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2-day Mount Baker “express” ski descent in Washington state, close to Seattle

2-day Mount Baker “express” ski descent in Washington state, close to Seattle | undefined

Ski the express slopes of Mount Baker in Washington state on a 2-day skiing trip close to Seattle with certified-AMGA guide Matt.

Cascade Range

2 Days

May - Jul

High

Intermediate


Highlights

  • Ski epic descents down the stratovolcano of Mount Baker.
  • Take in the wonderful natural landscapes of Washington.
  • Take advantage of having a qualified guide accompanying you.

Description

The striking glaciated stratovolcano of Mount Baker rises from the chain of Cascade mountains in the US state of Washington.

Close to the bustling city of Seattle, the long and wild descents on Mount Baker feature ski descents of over 2,000 meters above sea level.

Wild Washington is home to some of the best ski descents in the whole of North America.

One native name for the mountain is Komo Kulshan, which can roughly be translated as The White Watcher, which is said to have guarded the nearby watery network of the Salish Sea.

Extremely accessible and immensely impressive, skiers gravitate towards the wide range of slopes from challenging descents to gentle routes.

Our approach will be via Schrieber’s Meadow that flanks the southeast of Mount Baker. Here there is great space to practice glacial skiing from our base camp at around 1,800 meters above sea level.

Stunning views of the Twin Sisters Range and Mount Rainier sweep the skyline, as well as the crest of the North Cascades.

Get in touch now to reserve your place in the wild mountains of Washington for a 2-day ski descent of Mount Baker.

Price includes

  • Guiding fee
  • Tents

Price details

  • Group climbing equipment is included.

Equipment you will need to bring

Crampons

Ice axe

Harness

Water bottle

Backpack

Helmet

Poles

Ski equipment

Sunglasses

Goggles

Avalanche eqmnt

Climbing skins


About the guide

Guide profile image

Matt

2.0

(1)

Ski Guide

I am the founder of BC Adventure Guides, a certified Ski-Mountaineering Guide with the American Mountain Guides Association and a certified Avalanche Instructor with the American Avalanche Association dedicated to perfecting my craft. I began skiing as disco was dying at New York’s Hunter Mountain, ’The Snow Making Capital of the World’ and a summer ski trip to Mt Hood inspired me years later to move from New York City to Washington State for college and he never looked back.

I let my curiosity for steep, wild snow combine with my passion for travel, and big mountains into guiding, leading trips to Antarctica, Europe, Asia, North & South America.

In an effort to help preserve wild places, I completed my MBA in sustainable business from BGI and started my own company, Back Country Adventure Guides. I now share my passion for snow with my daughter between completing my ‘honey do list’ and enjoying the greatest touring on Earth at Snoqualmie Pass.

Languages

French | English

Request more information

What people are saying about Matt

Chris

Since Explore-Share has asked three times, here goes. We had a quite mixed experience with Matt and BCA at Rogers Pass this early March. The day 1 avalanche search and rescue instruction was thorough and one of the best I have taken. The guiding showed the benefit of having local knowledge. These guides did not have it. They were working in significant part from the Rogers Pass guidebook, which provides quite vague and brief descriptions of potential routes. After seeing the strengths and weaknesses of the team on day 1, on day 2 the guides nevertheless took us uphill in a nasty skintrack steeply up through tight trees for 500+ meters and lasting 4+ hours due to the terrain and group speed. Despite lack of local knowledge, understanding the map and in the first 5 minutes it was clear that this would be an epic and excessively difficult climb for the group. They continued up. Then, from an ~8:30 start, by 1:20 there had only been one food/water break taken / called or suggested. While our 2nd group was awaiting the first group to move forward, when I suggested we were overdue to take in some fuel, guide Matt said, “no please wait, we will break out of the trees soon.” (This proved to be >20 minutes away) after I stated the obvious need and that our group were going to take a break, we had taken a quick bite and re-caught the group in front of us, as I’d predicted. Inadequate group energy management by this guide. I saw no or nearly no skin track corners improvement by the guides, including many challenging ones that the guides blew though. Improving them evidently is standard by BC (British Columbia in this case) guides from my 11 previous ski touring days in the area. Nearly zero efforts to improve corners were observed in this case, despite the day 2 quite rugged skintrack steeply up in tight trees and several beginner kick turning skier or soft-booted splitboarders struggling with the line. (Including sliding backwards / downhill from one switchback to the next) Good instruction by the guides on how to make kick turns, but many of the turns were objectively much more challenging than they needed to be given no improvement made. At least one team member was so (unnecessarily had we had better route selection) gripped and depleted from the climb up that he skied well below his ability on the down. Our group had good trips on the 3rd and 4th day with 2nd guide Sam, who picked appropriate routes for the group and was responsive to requests to further shape the route to the abilities of the group. He found us good snow amid mixed conditions and on appropriate terrain. Safety and terrain stuff, no concerns. Food, dinners and breakfasts (2 each) provided at the hut, included a dinner that was far too skinny and which was nowhere near enough. Chicken quantity instruction was “one spoon (table spoon) per person.” The first dinner was borderline too little as well. Quality was otherwise good. I initiated the trip; and approved a second group to join us; then when we showed up, there was a third group of 4 there in the hut, which we hadn’t heard about until that day. Matt never mentioned any adjustment to the hut fee we had paid and on which this group was coasting or possibly paid him. I write based on some experience. I have had several dozen days in the backcountry with guides (and dozens more in New England and other terrain for which they were not needed), across touring weeks in from huts to snow cave living, to heli-served; to heli and cat skiing across multiple countries and so have many guides and days of experience from which to compare. This was the first really uneven or bad experience. No question, bottom of the list of 7 ski touring guides I have skied with.


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