Trip Report
Backcountry Ski/Snowboard - Mount Baker Ski Area
Cold temps, and three feet of recent snow made for the best sliding conditions you could hope for
Lyle Harvey
- Thu, Feb 6, 2025
- Backcountry Ski/Snowboard - Mount Baker Ski Area
- Mount Baker Ski Area
- Backcountry Skiing
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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Very few backcountry skin/snowshoe mid-week tracks set in the new snow. The cold light snow was easy to set a track in, not our normal high water content leg burner when breaking trail. I did feed off some of the few recent, and filled in tracks available, though piloting one's own route was easy and beautiful.
Easy drive from town to Baker, parking lot very busy, especially with the annual banked slalom competition coming this weekend. Morning temps in the teens and no wind. A plan was Artists Point, and B plan Herman Saddle. Two factors lead to Artists Point as being the days selection, one the persistent weak layer with travel advice from nwac to avoid being on or under steep unsupported slopes, and the predicted afternoon sun breaks. Herman Saddle approach being south facing and the possible sun breaks helped this team steer away from plan B and enjoy the safer plan A. What a great choice, the light fluffy boot deep skinning snow was flying thigh high on the downhill runs to the top of Swift Creek from the Artist. Wow, what great easy hero skiing conditions for the northwest.