November 17, 2003, Mt. Baker Backcountry

I had managed to resist the temptation to ski shallow snow and breakable crust last week, and adroitly sidestepped suggestions that I ski in light drizzle this past weekend.  However, the lure of lots of fresh snow had me gathering gear, changing out tires, loading up on chains, shovels and windshield brushes and headed up the Mt. Baker Highway at the uncharacteristically early hour of...well, sometime around noon today.  All that snow looked very impressive, but actual turns proved somewhat elusive. Half a day was just about right.  

We found about two feet of fresh snow, with freezing levels around 3000 feet. Despite chain controls, the highway was cleared almost to bare pavement by the time we arrived.  The snow was thick, almost viscous, and a bit slabby; visibility was almost nil in gusty winds, fog and snowfall.  A very hasty pseudo-rutchblock released at 2 at the base of the storm snow, and this cured us of any inclination to ski steeper terrain. Clearly, this was one of those storms about which you tell yourself, "At least it'll provide a good base once it settles out."  I assume that I, at least, will ski better next time out, or the time after that, or maybe the following time.  It is winter again in the North Cascades, and this can only be good.

Enjoy,

Mark