Stevens Pass Ski Area

This article is about the ski area. For the mountain pass along US Highway 2 where the ski resort is located, see Stevens Pass.
Stevens Pass Ski Area
Location King County, near Skykomish,
Washington
 United States
Nearest city Leavenworth
37 mi (60 km) east
Coordinates 47°44′41″N 121°5′20″W / 47.74472°N 121.08889°W / 47.74472; -121.08889 (Stevens Pass Ski Area)
Vertical 1,800 ft (550 m)
Top elevation 5,845 ft (1,782 m)
Cowboy Mountain
5,600 ft (1,700 m)
Big Chief Mountain
Base elevation 4,061 ft (1,238 m)
main base area
3,821 ft (1,165 m)
Mill Valley
Skiable area 1,125 acres (4.55 km2)
Runs 37
- 11% easiest
- 54% more difficult
- 35% most difficult
Lift system 10 chairs
Terrain parks 1
Snowfall 450 in (1,100 cm)
Snowmaking no
Night skiing yes
Website Stevens Pass
Stevens
Pass
location of Stevens Pass, Washington

The Stevens Pass Ski Area is a ski area located at the crest of Stevens Pass in the Cascade Range of Washington, United States. The base elevation is at 4,061 feet (1,238 m) with the peak at 5,845 feet (1,782 m). The Mill Valley "backside" of the resort drops to a minimum elevation of 3,821 feet (1,165 m). Total skiable terrain includes 37 major runs covering 1,125 acres (4.55 km2).

Alpine Skiing

Stevens Pass offers a variety of alpine ski runs ranging from beginner to advanced. Because there is no lodging at the base, Stevens is a day resort drawing heavily on skiers from the Seattle area. Night skiing is offered until 10pm most days (except Tues and Weds) during mid-season.

The area is divided into front (north and east facing) and back (south facing) sides.

Front Side

From the base area, there is direct access to the chairlifts Daisy, Hogsback, Brooks, Skyline, and Kehr's:

There are also 3 higher chairlifts on the front side:

Back Side

The backside (named Mill Valley) provides a more natural environment with lots of sparsely treed runs. The backside features two lifts that load from the same immediate area:

Cross-Country Skiing

The Stevens Pass Nordic Center provides access to 28 km of groomed cross-country ski trails of varying difficulty.

History

The ski resort was started by Don Adams and Bruce Kehr, both passionate skiers, in the winter of 1937-38. The original lodge was constructed in 1937 by the CCC, a government funded work force. In 1940 this lodge burned down.[1]

Avalanches

The area around Stevens Pass is known to be avalanche prone, having experienced the most deadly avalanche in U.S. history in 1910 when two trains were swept off the tracks and buried, killing 96 people.[2]

Out of a group of 16 experienced skiers, three men, Chris Rudolph, age 30; Johnny Brenan, 41, and Jim Jack, age 46; were killed in an avalanche at Stevens Pass on February 19, 2012.[3] The avalanche occurred in an unmaintained back-country area known as Tunnel Creek, which was described as "ski at your own risk," after 3 feet of fresh snowfall.

Future development plans

The growth of population in the Seattle area has led to increased use at all the Cascades ski areas in Washington, and Stevens pass frequently reaches capacity on weekends during January and February. In June 2007, a Master Plan was submitted to the Forest Service describing proposed future expansions and upgrades over the next ten years.

Development objectives

Front side

A northern exposure area is planned to the left (east) of the current Big Chief lift, with a Northern Exposure detachable quad providing access to runs and glade skiing. This expansion would add 115 acres (0.47 km2) of total terrain.

Brooks will be upgraded from a double to a triple. If easy access from the top of Skyline can be established, Brooks will be shortened to end at the top of the terrain park.

A Grace Lakes area is planned to the right of the top of Brooks, heading off downhill to the right (north), consisting of groomed cruisers and gladed runs. The area would be served by a fixed quad lift, and add 80 acres (320,000 m2) of total terrain. Additionally, there would be new adventure runs from the top of skyline down into the Grace Lakes area.

Big Chief would be upgraded to a fixed quad, and the loading area would be moved slightly down the mountain to improve access.

A new fixed quad "The Katz" would be added to the right of Big Chief, extending up and to the right.

Back Side

Backside improvements happen at the right (east) side. To the immediate right of Southern Cross, new trails and glades provide expanded area, and a proposed permit expansion into Highlands Bowl to the right of that would provide a backcountry experience for those willing to do some hiking. A catch trail at the bottom would return to Southern Cross. This expansion would add 75 acres (300,000 m2) of terrain.

There are no lift changes planned on the backside, although a plan to upgrade Jupiter from a fixed quad to high-speed quad was announced during the 2012/2013 season [4] and completed before opening of the 2013/2014 season. [5]

Base area and facilities

Solitude lodge would be constructed near the top end of Skyline.

Smaller yurts would be constructed at the top of Tye mill, at the top of the terrain park, and at the base of the lifts in the back.

The base lodges would be expanded and reconfigured.

A new mini-lodge and ticket area would be constructed at the base of the Northern exposure lift.

470 new parking places would be added.

References

  1. ↑ Stevens Pass | Stevens Pass History
  2. ↑ Three skiers killed in Washington avalanche, KTVK 3TV News.
  3. ↑ Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek, John Branch, The New York Times.
  4. ↑ http://snowboarding.transworld.net/1000195617/news/stevens-pass-announces-over-4-million-in-resort-improvements/
  5. ↑ http://www.stevenspass.com/site/mountain/info/jupiter-express

External links

Coordinates: 47°44′41″N 121°05′20″W / 47.74472°N 121.08889°W / 47.74472; -121.08889

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, January 12, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.