In auctioning off parts from a decommissioned Riblet double chairlift, Alpental—a ski area near Seattle, Washington—has raised $194,343 for local community organizations.
Held earlier this summer, the auction offered vintage chairs, bullwheels, and an auxiliary motor.Â
The nearly $200,000 in auction proceeds will benefit four local education nonprofits: the Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation, the Cle Elum-Roslyn Schools Foundation, the Easton School District, and Encompass NW.
“The nonprofits we’re supporting aren’t just our neighbors—they’re our guests, our team members, and the families of our team members,” said Guy Lawrence, general manager of Summit at Snoqualmie and Alpental, in a press release. “At the end of the day, the children in our local community are the mountain’s future.”
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Two auction winners show off their Chair 2 seat. Photo: Courtesy Alpental
The auctioned parts were far more than hunks of metal. The Riblet double chairlift, better known as Edelweiss or Chair 2, played a big role at Alpental, once providing the only access point for the ski area’s renowned Back Bowls and upper mountain terrain.Â
While Alpental now has two upper mountain lifts, the old Chair 2 still loomed large in the minds of locals. Before the lift was torn down last spring to make way for a replacement, crowds of skiers visited Alpental to say goodbye during a weekend-long send-off party. Then, some of them bid to try and take home a piece of Chair 2 and Alpental history.
“The success of the auction reflects the emotional connection that generations of skiers and snowboarders have formed with the Edelweiss chair,” said Lawrence.
Alpental Trail Map for Winter 24/25.
Things aren’t changing too much for Chair 2. Its replacement is a three-person, fixed-grip Doppelmayr model set to improve uphill capacity and cut down the time skiers and snowboarders spend sitting on the lift. To honor the legacy of Chair 2, the new three-seater will be built around the existing station at the top of Alpental—a memorable local landmark.
Construction on the updated Chair 2 is underway, and Alpental expects that the lift will open next winter in December. It’ll join the Internationale, another new three-seater that first began spinning at Alpental last winter and provided another route to Alpental’s higher-altitude slopes.
“These consistent upgrades will reduce lift lines and leave more time for what our guests come here for—the legendary skiing and riding,” said Lawrence.
Washington Ski Area Raises Nearly $200,000 for Local Nonprofits After Successful Chairlift Auction first appeared on Powder on Aug 13, 2025
