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Key PointsAlpental Ski Resort, WA., Jan 5th, 23. Windy and warm, but with the 20 to 30 mph wind gusts, it felt cold. It was a decent night of skiing. The wind gusts blowing snow over the iced surface made for some exciting skiing. The top, all the way down to the mid-level of the Mountain, was in good shape, but the lower third was iced over and as hard as a skating rink.
Very few people were up for Wednesday night skiing which made it a great night to get some quick runs in. Mostly ski team groups and a few casual skiers.
I spent some time in the center of the hill, moderately treed, and the snow was nice, with a couple of inches of powder. Brought the wrongs skis up, though. I should've sharpened them. My skis had a decent edge for packed/powder but not for hard ice, so as I got closer to the bottom third of the hill, I started sliding hard. Ended up going over to the race area, where there was less ice.
See the Issaquah Weather Section
Overall, an excellent night for working on turns and carving on ice. We got in plenty of runs. It looks like the snow will start falling again in the next couple of weeks. Alpental needs a couple more feet for complete coverage. Hopefully, next week will be better.
Good skiing!
