Backcountry ski potential on the Mt. Baker Highway

[chris]

I'm starting to get excited for the ski season (as if the last two posts didn't clue you in). Tell me something. I just moved to Bellingham. Is a ski pass for Baker worth the price? 500+!!! - Stevens was only $270 for a student!!

What is the backcountry like? And a little specifics - for advanced level skier, Avie III cert - what are a couple of good tours. Ones that let me see the potential? Classic routes that I shouldn't miss?

at the Pub sometime...

Chris

[pete_a]

you might want to post on turns-all-year.com too. Some of the regular posters on that site are Bellingham locals who hit Baker all the time and have plenty of knowledge of the good spots to hit.

[dberdinka]

Ummm...yeah the BC is alright around 542 (that's the highway). The amount of killer accessible terrain is huge. In winter you'll do most of your touring starting from the upper parking lot at Baker, everything else is just too long of access on snowed-in logging roads. Don't despair there is plenty to do. Only problem is almost all of it is above treeline, on bad visibility days you're best off inbounds.

 

Long Day Tours not to miss

Lake Ann Butte

Coleman Pinnacle

 

There are tons of steep lines in the Bagely Lakes Basin, 15 minutes from the parking lot, you'll probably spend lots of time in there

 

Other cool shit.

 

You can leave a car at the Nooksack River Bridge elevation 2000' and do a number of tours with up to 3700' vert of skiing starting from the upper parking lot (elv 4220') that end up in the Anderson Creek Valley. Get out a topo map and start picking lines. The best is probably the NW Bowls of Mount Herman, 50 deg headwall to 2000' of open bowls to secret coulior in the woods. Sweet, Sweet Death Coulior on the East Face of Barometer is exiting as well in the right conditions.

 

Other great touring areas include all aspects of Goat Mountain. The hidden glacier on the north side is incredible skiing.

 

With the first big dump of the season you can get turns in on the heather meadows of Excelisor Ridge accessed from Damifino Lakes.

 

Then there's Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan......

[Crackbolter]

If you buy a pass, you are able to access Shuksan Arm in a matter of minutes or hours depending on how far you traverse. Shuksan Arm has some of the best backcountry in the PNW from what I've seen at other resorts except maybe Blackcomb. it seems to be one of my personal favorite ski resorts due to the size, terrain and cost. I wouldn't pay $600 for a pass considering the backcountry gets good in late December so unless you would rather put in short days, consider going to the resort until the snowpack becomes stable and then you can start accessing some of the best backcountry in the state.

[Dr_Crash]

You may also post on tetongravity.com/forums and ask specifically for beta from BakerBoy and mtbakerskier.

 

drC

[steepconcrete]

Listen to DR.Crash

 

Also check out MBS's site www.grantgunderson.com I think it is all Baker area.

[AJScott]

baker good

[chris]

So is it...

a) worth every penny, buy a pass NOW!!

b) worth the work but not the money, get a job at the hill

c) not worth the money or the effort - the only high speed quads you need are the two you already have

[AJScott]

I have worked at Mt. Baker Ski Area for the past three seasons, and its well worth the work, but not the money. For the most part, there are some cool people that work there. A lot of the jobs you can ride a good amount too. I worked in the parking lot, and I was out hiking the arm nearly everyday. Lots and Lots of steep terrain in bounds, and very close out of bounds. Plus nearly unlimited long distance tours. And I hate to be the one to break it to you, but no high speed quads here! The runs are short and the snow is always heavy, Utah is way kewler. No wait, Colorodo is the kewlest...

[ashw_justin]

Spend a few days at Mt. Baker ski area. Go midweek on powder days, savoring every turn that $30 buys you. Then do some backcountry for a while. There are several different areas to earn your turns out there. At some point take a multi-day trip up to Whistler/Blackcomb (being sure to buy discount tickets in B'ham, they were $10 off at Haggens last year). Do some more backcountry. Soon spring season will roll around, and then it's time to start hitting the higher peaks for corn (Ruth, Twin Sisters, Shuksan, Baker).

[eternalX]

I love baker and am having the same thoughts myself. If i had bought a pass last year, i would've come out just about even. It's a great hill though. No lift lines and wonderful powder on a regular basis. There seems to be fatty spots to hit everyday.

[timplace]

I ski mostly backcountry off 542, but still find a season's ticket worthwhile because:

 

1. It snows a lot. On bad visibility days, trees, known runs, and other tracks are nice. There are a few bc tree skiing areas around the ski area (Austin Trees, Herman Saddle), but most of the tree skiing is in area.

 

2. It snows a lot. On many days, the snow is just too unstable in the backcounrty to ski anything over 30 degrees, and some days you have to pole down 30 degree slopes. But these are not days to be missed!! Ski the area until things calm down.

 

3. It snows a lot. Unless you are up there every day, you will likrly see fresh snow and will need to know how well it is holding on to the underlayments on the various aspects and angles. We usually do a few runs in area, testing short, steep "test plots" to get some idea of what the sluff situation is. Then we will try a bit of lift served back-country (the Elbow, the Elf Chutes, The Hemis, The Arm to test on known conditions what we are suspecting. Then its off to the untracked goods.

 

4. It snows a lot. And it rains some, too. A season's pass gives you the opportunity to say "screw it" after a run or two on truely horrendous days without having to have wasted the price of a ticket. Plus, no waiting around at the ticket window in the morning on powder days.

 

5. Even on days where you are headed for the back country, a lift assist can save a half hour approach to Ptarmigan Ridge, Lake Anne etc. More if you are lugging in a pack for an overnighter.

 

6. ... and the final argument for a pass: The Arm!!