White Pass Ski Area
Encyclopedia
The White Pass Ski Area is a ski area at White Pass
, Washington, located 50 miles (80 km) west of Yakima
on US-12
, and 110 miles (180 km) east of Tacoma
.
is at 4500 feet (1372 m) with the summit at 6500 feet (1982 m) above sea level, with a vertical drop of 2000 feet (610 m). Located on the south side of the east-west highway, the slopes primarily face north.
The mountain has six chairlift
s: two high speed quads
, a fixed-grip quad, a triple, and two doubles. It also includes a platter lift and a carpet for beginning skiers. There is a terrain park that regularly features rail jams, slopestyle, and the like.
Across the highway to the north, White Pass Village Inn offers overnight accommodations.
and Steve Mahre
grew up at White Pass, where their father Dave "Spike" Mahre was the mountain manager. The twin brothers and their seven siblings lived with their parents in a house near the base of the lifts. The expansion in the Paradise Basin opened in the 2010-2011 season. The new area adds 767 acres to White Pass. It also includes 2 new chairlifts. The Basin Quad is a fixed-grip quad and the Couloir Express is a high-speed detachable quad.
and will be redrawn for the 2011-2012 season to show runs that are not on the current trail map. Many runs also still need to be named because White Pass Ski Area wanted to let everyone ski on the expansion, then decide the names of the runs via Facebook.
White Pass (Washington)
White Pass is a mountain pass in the Cascade Range south of Mount Rainier and north of Goat Rocks in Washington, USA. U.S. Highway 12 passes over White Pass, connecting Yakima County with Lewis County....
, Washington, located 50 miles (80 km) west of Yakima
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
on US-12
U.S. Route 12 in Washington
U.S. Route 12 is a major east-west U.S. Highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan. It spans across the state of Washington, and is the only numbered highway to span the entire state from west to east, starting near the Pacific Ocean, and crossing the Idaho state line near...
, and 110 miles (180 km) east of Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
.
Alpine Skiing
The base elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
is at 4500 feet (1372 m) with the summit at 6500 feet (1982 m) above sea level, with a vertical drop of 2000 feet (610 m). Located on the south side of the east-west highway, the slopes primarily face north.
The mountain has six chairlift
Chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
s: two high speed quads
Detachable chairlift
A detachable chairlift or high-speed chairlift is a type of passenger aerial lift, which, like a fixed-grip chairlift, consists of numerous chairs attached to a constantly moving wire rope that is strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. They are now commonplace at all but the...
, a fixed-grip quad, a triple, and two doubles. It also includes a platter lift and a carpet for beginning skiers. There is a terrain park that regularly features rail jams, slopestyle, and the like.
Cross-Country Skiing
The White Pass Nordic Center provides access to a variety of groomed cross-country ski runs.Base Facilities
The day lodge has rental skis and boards, food, lockers, and a bar.Across the highway to the north, White Pass Village Inn offers overnight accommodations.
History
Former World Cup racing twins PhilPhil Mahre
Philip Mahre is a former champion alpine ski racer, widely regarded as one of the greatest American skiers of all time...
and Steve Mahre
Steve Mahre
Steven Mahre is a former alpine ski racer and younger twin brother of ski racer Phil Mahre....
grew up at White Pass, where their father Dave "Spike" Mahre was the mountain manager. The twin brothers and their seven siblings lived with their parents in a house near the base of the lifts. The expansion in the Paradise Basin opened in the 2010-2011 season. The new area adds 767 acres to White Pass. It also includes 2 new chairlifts. The Basin Quad is a fixed-grip quad and the Couloir Express is a high-speed detachable quad.
Trail Map
The expansion required a new trail map to show the new terrain. The new map was drawn by James NieheusJames Niehues
James Niehues is a resort and panoramic illustrator. Having done roughly 75% of the "large resorts", most of Niehues' business comes from custom mapmaking. His large format watercolor paintings are hand painted and airbrushed to reveal the fine details of the natural landscape.- External links :*...
and will be redrawn for the 2011-2012 season to show runs that are not on the current trail map. Many runs also still need to be named because White Pass Ski Area wanted to let everyone ski on the expansion, then decide the names of the runs via Facebook.
External links
- Ski White Pass.com - official site
- WSDOT.wa.gov - White Pass road conditions & webcam