Tag Archive for: Mt. Baker

seniorsskiing

This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Feb.19)

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Big News For Our Subscribers, Resort Reviews, Stretching Advice, Boots and a Ski-From-Home Apartment in Borat-Land.

PromotiveWe are extremely excited this week to announce a fantastic and exclusive discount deal for SeniorsSkiing.com’s subscribers.  Now you guys can sign up with Promotive.com (using a special access code you will receive shortly in a separate email), and get discounts on top brands in ski equipment, clothing and lots of stuff.  We know this is important to you because our reader surveys have revealed that discounts are critical, really.  So, there you go, have at it.  Free.  No charge for subscribing to SeniorSkiing and no charge for signing up with Promotive.com. Look for the subscribers-only email with access instructions very soon.

Stories this week include reviews of Mt. Baker, snow catcher of the Northwest, by our newest contributor John Nelson.  Great ticket deals there, seniors. There’s also a guide to skiing easy ways down Mt. Mansfield, Stowe’s magic mountain, by correspondent Tamsin Venn. We remember beautiful, long runs down the Perry Merrill, many, many years ago. Stowe is a special place in the pantheon of skiing., and Tamsin does a great job of introducing seniors to its charming, blue runs. Paul Foy also shows us some lightweight gear that might encourage you to visit the backcountry, a segment of snow sports that is really growing.

We asked Salt Lake City correspondent Harriet Wallis to investigate the stretching challenge we discovered in our recent poll.  We found that 60 percent of you do some level of stretching and 40 percent don’t.  What she found when she consulted with her physical fitness advisor and others surprised her, us and it will you, too.

Co-Publisher Jon Weisberg has a report on Muck Boots, hearty footwear for snow country. Curious how a boot originally designed for cleaning horse stalls has made its way into snow country fashion.

Finally, we have a bit of fun with a most amazing architectural design: An apartment building with a built-in ski slope. Yes, this is legit; it even won an architectural award. Think of the implications for Saturday night parties.

Preview

Because this week was so busy with our Promotive announcement, we weren’t quite able to get the Washington Birthday race story in press.  It is interesting that our queries around the ski industry into that race’s history resulted in little information.  The Washington Birthday race was a “people’s race”, like the Vassalopett in Sweden.  Everyone lines up in a giant, snow-covered field, and off you go.  Was great fun back in the 60s and 70s.  Anyone out there have memories or pictures to share?

That's what Borat says.

That’s what Borat says.

More Resort Reviews, product ideas, and ideas for making snow sports rewarding.  Remember, if you want to communicate with other readers, find people to pal up with or ask questions, use the FORUM.  Click the menu in the upper right, blue bar.

Thanks again for subscribing to SeniorsSkiing.com.  There are more of us every day, and we are not going away.

John Nelson

SeniorsSkiing Guide: Mt. Baker, Snow Catcher

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Hey Seniors, Low Ticket Prices In The Northwest!

With Mount Shuksan looming behind, a snowboarder shreds soft snow at Mt. Baker Ski Area. Credit: John Nelson

With Mount Shuksan looming behind, a snowboarder shreds soft snow at Mt. Baker Ski Area.

Mt. Baker is a storm factory.

This North Cascades ski area holds the world record for snowfall in a season—an incredible 95 feet dumped here in 1998-99!

I arrived in mid-January to a modest three inches new, but that was on top of a foot that had fallen the previous day. The snow was soft; the scenery stunning.

The Canyon, one of Mt. Baker's signature runs, takes skiers and boarders into a narrow drop between mountain walls. Credit: John Nelson

The Canyon, one of Mt. Baker’s signature runs, takes skiers and boarders into a narrow drop between mountain walls.

I immediately took a few runs down The Canyon, one of Baker’s signature drops. Skiing between these towering mountain walls is a rush.

But best of all was Pan Face, a wide-open powder shot into a lovely mountain basin. Empty slopes meant fresh lines all day.

To top it all off, Mt. Baker is an incredible bargain for senior skiers, with some of the lowest ticket prices in the Northwest.

Snow, terrain, and more

  • Location: Baker is 52 miles from Bellingham, Wash., on State Route 542. It is the northernmost ski area in Washington and is closer to the Vancouver, British Columbia, metropolitan area (about a two-hour drive) than it is to Seattle (two and a half hours).
  • Snowfall: Pacific winter storms seem converge on Mt. Baker; it averages 640 inches annually, far more than any ski area in the state.
  • Terrain: About 1,000 acres are lift-served with 31 percent rated as advanced and 69 percent rated as beginner and intermediate. The Mt. Baker backcountry is enormous with huge, avalanche-prone big-mountain drops. You’ll need a partner, transceiver, shovel and probe to go out of bounds.
  • Vertical: 1,589 feet (the base is 3,500 feet; chairlift access to 5,089 feet).
  • Lifts: Eight chairlifts (none high-speed) operate out of two base areas: White Salmon (open every day) and Heather Meadows (open weekends and holidays only).
  • Views: If you’re lucky enough to visit between storms, you’ll have a commanding view of 9,131-foot Mount Shuksan to the north, a stunning, glaciated wall of rock and ice. Mount Baker (the volcano) stands at 10,781 feet to the south and is visible from certain locations of the ski area.

Lot to lift access

  • Parking on a weekday at Mt. Baker is a breeze; I arrived 10 minutes before opening and parked in the front row next to the ticket window at White Salmon Lodge. Weekend parking is busier and skiers might find closer lift access at the Heather Meadows base.
  • Bus service operates daily out of Bellingham.
  • Closest lodging options (motels and condominiums) are in Glacier, Wash., a foothills town about a half-hour from Mt. Baker. Bellingham (population 82,000 and counting) is a lovely port city about 75 minutes away with top-notch dining and accommodation options.

Culture

  • The Vibe: Old-school friendly. Everywhere I went, I was talked up by locals who were happy to share their knowledge and pride in Mt. Baker.
  • Dining: Lodges operate out of the two base areas, but the best option is the cozy Raven Hut, a mid-mountain lodge at the base of Chairs 4, 5 and 6.

Bottom line

  • Baker is a true bargain. Weekend and holiday tickets are $58 for adults; seniors 60-69 pay $50, and those 70 and older pay $39. Weekdays are even cheaper: $53 for adults; seniors 60-69 pay $41.
  • Big powder dumps are common, and locals are happy to share their advice.
  • Snowboarders love Mt. Baker for its rough features and natural half-pipe; out-of-bounds, big-mountain terrain attracts hard-cores.

Trail Map Click Here

The open, powdery slopes of Pan Face drop into the Heather Meadows side of Mt. Baker Ski Area. Credit: John Nelson

The open, powdery slopes of Pan Face drop into the Heather Meadows side of Mt. Baker Ski Area.
Credit: John Nelson