week.
Alpental
Alpental
Alpental, the German word for alpine valley, is both a valley in eastern King County, Washington, United States and a ski area in the valley. The valley is about 50 miles east of Seattle, Washington and is north of Snoqualmie Pass, in the Washington Cascades. It is a popular outdoor...
is the only one of the four base areas located north of I-90 and is known for its advanced and backcountry terrain including some of the steepest runs around.
History
The existence of the Alpental ski area is owed primarily to early prospectors of the valley. Bob Mickelson and some friends bought options on the mining claims around 1960 with plans to develop a ski area on Denny Mountain and a community in the lower area. To help out with their plan, they enlisted Warren MillerWarren Miller (director)
Warren Miller is an American ski and snowboarding filmmaker. He is the founder of Warren Miller Entertainment and produced, directed and narrated his films until 1988. His credits include over 750 sports films, several books and hundreds of published non-fiction stories...
to produce a promotional video simply titled "Alpental". To gain access to the area, an agreement had to be made with the Sahalie Ski Club to allow a road through their property. Alpental ski area agreed to maintain this section of road at their cost for the Sahalie group in exchange for this access for 99 years.
The ski area opened for the 1967-68 season with 3 lifts and 5 rope tows, had night skiing from the beginning and was closed on Mondays, as it is today. In 1977 the ski area was sold to Westours (an Alaska tour operator) then in 1984 Westours sold to Ski Lifts, Inc.. In 1998, Alpental (along with the three other Snoqualmie Pass ski areas) were sold to Booth Creek Ski Holdings Inc. In 2007 Booth Creek sold the ski area to CNL Income Properties, Inc. and is managed by Boyne USA Resorts.
Summit West
Summit West contains the most popular learning terrain of the whole resort. Mainly a beginner/intermediate area, Summit West is home to the Summit Learning Center which offers many lesson varieties for the whole family.History
In 1933 the city of Seattle opened a city park called Municipal Park on the location which is now called Summit West. The city operated this area until 1940 when the town people thought Snoqualmie Pass was too far away to be running a city park. Operations were turned over to Ski Lifts, Inc. (owned by Jim Parker and Chauncey Griggs) who had been the concessionaire since 1937, the year they added rope tows to the park. Under the ownership of Ski Lifts, Inc. the area was renamed Snoqualmie Summit Ski Area because of its location at the top of the mountain pass. In 1942, Griggs and Parker sold Ski Lifts, Inc. to Rance Morris and Webb Moffett for $3,500. Ski Lifts, Inc. operated the ski area through 1998, acquiring Ski Acres in 1980, Alpental in 1983 and Hyak in 1992 then selling the entire operation to Booth Creek Ski Holdings Inc. in 1998.Summit Central
Summit Central provides a variety of terrain and is typically the most crowded of the areas. It is also home to a large terrain park and half pipe, which hosts many events throughout the season.History
In 1948, the "Ski Acres" ski area was opened by Ray Tanner. In 1980, Ski Lifts, Inc. acquired Ski Acres and combined the operation with adjacent Snoqualmie Summit. In 1988 new terrain was added on the south end with a triple chair lift called Silver Fir.After the purchase by Booth Creek in 1997 Ski Acres was renamed Summit Central. In 2008 the Silver Fir triple chair was replaced with a high speed quad called Silver Fir Express.
Summit East
A mix of intermediate and advanced runs, Summit East is where to go for glade skiing. On January 7, 2009, a landslide occurred at Summit East, damaging the resort's Keechelus chairlift and a few private cabins. Shortly after, The Summit at Snoqualmie announced that Summit East would not operate for downhill skiing and snowboarding for the remainder of the 2008-09 ski season. The area will continue to operate the Nordic Center without lift access because of lift damage and extensive debris that cover the upper slopes.Summit East (formerly known as "Hyak") is the easternmost of the four base areas and is accessible via I-90 exit 54. Adjacent to the alpine ski area, the Hyak area has free cross-country skiing on groomed trails along Lake Keechelus on the Iron Horse Trail
Iron Horse State Park
Iron Horse State Park, part of the Washington State Park System, is a state park located in the Cascade Mountains and Yakima River Valley, between Cedar Falls on the west and the Columbia River on the east....
(maintained by the Washington State Parks).
History
In 1959 a new ski area was developed on the north side of Hyak Mtn by 3 businessmen who formed the Hyak Ski Corporation. The company made some bad financial moves and in 1972 a ski lift accident that left a 14 year old skier with permanent damage, and subsequent lawsuit sent the area into bankruptcy in 1977.The area was purchased in 1980 by Pac West until they too filed bankruptcy in 1988. Pac West was one of the few ski resorts to allow snowboarding, along with Mt Baker ski area. Bob Barci helped set up the first snowboard competition in 1985 which was won by Craig Kelly
Craig Kelly (snowboarder)
Craig Kelly was a professional snowboarder. He attended the University of Washington where he was a member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity and studied Chemical Engineering....
.
In 1992 the area was purchased by Ski Lifts, Inc who now owned all 4 local Snoqualmie Pass ski areas. In 1998 Booth Creek purchased the areas from Ski Lifts, Inc. and in 2007 sold all areas to CNL. Booth Creek signed a management agreement with CNL then on September 19, 2007 announced the management of the Snoqualmie Pass ski areas was sold to Boyne USA.
On January 7, 2009, a large avalanche destroyed the Keechelus ski lift, one house and damaged 3 others, which ended downhill skiing and snowboarding for the rest of the 2008-2009 season and the entire 2009-2010 season. Alpine operations returned for the 2010-2011 season with the installation of a used triple chair on the front side as well as reopening terrain in Hidden Valley re-using a combination of parts from the old Keechelus and Little Gold double chairs.(closed since 1987)..