Three-year Mt. Baker Ski Area employee Joe Paudette scrapes snow off Chair 1 Wednesday. Paudette said the mountain should receive snow through next weekend. Photo by Rhys Logan

With 65 inches of snow at the base and more expected in the coming weekend, the Mt. Baker Ski Area opened at full operation on Thursday.

The unique terrain and location of Mount Baker has made it internationally respected by snowboarders and skiers alike.  Gwyn Howat, operations manager for Mt. Baker Ski Area, said she has been flooded by calls from riders around the U.S. asking about current snow conditions on Mount Baker.

“The terrain at Mount Baker is literally world famous,” Howat said. “People and pro riders around the country are dropping everything and hopping on an airplane for opening day.”
Mount Baker offers 38 trails composed of mostly challenging routes with a wide variety of steeps, chutes and canyons. Howat said she believes this opening weekend will be one of the top 10 opening weekends in Mount Baker’s history.

“With the storm cycle we are currently in, the mountain has received 40 inches of new snow in the past three days,” Howat said. “That is much more than anticipated, and with more on the way this is near perfect conditions.”

Western senior and Outdoor Center employee Devin Lee said he enjoys Mount Baker for the large amount of snow it receives.

“The views from the mountain are incredible,” Western senior Stacie Smith said. “Being surrounded by the national park makes it feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. It’s amazing.”

Howat said the ultimate condition for a snowboarder is powder snow, and the place riders are most likely to get powder snow is at Mount Baker.

“It’s like living next to the perfect surf break,” Howat said. “You still never know when [the perfect powder] is going to happen, but the chances are that you’re in a good spot for it to happen.”

In the winter of 1998 and 1999, Mount Baker set a world record with 1,140 inches of snow, the most snow ever recorded on earth to fall in one winter season. Howat said a main reason for why Mount Baker receives so much snow has to do with its unique geography.

“Because Mount Baker sits so close to the Pacific Ocean, storms coming in off the ocean hit Mount Baker first,” Howat said. “These storms are just saturated with moisture. Mt. Baker Ski Area, in particular, is in a very unique location because it sits just north of the volcano itself, so storms coming from the south are uplifted and cools right over us, giving us more snowfall.”

Smith, who is working for Mt. Baker Ski Area for the first time this season, said the ski area is run like a big family.

“It’s not corporate like other mountains are,” Smith said. “They try really hard to help the community any way they can. They really care about the mountain and the people that are there.”

Howat said the ski area gives up thousands of dollars a year in potential revenue by refusing to allow corporate advertising at the ski area.

“There is no advertising on the Web site or the trail maps,” Howat said. “We even made the Pepsi guys take the Pepsi logo off the vending machine. So when you come to the ski area it doesn’t feel like another ‘logoized’ place.”

The Mt. Baker Ski Area Web site links students to AlterNetRides, a free carpooling service available for individuals throughout the U.S.

Starting winter quarter, the Outdoor Center will provide students rides to Mount Baker on the Ski Bus. Students will be able to sign up for the bus during the week for one of three pick-up times, the latest being 7:30 a.m., Lee said. He said pricing for the Ski Bus is still being worked out.

In 2008, Mount Baker was rated by Ski Area Management magazine as the best-valued lift ticket in North America.

Prices range from $36 to $44, depending on the day of the week or holidays. Howat said though there is not a daily college student’s price, the ski area does have a special season pass price for students.

“We understand all the financial challenges students are up against these days,” Howat said. “That is why we try and make it as affordable for students as possible, so that they can come and enjoy the mountain.”

A college student season pass to Mount Baker costs $602 before taxes and is valid through April 25, 2010.

“The price is pretty reasonable,” Smith said. “At Stevens pass they don’t have a college student rate, and it’s almost $900 for a season pass.”

 Howat said a current printout from the Registrar’s Office is required to show proof of enrollment and full tuition has been paid for 12 or more credits to be eligible for the student price.

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