Skiing & Snowboarding in Seattle

Skiing & Snowboarding

Snow sports may be one of the few reasons to look forward to winter in Seattle. Ski season usually lasts from November until April. A one-day adult lift ticket averages about $40, and most resorts rent equipment and have restaurants.

Cross-country trails range from undisturbed backcountry routes to groomed resort tracks. To ski on state park trails you must purchase a Sno-Park Pass, available at most sporting goods stores, ski shops, and forest service district offices. Always call ahead for road conditions, which might prevent trail access or require you to put chains on your tires.

Call for Snoqualmie Pass ski reports and news about weather conditions (206/634-0200 or 206/634-2754) in the more-distant White Pass, Crystal Mountain, and Stevens Pass. You can also do online research or listen to recorded messages about road conditions (800/695-7623. wsdot.wa.gov/traffic). For information on cross-country trails and trail conditions, contact the State Parks Information Center (800/233-0321. www.parks.wa.gov/winter).

Alpental at the Summit (Exit 52 off I-90, Snoqualmie Pass. 425/434-7669. www.summitatsnoqualmie.com). Alpental, part of the Summit at Snoqualmie complex, attracts advanced skiers to its many long steep runs. (Giant slalom gold medalist Debbie Armstrong trained here for the 1984 Olympics.) A one-day lift ticket will run you $39-$49; equipment is another $25-$35. The resort is 50 mi from Seattle, but it's right off the highway so you avoid icy mountain roads.

Crystal Mountain (33914 Crystal Mountain Blvd. 360/663-3050; 800/695-7623 road conditions; 888/754-6199 snow report. www.crystalmt.com). Serious skiers and boarders don't mind the 2 1/2-hour drive here (it's about 75 mi from the city). The slopes are challenging, the snow conditions are usually good, and the views of Mt. Rainier are amazing. Lift tickets cost $48 for a half day and $53 for a full day; night skiing on Friday and Saturday costs $28. Full rental packages run $33. There are only three lodging options on or near the mountain (Crystal Mountain Hotels, Crystal Mountain Lodging Suites, and Alta Crystal Resort). They tend to fill up on busy winter weekends, so book ahead if you want to stay the night.

Hurricane Ridge (Olympic National Park, 17 mi south of Port Angeles. 360/452-0330; 360/565-3131 for road reports. www.hurricaneridge.net). The cross-country trails here, in Olympic National Park, begin at the lodge and have great views of Mt. Olympus. A small downhill ski and snowboarding area is open weekends and holidays; lift tickets are $8-$20. There's also a tubing/sledding hill. The Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center has a small restaurant, an interpretive center, and restrooms. Admission to the park is $15. Call ahead for road conditions before taking the two-hour drive from Seattle.

The Summit at Snoqualmie (Exit 52 off I-90, Snoqualmie Pass. 425/434-7669; 206/236-7277 Ext. 3372 for Nordic center. www.summitatsnoqualmie.com). Chances are good that a local skier took his or her first run at Snoqualmie, the resort closest to the city. With three ski areas -- Summit West, Summit Central, and Summit East -- gentle slopes, rope tows, moseying chairlifts, a snowboard park, and dozens of educational programs, it's the obvious choice for an introduction to the slopes. One-day lift tickets cost $39-$49; equipment packages are $25-$35 a day. The Nordic Center at Summit East is the starting point for 31 mi of cross-country trails. Guided snowshoe hikes are offered here on Friday and weekends. The $12 trail pass includes two rides on the chairlifts.

Whistler (Hwy. 99, Whistler, B.C., Canada. 800/766-0449. www.whistler-blackcomb.com). Whistler, 200 mi north of Seattle, is best done as a three-day weekend trip. And you really can't call yourself a skier here and not go to Whistler at least once. (Just make sure your car has chains or snow tires.) The massive resort is renowned for its nightlife, which is just at the foot of the slopes. You abandon your car outside the village upon arrival and negotiate the entire hotel/dining/ski area on foot. A one-day lift ticket costs about $70 (Canadian), and rental packages are about $32 (Canadian). The area includes more than 17 mi of cross-country trails, usually open November-March. For die-hard skiers and boarders who want an extended season, there's summer skiing on Blackcomb Glacier through July. Expect continued improvements to both the facilities here and to the Sea-to-Sky Highway, as Whistler ramps up for the 2010 Winter Olympics.