[puzzlr]

This is a common destination so I'll be brief. People must think the winter recreation season is over because when we got to the Gold Creek SnoPark at 2pm (no permit required) there were only a few cars there. That's a really different scene than the mayhem in the middle of winter. The trail is packed down and one could conceivably do it in boots, but we put on snowshoes after the first half mile. One nice thing about this road/trail is my wife and I could walk side-by-side and talk. On the way down we took the shortcut at the switchback -- there were clear snowshoe tracks to follow. It probably saves half a mile. We didn't make it all the way to the lakes because of our late start, but we enjoyed unexpected sun breaks and big views. This was my first time on this trail and I had the impression that the views were scarce. Here's some pictures and a video to disprove that idea.

More and more snow as we climb higher

We stopped before getting to the lakes because it was getting late and the views from here were better.

2 labels

Summit Central ski area. We were wondering what the bumps on the slope in the center are for.

Rampart Ridge from the Kendall Peak Lakes trail

Panorama from our lunch spot.

The big hill on the right is the end of the S ridge of Kendall Peak. Check out all the the turns coming down from the summit in the large version of this shot. I wish I could ski well enough to do that And finally a video to commemorate my wife's first snowshoe outing. We've hiked together all over the world for twenty+ years but this winter craziness is a new thing for her. [edit] corrected "Summit East" to "Summit Central" - thanks solohiker

[Malachai Constant]

We were up there Sunday too. Some of the ski tracks are ours. The bumps are the terrain park at Summit Central where our daughter was shredding.Looks like you all had fun

[solohiker]

Nice photos, puzzlr. FWIW the ski area you were looking at is Summit Central, not East. East (aka Hyak) is located around the corner from the far left side of the ski hill in your photo. As MC points out - the bumps are part of "Central Park," a large terrain terrain park where acrobatic boarders and skiers show their prowess to liftriders above. Those who master all the obstacles in that park eventually find their way to Alpental's backcountry where they maneuver much steeper terrain and obstacles consisting of natural cliffs, trees and avalanche debries instead of manmade objects.

[wildernessed]

Nice. I'm ready to walk on top of the snow again !

[Type E]