The mountain
The lifts at Mt. Baker are not named but referred to by number. All are fixed-grip quads. Chairs 3 and 4 access the same point from different sides of the mountain using a continuous loop of cable (haul rope); there is a mid-station at the top for unloading only. Chair 1 runs from the Heather Meadows Lodge upper base area to the top of Panorama Dome. There is a midpoint station on this lift, where other riders can catch it halfway down the mountain, allowing for speedy runs on Austin, Pan Face, North Face, Chicken Ridge, and the famed Chute. There is no safety bar on Chair 1 and Chair 6. Also accessible from Chair 1 is the Canyon and the rest of the Chair 6 terrain. Chair 2 is located at the Heather Meadows Lodge upper base area. This is a chair for beginners. Chair 3 allows customers either to access the Raven Hut Lodge area or return down to Chairs 2 and 3. Chair 4 runs from the Raven Hut Lodge area and back up to the top of Chair 3. Chair 5 replaced two parallel double chairs and accesses intermediate terrain, as well as the experts-only Gabl's run and the Elbow backcountry area. Chair 6 runs to the top of Panorama Dome. Chair 7 is the only chair that leaves from the White Salmon Lodge base area. From it, one can access Chair 8 or the Raven Hut Lodge area. Chair 8 is the longest chair on the mountain and features longer groomed runs as well as access to the Hemispheres and Shuksan Arm backcountry areas. Additionally, there are two handle-tow surface lifts for beginners, one located at White Salmon and one at Heather Meadows. In the 2020-21 season, the Ski Area added a Freestyle Feature Zone, located off of Chairs 3/4.Possible expansion
Future expansion is limited, according to an interview with the General Manager, Duncan Howat:Events
Legendary Banked Slalom
Started in 1985, this slalom snowboard race through the natural halfpipe has evolved into an international event. The Legendary Banked Slalom attracts many professionals from around the world as competitors and allows amateurs of all ages and abilities to compete on the same course over the same period with the professionals. The winner in each category receives aFeatured in films
Mt. Baker Ski Area is often featured in ski and snowboard films and still photography due to its picturesque setting, plentiful snowfall, and the availability of easily accessed advanced terrain. ''The Call of The Wild'' was filmed at Mt. Baker in 1934–35. Featured in Season 5, Episode 14 of the TV series, "Frasier", entitled "The Ski Lodge".Season and hours
The ski season typically begins in late November and ends in late April. Usual operating hours are 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.History
*1921–26: Mt. Baker highway constructed to Heather Meadows; skiing begins. *1927: Mount Baker Lodge opened. Mt. Baker Ski Club organized. *1930: First ski tournament at Heather Meadows. *1931: Mt. Baker Lodge destroyed by fire. *1935: Pacific Northwest Ski Association downhill tournament, held on northeast face of Table Mountain. *1935–36: "Ski escalator" installed. *1937–38: First rope tow installed, Otto Lang ski school. *1953: The first chairlift, Pan Dome (now Chair 1), is constructed at the ski area. *1977: Six chairs and four rope tows operate. They are referenced by name instead of number. *1981–88: One rope tow (Galena) is removed, and chairs are now numbered instead of named. *1989–90: The first quad chair (Chair 7) is installed in the White Salmon area. One more rope tow (7 Hills) is removed. *1991–98: Chair 8 opens. *1996: White Salmon Day Lodge opens. *2002: Chair 4 and Chair 5 doubles replaced with Chair 5 quad. *2011: Chairs 1 and 6 designated as "Experts only".References
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