[christensent]

I've been at Stevens at least one day pretty much every weekend this season, and for at least the last month if you're not there by 9:10am most days you're in the shuttle lots, and many days if you're not there by 9:30am, you're not skiing. Stevens claiming this is extremely rare even on weekends is inaccurate. At least it keeps the lift lines manageable. There's nothing they can do about it, they've had a permit request in with the USFS for years to get a new parking lot.

[treeswarper]

Sounds like they need to build a parking garage. That way they could stay in the existing footprint. Or, run a bus service.

[trestle]

Blame the fat skis, now everyone can ski powder.

[Snowbrushy]

[HitTheTrail]

[joker]

Sno-parks at Snoqualmie were full this past Sunday as well (don't know about Saturday). Which was posted on DOT reader boards on 405 on the approach to I-90, as well as along I-90. Lotsa people wanting to go play in the snow.

[melc]

Snoqualmie has been a cluster too. At least at Snoqualmie a big part of the problem is that a lot of people just want to come up to sled. The ski area sled hill limits ticket sales. The Hyak Sled hill run by the state fills up fast. It is not Ok to sled outside of these 2 locations anywhere on the Pass. The state really needs to open another sledding hill option from late Dec thru Feb. People are parked illegally all over Snoqualmie pass. I'm really surprised Kittitas County sheriff isn't up there ticketing. I sorta think they aren't cuz it gives them a good excuse not to have to plow in the far reaches of the county. Snoqualmie has been worse this year than I ever remember it. People parking in gore points on freeway ramps. Sledding in the side of the free way. Drivers who are paralyzed by the snow blocking traffic. Cluster is also term I use to describe the insanity. Please watch your speed when driving through the Hyak area. Children and pets live at many of the houses in the neighborhood.

[Randito]

I arrived the Hyak/Summit East parking around noon, "lot full" sign at the entrance, fortunately some was pulling out, so I. Snagged a spot. WSDOT signs along I-90 warned of full lots at the Hyak Sled hill. The new Rampart chair at Hyak/Summit East is nice. Lots of parents skiing with kids. Despite full lots lift lines weren't bad at Hyak/Summit East and for a couple runs on Silver Fir.

[joker]

Yeah, the Rampart work opened up a bit more nice terrain. People seemed to be having lots of trouble with the magic carpet loading system the one time I rode that lift. To the point where the liftie was kind of getting grumpy and telling everyone loudly that "it really IS a better way to load lifts!"

[DIYSteve]

[joker]

That worked fine for us and many others, but not so much for enough of a minority of riders that the lift was stopping an awful lot, even compared to the lifts at Central when the beginner classes are riding them. Sometimes a really good idea just doesn't work so well in practice. Maybe everyone is getting used to that lift now - haven't been back to it since that one trip.

[wolffie]

[AlpineRose]

I feel your pain, wolffie. My most poignant personal example is recalling the Issaquah Alps trailhead just south of I-90 exit 13 providing access to a trail going up the Lewis Creek drainage. Today, at the wrong time in the afternoon, I inch my way in the mile-long traffic jam heading south up Lakemont Blvd, where said trail was. When the Big One hits, maybe the Amazon techno-vermin and their ilk will leave and return to the high-tech ratholes they emerged from.

[mike]

[joker]

I still ski right onto the chair at night quite often! But busy weekend are a whole other deal...