March 18-19, 2012, - The Belated Baker TR
3/18/12
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
1930
1
Been too busy skiing or alternately laying around in a semi-comatose state to get this up before now.
Dicey asked if Chris and I would like to ski in the Baker BC with her and her friend Heidi for two days last week - Sunday and Monday. Heidi offered to put us (including the dogs) up in her digs near Bellingham. How could we turn that down?
Forecast for Sunday was snow showers and sun breaks but it was more snow and no sun. Flat light, difficult visibility, and it really didn't matter because the snow was deep and light. We headed out along the route to Artist Point/Table Mt. where we dug a quick pit to check the stability of the top layers. Everything was good - the topmost 6-8" layer was light and un-cohesive which made for some sluffing on steeper terrain but under that was 16-18" of denser cohesive pow that didn't want to move on the crust it was sitting on. Made one run down to the lake from there then climbed up towards Herman and skied the East facing gully that takes you back down near the parking lot. That was so good we lapped it again.
Chris showing us how to Tele
![]()
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_18-19%20%20Baker%20BC/DSC_7565.jpg" />
Heidi letting gravity guide her
![]()
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_18-19%20%20Baker%20BC/DSC_7624.jpg" />
Dicey making a blind turn
![]()
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_18-19%20%20Baker%20BC/DSC_7650.jpg" />
Monday dawned bright, clear, and cold. We were all eager to get some sunshine turns in. Stability was great, some sluffing on the steepest aspects but otherwise bomber. We decided to stick to N. facing terrain to avoid the thin buried sun crusts on S. facing slopes. True hero pow. Two runs down the arm adjacent to Table Mt. then up Herman again to parallel our tracks from Sunday.
Chris took the camera for one run and got a couple pics of me and Jackson
![]()
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_18-19%20%20Baker%20BC/DSC_7780.jpg" />
Heidi in the fall line
![]()
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_18-19%20%20Baker%20BC/DSC_7804.jpg" />
Dicey pondering her line
![]()
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_18-19%20%20Baker%20BC/DSC_7812.jpg" />
Back up for another lap
![]()
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_18-19%20%20Baker%20BC/DSC_7845.jpg" />
Chris and Jack-o leaving their marks
![]()
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_18-19%20%20Baker%20BC/DSC_7874.jpg" />
Full set of pics here:
http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_18-19%20%20Baker%20BC/
Dicey asked if Chris and I would like to ski in the Baker BC with her and her friend Heidi for two days last week - Sunday and Monday. Heidi offered to put us (including the dogs) up in her digs near Bellingham. How could we turn that down?
Forecast for Sunday was snow showers and sun breaks but it was more snow and no sun. Flat light, difficult visibility, and it really didn't matter because the snow was deep and light. We headed out along the route to Artist Point/Table Mt. where we dug a quick pit to check the stability of the top layers. Everything was good - the topmost 6-8" layer was light and un-cohesive which made for some sluffing on steeper terrain but under that was 16-18" of denser cohesive pow that didn't want to move on the crust it was sitting on. Made one run down to the lake from there then climbed up towards Herman and skied the East facing gully that takes you back down near the parking lot. That was so good we lapped it again.
Chris showing us how to Tele
Heidi letting gravity guide her
Dicey making a blind turn
Monday dawned bright, clear, and cold. We were all eager to get some sunshine turns in. Stability was great, some sluffing on the steepest aspects but otherwise bomber. We decided to stick to N. facing terrain to avoid the thin buried sun crusts on S. facing slopes. True hero pow. Two runs down the arm adjacent to Table Mt. then up Herman again to parallel our tracks from Sunday.
Chris took the camera for one run and got a couple pics of me and Jackson
Heidi in the fall line
Dicey pondering her line
Back up for another lap
Chris and Jack-o leaving their marks
Full set of pics here:
http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_18-19%20%20Baker%20BC/
Great dog shots, Will: they earned the right to have the last word, in Photobucket. (Too bad I missed that one.) N
Reply to this TR
Please login first: