We haven’t been to baker in FOREVER cause the border sucks. But since the storms have been trending south, and its been cold, but not arctic cold we decided to check it out! We stayed at Snowline Lodge, booked through Mt Baker Lodging. It was perfect.
Did laps around the near-Baker backcountry which was also pretty darn convenient. Access is a no brainer via a groomed civilized track then along the boundary watching for downhill traffic then back along the ridge towards Table Mtn. Started with a nice steep shot dropping back down to Bagley Lake “Newt’s Chute”. Then over to the parking lot bump via a south slope with a typically steep Baker skin track. Then off S facing shots in perfect bluebird pow down “Boulderfields” then up and over back to the parking lot via the East Gully
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TABLE MOUNTAIN
Going by pee corner at the Heather parking lot to start the day
Shuksan in the clouds
Dropping to Newts Chute
Come on view
Dropping in on the flatter part
View of the parking lot bump and the ridgeline in the centre shot
Sharon showing the Dave Murray camps ski school steeze
More Sharon pow destruction
My turn
Tom’s turn
Finishing off the rest of the inexplicably untouched slope
Up to the top of the parking lot bump – Sharon modelling Icebreaker
More Icebreaker
Baker view
Top of the parking lot bump. Could go down this ridgeline direct to parking lot but nah….
Best to slay pow to the East Gully
Tom pow destruction
Tom pow destruction
Sharon pow destruction
Tom really laying into the slope
Bagley routes and the GPS
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SWIFT CREEK
It was so good we came back and mogulled Swift Creek later in the week. Lee had this to say about Swift Creek:
“Quadruple overhead blower pow. Not as cold as further north. Some surface hoar growing in 1mm to 2mm pockets.
Hazard from goggle foam not being dense enough to stop ingress of fine – grained blower snow.
Ski pen from earlier in the week was approx 50 – 70cms. Now more like 20-30cms so definitely some settling. Winds were NE outflow yday but moreso in the alpine. Less wind today but still of the NE outflow variety and only in the alpine but not at treeline. Temps – 12 to -8.”
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Here’s Swift and the GPS