Mt Baker Ski Area

We came skiiing here partially because they still had kids lessons available. Most places do it by reservation and the other area mountains were full a few weeks out. The price here was the best as well and they do take walk-ups just in case. I liked that the road ends at the ski area so you don't get a lot of passers through. There is someone to help you park and getting our gear for the kids was easy and efficient. Both of their instructors were great and they got their bearings from the lesson. The lift ticket that comes with the lesson is only good for chair 2, but they weren't checking and our kids were ready for more.

We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon cruising around everywhere and eating at the Raven Hut lodge, which had mainly soup, bowls, and some grab and go stuff. The line was really long and they had a separate beer only line. The kids really liked the house cats that reside all over this place. The snow was great and the runs well maintained. It was the perfect blend for em of openness and trees. The staff was super friendly and I would highly recommend this place for a family outing!

Conditions today (December 25) on Mt. Baker were abysmal, but you never would have known it from their highly inaccurate and very deceptive snow report web page. I can't blame Mt. Baker for bad weather, but I can blame them for failing to inform customers that large areas of the terrain they will "ski" on are just mud and sticks. Lots of rain was falling that will wash away more snow. They have a lot of nerve gouging customers for $82 bucks for a lift ticket when they know conditions are this bad. Total waste of nearly $400. Probably will not be going to Mt. Baker for the rest of this season because I don't enjoy being ripped off.

+ Amazing views in sunny weather
+ big area to ski, you can run different trails for the same lift
- almost no marking on the slopes which run where. You need to memorize the map (or take it with you) and geolocate yourself based on pines
- way to many crazy people who can't ski but go to the top and go down uncontrollable and dangerously

Mountaineer's Rant:
This place is NOT on Mt Baker. It is on Mt Shuksan. It's a couple miles from the summit of Mt Shuksan. It's about 8 miles away from the summit of Mt Baker. That big, amazing peak you see from the parking lot(s)? That's Mt Shuksan, not Mt Baker. You CAN see Baker, the mountain, from here, but not as well as Shuksan. Why is it called Mt Baker Ski Resort? Maybe because "Baker" is some colonist name and easy for white dudes to pronounce while "Shuksan" is one of the only mountains that retains its original, native, name and is thus hard for said white dudes to pronounce? I don't know.

Whew, now that I've gotten that out of my system: this is a wonderful place! I don't ski, so I know it is the starting point for two climbing routes on Mt Shuksan: Fisher Chimneys and The North Face.

In the summer, you can also drive up to Artist's Point and get views nature that most people would have to hike several miles to attain! It's especially beautiful to photograph in the fall.

I love this area, I wish I lived closer.

A great example of how one poor customer experience episode can put a damper on an otherwise great place. Skied yesterday and my daughter was given the free ticket for a fifth grader. Today, nope. Apparently you need to enroll to get this honored. I was made aware of this during my lecture in the line by the Ashleigh. Apparently she is the head honcho on all things lifts. I was surprised and a bit embarrassed that they made a bit of a scene on this. Everyone else we dealt with at Baker was awesome. Some tips for the customer service. Smile. You are selling fun. Don't lecture a customerew f sce CD u

I am a little impartial to Mt. Baker as this is my "Home Mountain" and I will always have a special connection here. That being said, they really are the best. I have skiied at some of the best mountains in the country and nothing compared to the laid-back vibe of Mt. Baker.
Whether you are a seasoned pro or don't even know how to put your boots on and spend the entire day on your bum, you can't have a bad day while enjoying the amazing views and good people at Baker.
If you are newer, head up to the Heater Meadows Lodge to rent gear, sign up for lessons and grab a map. If not, get off the road at the lower lodge to avoid the crowds. If you are saving money, bring your own lunch, but if not, I recommend the bread bowls in the lodge after a chilly morning on the mountain. The cafeteria also sources great local beers from around Whatcom county to with by their open fireplaces in the lodge while drying out your gear.
My last recommendation is for the seasoned pros, if you are new, stop here. Please. Alright, now that it is just us, please go up lift 1 past the halfway point and hike up to the cat tracks on a clear day. You will be sweating and cursing my name until you see the view. Just sit and enjoy it for a minute and you will know why I love this mountain so much.

A HIDDEN GEM! Those who know the area know how amazing Mt. Baker is. It's not a typical resort style type - a- place. The drive up the mountain alone is about 20 minutes or greater, but definitely worth it. We went up for President's Day weekend & it was amazing! I took a Level 1 & 2 snowboarding lesson & let me tell you, it was WORTH IT. With your lesson, around 40 some dollars, you get a lift ticket, the lesson AND rentals (what a deal!) The instructors are ALL very friendly and helpful, you can tell they enjoy what they are doing. My husband said Mt. Baker is up there with some of his other favorite places to snowboard. Lift tickets are a lot cheaper than some other resorts in WA. It's a very chill place thats absolutely gorgeous. We'll definitely be coming back again. Worth the flight from Hawaii.

Great snow.
Low population on the slopes.
Some of the most inexpensive lift tickets for best conditions. It's a bit remote, bit entirely worth it!

I go all the time and will continue to. My favorite chairs are 5, 7 & 8. Favorite runs are White Salmon and Daytona. Otto-Bahn is great too as Mt. Shuksan greets you face to face at the end, where chair 8 begins.

Have fun and be safe.

extremely good skiing & snowboarding. Snowboard racing called Legendary Banked Slalom was established here 33 years ago. This place is the mother and father of all avid skiers or snowboarders! My favorite chair is #6, skiing runs Austin and the Canyon.. during storms they get deep pow pow baby! I was skiing here in February of 2018 and returned in February of 2019. The snow fall in this ski resort is epic and the base is deep, variety of terrain is great. I would not recomend this place for beginers, perhaps only from Heather Meadows area that is open on weekends only. most of the terrain here might be steep and ungroomed due to constant snowfall, that means freeriding diectly from the lifts is pretty normal and in fact makes this place unique. The food, beer and service also gets 5 stars - overall awesome.I should mention few things about getting to White Salmon Lodge, the road is being plowed and maintained but during a storm you may need to chain up - carry chains. People drive up with 2WD but it is smart to have at least AWD or 4WD and carry chains.
There is no lodging at the end of the road, so be aware after hours everything will be closed and all staff is gone (by 4pm). Check out their website (www.mtbaker.us) before you head out, check on conditions, it is good to know the weather forecast for the day you go. I had ATT coverage at the White Salmon lodge, hovewer there is no signal anywhere else on the mountain or even on the road through Maple Falls or Glacier. no signal for about 15-20miles. so dont count on looking up things on your way there. you are welcome :-)