I don’t count sheep. When I have trouble sleeping, which seems to be a regular occurrence these days, I visualize that I’m at the top of Chair 2 at Alpental. There are many fun ways to get down, but I usually find myself heading for Upper International, a double black diamond challenge and probably their signature run.
First, there’s the short bump run to gain access to the “Nash” entrance, annoying because “like I really need to tire my legs before it gets really steep!” Before it was re-engineered, the entrance to Nash used to be the crux with a line backing up behind the less experienced. It’s no Corbet’s, but it used to cause much consternation. Now there usually isn’t much of a line but there is likely someone behind me that wants to go faster than I do, so there can still be some stress.
I stay right initially, where it is the steepest and it’s the last place to bump up and ice over. Jumps turns and big smiles! Traverse left to the Nash Gate to get access to the side country, but I’m alone today so I stay inbounds. I traverse right into Adrenalin to keep the steepest possible run. On a powder day this is the place to be (and since it’s my visualization, everyday is a bluebird powder day!). Smiles turn to whoops and hollers! Halfway down Upper Nash is a plateau with another side-country gate to the left (so many options), but I take a hard right under the cliffs into the bowl. The farther I traverse the better the snow gets, but the slope also moderates. I want to keep it steep so I head down once I’ve traversed passed the high-skier-volume moguls and the snow is still good.
At the bottom of this pitch I’m definitely winded, but I’m only halfway down the 2,500’ drop. The run is joined by a traverse from Chair 1, which brings access to the groomers and the crowds of skiers. And the name changes to Lower International. There are high-speed GS turns from here down to the base of the chair, with some big tree options partway down.
I’m usually asleep by now. I never have to ride the lift.