April 24, 2006, Glacier Creek Rd, Mt Baker

I XC skied up past Mt Baker Vista to up on Pt 5328 where the snowmobilers highmark.  The road is drivable to about 3000 feet.  There were ski tracks way up on the top of Heliotrope Ridge and down from Pt. 6029 with scattered wet slides.  The snow was heavy, slushy and difficult to turn on around Pt 5328 especially on light backcountry touring gear.  Since it was so late in the season and on a weekday, there were no snowmobiles present.

The snowline is down to about 2500 feet on the Wells Crk Rd (FR 33).  On the road that runs out to Pinus Lake, there is continuous snow starting about 1/4 mile in from the junction with FR 33.  The gate is scheduled to open July 1st.  But there's a sinkhole in the roadbed that takes up about 4 feet width of the road about 3 miles in, in addition to several bunches of downed trees.  I was up here to scout out access feasibility for a ski tour up on Cougar Ridge.