With 100 inches in the forecast, winter hype was buzzing around Bellingham, Wash. late last week. What most people don’t think about, however, is that when the Internet blows up with comments like “Baker is getting 100 inches,” the forecasts are usually referencing the summit, which is at 10,000 feet. The actually ski area sits at around 5,000 feet.
Even so, Adam Roberts, Tim Black and I jumped in the car early last Saturday and headed for the North Cascades to see what we could find. We turned off the paved Mt. Baker Highway and headed up a rugged dirt road, bouncing our way up the washed-out road until we hit the snow line around 4,500 feet. From there, we headed up a steep, slippery creek that was treacherous with ski boots on. Above, the terrain opened up and we were able to ski, then skin, across the basin to another zone. The fresh snow offered some fulfilling early season shredding and has me excited for the season to come.
Don’t try and church it up, base elevation of the lower lodge is 3500 feet.