Mt. Baker Ski Area announced on Nov. 17 that Baker passholder day will be on Wednesday, Nov. 20 and the ski hill will open to all the following day, Nov. 21, almost a month earlier than opening day in 2023, thanks to more favorable early season conditions.
Only the Heather Meadows base area will be open through Friday, but if conditions allow, the lower-elevation White Salmon area might open this weekend.
Unsettled, hard-to-predict weather wavering between snow and rain have led to a roller coaster for mountain operations, Mt. Baker marketing director Amy Trowbridge explained on Nov. 15. But a healthy weekend storm paired with a fortuitous forecast meant the ski area was able to make the call by Sunday afternoon: game on.
The ski area experienced a rather dismal start to the 2023–24 season, not opening until Dec. 13, 2023, for passholders. Through December and January, the region repeatedly saw snowstorms followed by heavy, high-elevation rain — not ideal for keeping snow on the slopes. The Legendary Banked Slalom snowboard race was canceled in February due to abysmal coverage.
“Last season was definitely tough,” Trowbridge said. “We were so glad we ended up getting that snow in March and through the end of the season.”
March alone saw 129 inches, and by the time operations ceased on April 21, the hill was reporting just over 500 inches — a healthy total for many resorts in other parts of the country, but a slightly disappointing number for a hill that holds the world record for snowfall, 1,140 inches in 1998–99.
That disappointment may be forgotten this winter, with long-range forecasts calling for an emerging La Nina pattern, which is predicted to bring cold, wet weather to the region and is often a harbinger of very good skiing in the Pacific Northwest. Mt. Baker’s snow outlook report claims this winter could be similar to the 2016–17 season, during which the ski area received 866 inches.
“There’s been a pretty consistent pattern — about once a decade we have a season with low snow and challenging conditions, then the following season will be a real banger of a year with lots of snow,” Trowbridge said.
The Mt. Baker administrators spent much of summer 2023 upgrading the infrastructure of the independently owned 70-year-old ski area — a major project that included expanding its parking lots and replacing part of the generator system to reduce fossil fuel usage. Power lines don’t reach all the way to the eastern terminus of Highway 542, so the ski area has always used diesel generators for chair lifts and lodge operations.
Some work on the White Salmon parking lot is continuing this year, but most of the ongoing infrastructure improvements will happen behind the scenes and won’t be visible to skiers and riders.
That investment in infrastructure resulted in a price increase for day tickets and season passes last year. For this season, prices saw another slight bump — adult day tickets are now $94.27 (not including sales tax), up from $91.20 in 2023–24 (although tickets were frequently discounted last season because of low snow levels). On Wicket Good Wednesdays, adult day tickets cost $73.01. An adult season pass costs $1,046.63, but Mt. Baker limits its season pass sales and has already reached the cap.
All fifth graders who have enrolled in the 5th Grade Ride Free program ski for free all season, and children ages 4–6 can ski for free with parents paying half-price for lift tickets in the Powder Pups program.
One operational change that will be noticeable to visitors, especially beginners, is the relocation of the Heather Meadows rope tow from one side of the run to the other. Trowbridge explained this will allow people to more safely cross the slope to the Heather Meadows Day Lodge. The ski area offers a Best for Beginners package that includes a two-hour lesson, a beginner lift ticket (which allows access to Chair 2 or Chair 7 only) and all-day equipment rental for $123.60.
“People don’t always think of Baker as being beginner-friendly because there’s so much advanced terrain,” Trowbridge said. “But we have a really good beginner’s package that’s affordable, especially relative to other ski areas, and a great instruction crew.”
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
