UPHILL TRAVEL PASS, RULES & RESTRICTIONS, & GUIDELINES
Uphill Travel Guide
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Considering touring or Hiking at The Ski area?
Before making plans, read on to learn more about our Uphill Travel Pass, as well as resort-specific rules and restrictions for uphill travel to help keep all resort users safe. An Uphill Travel Pass is required (even for regular passholders) to access any ski area terrain, is season specific, and must be ordered in our online store. This policy was developed in partnership with the United States Forest Service.
$5 of Each Uphill Travel Pass Sold Will Be Donated To NWAC
Uphill Travel Pass
Free for Summit Passholders
$45 for Non-Passholders & Ikon Passholders
Required For Uphill Travel (at all times)
Uphill Passes Are Season Specific
Ready to climb? To get access for the entire season, order an Uphill Travel Pass and sign the associated waiver in our online store. You must be able to provide digital or physical proof of your Uphill Travel Pass anytime you travel uphill within the ski area boundary.
- If you already have a regular season pass, you still need an Uphill Travel Pass, but it's free. (Ikon does not qualify)
- Passes are non-transferable and are season-specific
- Daily access passes are not available
- This is a digital pass. You will not receive a physical card. Simply save your confirmation on your phone or print a copy to use for verification if asked by Summit staff.
Get Your Uphill Travel Pass Today!
Summit Team Members can now order the "Passholder" option in our online store.
MORE INFO
What happens if I am found traveling within the resort boundary without an uphill travel pass?
Anyone found traveling uphill without an uphill pass or in areas where uphill traffic is prohibited, may lose access privileges. The Summit reserves the right to file trespassing charges when necessary.
Alpental will remain closed to uphill travel all spring and summer due to the construction of the International Chair. Lift construction crews are also working at Summit West in the Little Thunder and Wildside regions. Stay clear of this area and the top of Wildside. Uphill travel is restricted to only the region North of Little Thunder and Beaver Lake (Dodge Ridge, Pacific Crest, and Julie's terrain).
RULES & INFO FOR TOURING OR HIKING AT THE SUMMIT
Uphill Travel Policy Overview
KEYS TO UPHILL TRAVEL
Safety, Courtesy, & Respect
Avalanche Control at Alpental
Avalanche control work may be conducted at anytime with the Alpental permit boundary. Ascending within the boundary can pose extreme danger.
Winching in Progress
Extremely dangerous! Winch cables can cause serious injury or death. Watch for flashing lights on signs or on the top of grooming machines. When winching is in progress, find a different place to hike or tour.
Uphill Travel In The Alpental Valley
Frequently Asked Questions
To help protect the safety of downhill skiers and snowboarders, uphill travelers, and our staff. With nearly all of the area within the special use permit boundary (shown in the map below) being subject to avalanche hazard and the avalanche mitigation activities required to operate the resort, uphill travel poses a significant risk. Users looking to recreate on Forest Service lands are welcome to travel in the areas outside of the special use permit. These restriction will not apply outside the operating season when resort operations are not underway (ok to hike then).
The operating season starts when there is sufficient snow cover for workers to begin winter activities, it is always prior to opening day. This is communicated via the posting of signs in base facilities, notification on social media, and noted below in the "Alpental Operating Status". The end of the season is communicated through the same means and is typically a week or more after closing day. The operating season in this case is the period in which our crews are active on the mountain, and not the period in which we are open for skiing/riding.
The operating season starts when there is sufficient snow cover for workers to begin winter activities, it is always prior to opening day. This is communicated via the posting of signs in base facilities, notification on social media, and noted below in the "Alpental Operating Status". The end of the season is communicated through the same means and is typically a week or more after closing day. The operating season in this case is the period in which our crews are active on the mountain, and not the period in which we are open for skiing/riding.
Backcountry travel is allowed anywhere outside the resort ski area permit boundary. The permit area includes the Back Bowls return trail and all terrain on the South side of the South Fork Snoqualmie River (south side of the valley) until Source Lake. Travel up the south side of the valley is permitted only once beyond Source Lake.
Backcountry travelers may use the groomed section of the return trail, but must travel single file and stay to the right. At first major intersection (the bottom of Trash Can), backcountry travelers must turn right, crossing the bridge and continuing up valley. Continuing to travel up valley via the return trail or on any slopes to the left is prohibited. It's extremely important to stay off ski area terrain as it is prone to avalanches and avalanche mitigation activities may be occurring at any time.
Yes. However, traveling left (as you ascend) over Draft Dodger Ridge and into the permit area of the ski area is not allowed. As a rule of thumb, traveling out of the Great Scott drainage to the East puts you back into ski area terrain.