Edelweiss Chair and beyond... Alpental , The valley and the rest of snocrummy

[AK47bp]

Needs renamed to “Mountains to Issaquah Highlands Exit Greenway”.




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[MottN]

This was MottN's completely random guess and I pointed out that it does not specify this when you buy your uphill pass, it just says parking is included.

Yeah. I wasn't really saying that I thought they would, just pointing out that it was possible they would limit parking to certain lots. I.e. some passes don't allow Alpental on weekends so, depending on how they do the parking passes, the corresponding parking pass might also not work on Alpental lots on the weekends.
The logic of a ridiculous day fee with such an easy work around doesn't seem consistent with it being a cash grab or with it trying to clear up parking.

Ultimately we will just have to see how they implement it and whether it helps a little bit or a lot.

[bfree]

some passes don't allow Alpental on weekends so, depending on how they do the parking passes, the corresponding parking pass might also not work on Alpental lots on the weekends.

Good point. That would make a bit of sense... I'm on a LTD pass and tour out of the Alpental lots on weekends.

They could certainly make it pretty restrictive if they want to. Or they could give an unlimited parking pass to passholders of all types... is my 4 year old going to get a parking pass?

[XavierD]

Can they charge more for people wasting a parking space to take an AIARE class?


Guessing the parking pass you get with an uphill pass or other restricted use pass won’t cover peak weekends and holidays.

It sucks but lots of people like getting out in the mountains and you need to find a way to incentivize change. Money is almost always the most efficient way to do so. Wouldn’t be opposed to charging pass holders a lesser fee on peak weekends to incentivize carpooling. $10-$20/car per day is a much lower proportional hit the more people in the car and would do a lot to reduce the shit show both on the roads and in the parking lots.

[Ed el Loco]

In the parking FAQ they list incorrect permit location/ parking lot as a citation so I’m guessing they will limit parking by permit type for different lots.

[The AD]

Guessing the parking pass you get with an uphill pass or other restricted use pass won’t cover peak weekends and holidays.

The website doesn't say that. As of know the implication is that if you buy an uphill pass it includes parking. You can bet they'll be selling a lot more uphill passes this season.

[f=ma]

The Uphill Travel Pass does cover parking at Alpental for free, however, you can only park at Alpental in the A7 lot on peak days.


Peak days for the Uphill Travel Pass include:
December Holidays - December 21, 2024 - January 3, 2025
Saturdays and Sundays from January 4 through March 2, 2025
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - January 20, 2025
Presidents Day - February 17, 2025

[Toadman]

I can see this helping at alpental where half of lot 4 was people going into the bc last year. It would be nice if I can show up for lessons at 830 without worrying I’m too late to park but not optimistic on that one. I am also assuming as a pass holder I can park in lot 4 even if I’m not riding lifts.

More parking is needed somewhere at the pass and I don’t know where to put it.

Either that or bus service to and from the ski area from the Issaquah/Bellevue/East side park and ride lots.

[Huskier]

Mandatory carpooling and reservations is the next step.


This place is doomed

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Yep. I'm envisioning a BCC/LCC future, but without a viable public transit option to take people up from the nearest P&R. Which is a shame because as ^^^ I would ride a ski bus from the 'quah, so hard. On the flip side I'm sure hawking parking resies will become a very lucrative opportunity for the hustle-minded.

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[ptavv]

I'd ride a gondola from North Bend to the Pass

That would be sick

[shroom]

yer about to get Buster goin’ about trains

[The AD]

Considering it has taken billions of dollars and decades to build a decent light rail system in the city, I don't even want to guess what it would cost to build a heavy railroad from Seattle to Snoqualmie Pass.

[S_jenks]

Considering it has taken billions of dollars and decades to build a decent light rail system in the city, I don't even want to guess what it would cost to build a heavy railroad from Seattle to Snoqualmie Pass.

If they had the guts and vision they could do it. Most of it could be built in the median lane of I-90, or following alongside of it.

It's only going to get more expensive to build rail, so why wait at this point?

[Stairmaster]

Considering it has taken billions of dollars and decades to build a decent light rail system in the city, I don't even want to guess what it would cost to build a heavy railroad from Seattle to Snoqualmie Pass.

The train was the only way to access skiing at Snoqualmie pass . They even had a mother fucking electric train in the 60's . Bummer BNSF shut that shit down.

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[The AD]

If they had the guts and vision they could do it. Most of it could be built in the median lane of I-90, or following alongside of it.

It's only going to get more expensive to build rail, so why wait at this point?

I can't imagine the business proposition simply to support recreation at Snoqualmie Pass comes anywhere close to making this pencil out. If there was a business case to link Seattle to Ellensburg or Yakima with high speed rail there would be a better chance, but that would be pretty far down the list of cities that should be linked by rail I'd imagine.

[californiagrown]

I can't imagine the business proposition simply to support recreation at Snoqualmie Pass comes anywhere close to making this pencil out. If there was a business case to link Seattle to Ellensburg or Yakima with high speed rail there would be a better chance, but that would be pretty far down the list of cities that should be linked by rail I'd imagine.

Probably a 75-100billion dollar project going through the heart of one of the most enviroNIMBY areas in the world to support a few thousand rich people's seasonal weekend recreation that may or may not still be around in 40 years due to the Pass' low elevation and climate change.

To make it remotely pencil, and be remotely palatable you would have to sell the idea of stopping suburban expansion in the puget sound and instead building hundreds of thousands of new residential units in Cle Elum and Easton for people to commute, by train, into/out of the puget sound.

Remind this non-local how long it will take light rail to connect Everett to Kent? 30+ years and $150billion sound about right?

[XavierD]

If they had the guts and vision they could do it. Most of it could be built in the median lane of I-90, or following alongside of it.

It's only going to get more expensive to build rail, so why wait at this point?

We can’t even build rail down the middle lane of I-90 from Seattle to Bellevue without completely fucking it up. It’s been seven years and who knows how many billions and no one has been moved across the lake. Maybe we should leave massive investments in 19th century technology to the Europeans.

[The AD]

Agreed. There is plenty of opposition in the Seattle metro to light rail, which you think would be an absolute no-brainer with the traffic and overall population growth in the area. There is zero chance a rail route over Snoqualmie Pass is happening. Heck, Whistler is actually connected to Vancouver by rail and even having passenger service to Whistler seems like a pipe dream.

[AK47bp]

Probably a 75-100billion dollar project going through the heart of one of the most enviroNIMBY areas in the world to support a few thousand rich people's seasonal weekend recreation that may or may not still be around in 40 years due to the Pass' low elevation and climate change.

To make it remotely pencil, and be remotely palatable you would have to sell the idea of stopping suburban expansion in the puget sound and instead building hundreds of thousands of new residential units in Cle Elum and Easton for people to commute, by train, into/out of the puget sound.

Remind this non-local how long it will take light rail to connect Everett to Kent? 30+ years and $150billion sound about right?

So you’re sayin there’s a chance.


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[XavierD]

Agreed. There is plenty of opposition in the Seattle metro to light rail, which you think would be an absolute no-brainer with the traffic and overall population growth in the area. There is zero chance a rail route over Snoqualmie Pass is happening. Heck, Whistler is actually connected to Vancouver by rail and even having passenger service to Whistler seems like a pipe dream.

Did they kill the passenger service to Whistler? I want to say they used to have it from Seattle to Whistler within the last 20 years. I think you had to change trains in Vancouver and was significantly more expensive than driving.

[XavierD]

So you’re sayin there’s a chance.


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To be fair I’m sure the sound transit board would salivate at the potential to spend $100B on a project that would be less convenient than existing cheaper options.

[The AD]

Did they kill the passenger service to Whistler? I want to say they used to have it from Seattle to Whistler within the last 20 years. I think you had to change trains in Vancouver and was significantly more expensive than driving.

The only passenger service is via the Rocky Mountaineer in the summertime and that's a very expensive tourist train, not an actual transit option. Apparently there would need to be extensive upgrades to support high-speed rail, but as busy as the Sea to Sky is year-round these days I'd think it would be worth it.

[Buster Highmen]

There's truth to the claims supporting an America that no longer has dreams or initiative and clings to old, impractical technology in the pending environmental cardboard cutout sundown. The same truth supports the end of the Puget Sound as the best kept secret in skiing.



Oh well. We're fucked.

As for me, I'll take the Euro ski experience on high speed as well as it's atmospheric creaky cog railways.

[dangerdad]

I would have supported $55 per day for IKON pass holders over people just trying to experience winter once a year

[counterfeitfake]

First off I said I was fantasizing, second, "that costs too much" is always something unimaginative you can toss out there if you want to argue that things are just going to keep getting worse and you're cool with it.

Political and economic realities can change, the least you can do is say out loud that you think solutions would be good.