Mount Baker Ski Area

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Mount Baker Ski Area
Location: Glacier, Washington, US
Nearest city: Bellingham 52 miles (89 km) west - 1hr 15min Drive
Top elevation: 5,089 ft (1,551 m)
Base elevation: 3,500 ft (1,100 m)
Skiable area: 1,000 acres (4 km²)
Runs: 31
Lift system: 8 chairs, 2 rope tows
Snowfall: 55 ft (17 m)
Web site: Mt. Baker
A view of Mt. Shuksan from the Ski Area. In the foreground is the White Salmon Lodge.
A view of Mt. Shuksan from the Ski Area. In the foreground is the White Salmon Lodge.

The Mount Baker Ski Area is a ski resort located in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The area is located in the volcanic highlands between Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan, at the end of Washington State Route 542. The base elevation is at 3,500 feet (1,070 m), while the peak of the resort is at 5089 feet (1,551 m).

The ski area is home to the unofficial world record of snowfall in one season: 1,140 inches (29 m). This record snowfall fell in the 1998-9 season.

Contents

[edit] Mountain statistics

[edit] Elevation

  • Base (White Salmon Base): 3,500 feet (1100 m), (Heather Meadows Base): 4,300 ft (1,300 m)
  • Summit (Chair #8 - Hemispheres Chair): 5,089 feet (1,551 m)
  • Vertical: 1,589 feet (484 m)

[edit] Terrain

  • 1,000 acres — Lift serviced
  • Advanced/Expert: 31%
  • Intermediate: 45%
  • Beginner: 24%

[edit] Lifts

The lifts at Mt Baker are not named - they are referred to by number.

  1. Double chair at the Heather Meadows upper base area — there is a midpoint station on this lift where other riders can catch it halfway down the mountain, allowing for speedy runs on the Austin, Pan Face, North Face, Chicken Ridge, and the famed Chute. Also accessible from 1 is the Canyon, and the rest of the chair 6 terrain.
  2. Quad chair at the Heather Meadows upper base area. This is a chair for beginners, very mellow rolling run.
  3. Recently upgraded to a quad. This lift reaches the top of runs that can go either to the chair 4/5/6/Raven Hut area or back down to chair 2 and 3.
  4. Recently changed from the second side of chair 3, chair 4 is the second half of that chair that runs from the 4/5/6/Raven Hut area back up to the top of chair 3.
  5. Also known as chair 4.5, this quad chair replaced two parallel chairs (4 and 5). Medium-level terrain, and the terrain park are accessible from this lift. Starting this season, this lift was changed from 4.5 to 5, and half of chair 3 was changed to chair 4.
  6. Chair 6 is the most popular chair on the mountain for serious powder riders. From 6, you one access most if not all of the best (inbound) lines at Baker.
  7. The only chair that leaves from the White Salmon base area. From 7, one can access 8, or the 4/5/6/RavenHut area.
  8. Chair 8 takes riders to the terrain park, and all of the same terrain accessible from chair 5. From the top of 8 however, one can access the Hemispheres, the Elbow, or the Arm, 3 of Baker's famed backcountry hiking areas.

[edit] External links

A view of the White Salmon lodge from the parking lot. Mt. Shuksan can be seen in the background.
A view of the White Salmon lodge from the parking lot. Mt. Shuksan can be seen in the background.
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