Alpental Opens with New Edelweiss Triple Chairlift Completing Three-Year Lift Replacement Programme

Alpental Replaces Final Legacy Lift

The Summit at Snoqualmie's Alpental opened on January 7 with its new Edelweiss triple chairlift operating, marking the completion of a three-year effort to replace all three of the area's main access lifts. The Doppelmayr triple replaces the original 1967 Riblet double that served as the gateway to Alpental's upper mountain terrain on Denny Mountain.

The new lift reportedly cuts ride time to approximately six minutes and follows the same alignment as its predecessor, maintaining the original top terminal location. According to resort management, the primary motivation for the replacement centres on reliability rather than capacity—the 58-year-old Riblet had become increasingly difficult to operate consistently, which in turn limited ski patrol's ability to complete avalanche mitigation work required to open the upper mountain.

This represents the third consecutive year of lift installations at Alpental, following Sessel in 2023 and Internationale in 2024. It's an unusually aggressive capital investment timeline for a mid-sized area that's part of the broader Summit at Snoqualmie operation.

The reliability argument makes sense for a Pacific Northwest operation dealing with variable weather and significant avalanche terrain. If patrol can't reach the upper mountain consistently for control work, most of Alpental's 825 acres remain closed regardless of snow conditions. That's been a persistent problem at areas relying on ageing lift infrastructure.

The resort claims the new triple will "significantly reduce lift wait times" through increased uphill capacity, though the actual capacity difference between an old Riblet double and a modern Doppelmayr triple isn't enormous—likely in the range of 800-1,200 people per hour versus 400-600 for the double. For context, Alpental operates six lifts total across relatively limited terrain by North American standards. Whether capacity was genuinely constraining the skiing experience or this is standard new-lift marketing remains unclear.

The installation was apparently complicated by terrain access limitations, requiring helicopter support and hiking for construction crews. That's not uncommon for upper mountain lift work in steep terrain, though it does add substantially to project costs. Guy Lawrence, who runs both Alpental and The Summit at Snoqualmie, described it as "one of the most technically complex chairlift installations in the resort's history," which may or may not mean much given the resort's operational history.

The opening day featured the usual ribbon-cutting ceremony and breakfast for the first 58 people in the lift queue—the number presumably references the years the old Riblet operated, which is a nice touch even if the gesture won't improve anyone's skiing.

Three new lifts in three years represents genuine investment in an operation that's never been more than a regional player despite its proximity to Seattle. Alpental has always traded on its steeper terrain and more advanced skiing compared to the three other areas that make up The Summit at Snoqualmie complex, but it's also been constrained by limited vertical (2,290 feet) and weather exposure that frequently shuts down operations.

The real test will be whether the new infrastructure actually delivers more consistent operations during marginal weather, which is what Alpental experiences most of the winter. If patrol can reach the upper mountain reliably and complete avalanche work regardless of conditions, that's a meaningful improvement for skiers and riders willing to make the 45-minute drive from Seattle. If it's primarily about uphill capacity on a mountain that rarely sees serious crowds, that's less impressive.

Replacing 1960s-era Riblet lifts is overdue maintenance more than visionary development—these installations were well past their operational lifespan. The question for Alpental is whether this capital investment translates into a noticeably better experience or simply brings the operation up to modern baseline standards. For a mountain that positions itself around challenging terrain and local character, consistency of access matters more than most other factors. Whether $15-20 million in lift replacements (rough estimate for three Doppelmayr installations) fundamentally changes the Alpental experience is something only a few seasons of operations will demonstrate.