mt baker ski area

Love actually skiing. ski here, its great :) It's like one step away from that back country feel of being open and free. Kinda like that you have the whole mountain to yourself. I've been coming here for 25 years and I love it everytime.

We did not have pow experience we would have hoped. It was a much warmer winter and the snow was melted and a bit icy in most spots. The runs were nice just wish we had some nice powder to go along with it.

I joined the Vancouver Outdoor Club (Meetup.com) with a team of 17 to hike the Mt. Baker North Cascades trails. It was the first time for me, and it is the biggest best kept secret of Washington to the world !Our destination is only less than 2 hrs. drive from Vancouver, with breathtaking magnificent mountains, glaciers and lakes.We stayed at the Mountaineers Lodge or Mt. Baker Lodge run by the Mountaineers Association, a timber lodge, very comfortable, with fireplace. Sleeping facilities are all double decker bunker beds, we brought our own sleeping bags and pillows, and we were very comfortable.As the lodge is operated by volunteers, costs are very cheap, averaginng US$ 40 a night with breakfast and dinner !Guests volunteer to sign up to help to cook and clean dishes.There are so many trails, being a beginner, I could only venture those for beginners, and I am grateful the Chain Lakes trail is one of them, just awesome. We could view Mt. Shutsan & Mt. Baker from so many locations, and it was just absolutely out of this world.We stayed 2 nights and on a Sat. night 5 of us drove up to Artist Point to star gazing, and it was the most unforgetable experience, with more than 30 or so cars up there doing the same. The night sky was clear, and we saw milky way, shoorting stars, and millions of stars....

Went on a Tuesday after it rained on the coast, there was 3 feet of fresh powder snow everywhere!! Practically no lift line at all, the lodge had awesome food and cheap beers. If I had to describe this in 2 words they would be HIDDEN GEM I had such an amazing time one of my best experiences in 15+ years of snowboarding.

The Mt. Baker Ski Area, east of Bellingham, WA, offers spectacular scenic vistas, winter and spring skiing, snow camping and mountain ascents, and year-'round backpacking, technical climbing, and mountaineering for the young, hearty, and experienced.For the less active, families with young children, or aging Baby Boomers who love the mountains but lack the capacity--or chutzpah--to hike strenuous trails, the trail's end parking lot at Artist's Point is the best rustic spot I know to have an accessible, no-frills, wild mountain experience. Weather permitting (and the weather rarely permits at certain times of year), you'll see 10,710-foot volcano Mt. Baker on one side of the ridge, and 7,848-foot glaciated massif Mt. Shuksan on the other side. You'll recognize Shuksan forever more, even when you spot it in travel brochures from places all over the world.Think of Mt. Baker Ski Area and Artist's Point as "roughing it" destinations for those who walk with a cane. The area offers limited views from inside your vehicle or the parking lot, but most trails are not wheelchair accessible. At Artist's Point, there's a paved parking area (not large), and enclosed privies (male and female). For Washington outdoor enthusiasts, that makes luxurious accommodations. For pampered travelers, not so much. I especially enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of this truly wild place, and the memories I have of more vigorous visits in decades past. From October until the snows close the road, the mountain huckleberry harvest is well worth the drive--but it's a good idea to be on the lookout for bears. Really.The drive from Bellingham is both beautiful and occasionally nerve-wracking for flatland drivers, but beautiful, and well worth the effort. I don't recommend trying it with large vehicles, unless narrow, hairpin turns are especially appealing.The area is one of the snowiest in the Washington Cascades, if not the entire planet, with that wet "Washington Concrete" snow, often from November through May. Some years, the road remains snow-covered all year long, and Artist's Point is NOT available. Ask at the Visitor Station in Glacier about both access and visibility before you start up the mountain drive. You can only exit by the same road you enter. Mt. Baker Ski Area is, and remains, a spectacular wilderness.

Driving up to Mt Baker from the Bellingham area this July was an absolute treat. Less than 2 hours of scenic and easy driving brought us to snow covered hikes, beautiful reflective lakes, crystal clear waters, gorgeous blue skies, and cool little hikes in awesome weather.We had hoped to be able to hike the Chain Lakes Loop, but it was completely covered with snow this second week of July. But, no worries, we enjoyed to snow fields, took in the scenery, and headed back down slope to hike and enjoy nearer to the ranger station.....you do need to purchase a parking pass, but the cost is minimal and the money for parks is money well spent.

This is an out of the way ski resort. It is a good distance from both Seattle and Vancouver. The result is excellent skiing without large crowds. Mount Baker gets a huge amount of snow every year. The conditions are excellent and it is well groomed. There is a very nice White Salmon Lodge to have lunch. The Easter weekend is a particularly good time to go. This is the last weekend of the season. Having been closed Monday to Thursday, on Good Friday there is ample powder snow. There is a big event on Saturday, the annual Easter Egg hunt. We hiked that day. Our friends went skiing and found eggs which got them a sleeping bag, a tent, a ski jacket and other prizes. This is a great family place. The runs are quite varied. The ski area is large. In some places it is just beautiful to soak in the silence and the great view. We picnic-ed on a blanket on the snow on the day we went hiking.

One of my favorite places to snowboard! A must stop if you are in the area. Still got the old school feel of what a resort used to be, this is a turn off for some but it keeps these "weekend Warrior" types off the hill. I love it. Snow gets DEEP and the terrain is beautiful. Prices are pretty cheap compared to the big Canadian resorts.

Got there at 1 pm, so purchased the afternoon ticket, but had only chance to ride twice ,rushing down to catch the last chair before 3pm, The lift operator closed the main chairlift at Heater Meadows to top 5 minutes before 3 just when we arrive for the raid up..... it was Sunday , my first time there, beautiful area, hoped to get up again and ski to white Salmon lodge, where lifts open till 3 30 , every minute of skiing counts.but was so disappointed with unexplained early lift closure without any particular reason.He did not care to satisfy the skier- costumer even i had a valid ticked for 50 dollars.....was arguing with him hoping he will let us ride, it was for few minutes, ,pointing out there is still time left, but no result..eventually 3 pm arrived .... so got the shuttle to White Salmon.. where car was parked and that's all,,,magnificent views but day so destroyed by such unnecessary incident ,,, Thinking not to go back there mostly because of unfriendly stuff whose poor decisions affects all of us.

I just got back from Mount Baker and I would never recommend this hill to anyone based on customer service alone. My family purchased day passes that we only used for 1 (ONE) hour worth of skiing in non-stop pouring rain. When we went to customer service and asked if we could receive a refund or a defer ticket we were but completely dismissed. When we tried to point out that there is no way they can charge full day rates under these weather and operating conditions she just ignored the evidences at hand and said, "you knew what you were getting into when you purchase your tickets!"I guess this hill could be lovely when it's not pouring rain and actually have enough snow to cover their base (they claim to have over 100cm today but it not true). I guess I will never know because I will never return or recommend this hill to anyone. She may have kept my money today, but she definitely lost all future revenue. Owners and investors of the hill needs to drive some serious change to their operating culture if they want to attract more customers and not lose out on future profits.

The ski area is nice with lots of snow, but it has the worst infrastructure I have ever seen.The lifts are old do not have safety bars so I was quite stressed riding it and I saw a number of accidents (even a small kids falling of the lifts). The lifts also shake sometimes, especially when stopped, which happened almost every ride for some reason. It takes 10 minutes to ride this unsafe lift, but only 3-5 minutes to go down from their short beginners trails. The map was good, but signs on the resort were quite confusing and some of us got lost and accidentally skied through black trails. It was especially hard to get from one mountain to the other for non-experts and people visiting this area for the first time. Also, it was not easy to get to the lifts from the parking lot and other trails. On the other hand,we really like the weather and the view on top of the mountain. We rented a nice house and it was located 20 mins from the mountain, probably one of the closest lodgings. However,it is not worth the price and we are not coming back until they upgrade the resort's infrastructure.

Terrain: Pretty average. For a resort that's mainly below the treeline there was a surprising lack of good gladed terrain.Snow: Awful. We had bad luck with the conditions, but ended up with a foot of wet slush in the middle of March that wasn't worth $5, let alone $50.Resort: Lots of old, slow chairs. There's something nice about a rustic old time resort. This isn't it.Customer Service: Non-existent. We tried to get a snowcheque to return the next day, as we didn't want to spend the day getting rained on and skiing in heavy slush. The ski patrol we spoke to said it wouldn't be a problem at guest services. We spoke to Mike, the mountain manager, who explained that you have to decide before you buy, and they're not interested if conditions are poor. He also explained that the area they take the snow report from was an area that wasn't even open that day. Not sure exactly how you're supposed to make an informed decision when the snow report is from an area of the hill that is closed.Management: The worst! Sent an e-mail to the operations manager, Gwyn Howat, about our experiences over a month ago. Followed up twice before I got a reply saying I hadn't been ignored (here's a hint: If I wait 3 weeks for a response and have to follow up twice to get one then I am being ignored!), and she would like to discuss my issues further on the phone. I suggested some times and passed on my phone number. 8 days and 2 more e-mails later, and I'm still waiting!Conclusion: Don't bother. I know I won't, ever again.

As a rider from Ohio I was stoked about going to Mt. Baker. I will say the journey up the mountain was icy even in 4 x 4 SUV, however, it made it more interesting. The size of Baker is amazing. As others have said the crowds are very low and I did not wait at all other than when the lift first open and then only 5 minutes or so. The amount of untracked snow was epic, I got my lesson in powder legs. Although it is an hour away from Bellingham, I cant wait to return. A true snowboarders resort.

No lines, tons of snow, groomers, trees, cliffs, canyons, easy back country access. Coming from the east coast, I was floored. What you get for what you pay blew my mind. The place has it all and I never had to wait in line once. Could've easily spent a couple weeks exploring the resort and back country. Apparently you can rent avalanche gear on your way to the mountain as well as split boards which would've really opened up a lot of terrain. If you're thinking of going, go!!!!

We chose to go in March so that the mountain would be less busy and we were right. Never waiting more than a few minutes to get on the chair lift. Lots of friendly people, they had an outdoor band playing so that you could enjoy them either as you came down to the base of the mountain or when you were sitting outside watching everyone come down. Great time!