Mt. Baker ski resort is located in Whatcom County in Washington in the US. The base elevation of Mt. Baker is 1,070 metres while the summit elevation is 1,551 metres. The resort has a vertical drop of 1,589 metres. Mt. Baker ski resort enjoys the highest average annual snowfall (641 inches). In 1998-99 season, it witnessed the biggest snowfall ever recorded in the world (1,140 inches). Mt. Baker is part of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Bellingham, located about 89 km due west, is the nearest city to Mt Baker.

Mt. Baker has a terrain area of 4 square kilometres featuring 31 runs and is served by lift service. While 24 percent of the terrain is suitable for beginners’ skiing, 45 per cent is meant for the intermediates and 31 per cent for the experts. The ski resort has a single terrain park called Pinky Park. The lifts (8 chairs and 2 rope tows) at Mt. Baker ski resort, which are mainly referred to by numbers, are fixed grip quads and do not feature safety bars or foot rests.

Chair 1 for instance, runs from the Heather Meadows upper base area to the top of Panorama Dome while Chair 2 is located at the Heather Meadows upper base area. Chair 3, on the other hand, gives access to Chairs 4/5/6/Raven Hot area. Chair 7 gives access to Chair 8, or the 4/5/6/Raven Hot area. Chair 8 is the longest chair on the mountain.

History:

Nooksack Indians called Mt. Baker area as ‘quck-sman-ik’, meaning ‘white mountain’ while the Lummi Indians near Bellingham Bay called it ‘kulshan’, meaning ‘broken off’. Later, English explorer Captain George Vancouver He named it for Lt. Joseph Baker, who spotted the peak.

Reaching Mt. Baker from Bellingham:

Taking I-5 to exit 255, from where take Sunset Drive due east until it turns into state highway 542, and travel further 56 miles on the highway to reach Mt. Baker ski resort.

Activities:

• Skiing

• Hiking (Mt. Baker ski resort has plenty of trails, particularly once the snow melts). Some of the popular trails include climbing Table Mountain, Chain Lakes Loop and the elevation at Ptarmigan Ridge. For those who want to try a shorter distance, Artist Loop trail is a good option.
• Slalom race

Attractions:

• Alpine flowers that bloom during summer on several high level trails. Fireweed and Columbine are some of the amazing attractions.
• Mt. Shuksan

• Picture Lake, which provides a postcard view of Mt. Shuksan

Accommodation:

• Mt Baker Lodging: It offers a chance to stay to the mountain itself.

• Canyon Creek Chalets: Located just 35 minutes away from Mt. Baker ski resort, they offer private, self catered and fully equipped vacation lodging.
• Mount Baker Cozy Chalet
• Pinnacle Lodge

• Mt. Baker View Guest House
• Baker Accommodations
• Mount Baker Resort
• Mt. Baker Luxury Rentals
• The Inn at Mt. Baker
• Campgrounds along the Nooksack River on Hwy 542 maintained by the US Forest Service
• Douglas Fir featuring 30 tent sites at Milepost 36
• Silver Fir featuring 20 tent sites at Milepost 46

Safety tips:

• Take care of your belongings
• Carry essentials including maps and compass
• Always stay on trails
• Pack out all food waste