Mount Baker is a large and very prominent stratovolcano located in northwest Washington State near the Canadian border. Nearly completely encased in ice, it hosts the second largest glacial system in the contiguous United States (after Mount Rainier). Mount Baker receives tremendous snowfall, averaging well over 600 inches (15 m) annually, and during the 1998-99 snow season a new world record of 1140 inches (29 m) was recorded at the nearby Mount Baker Ski Area at 4200 ft (1300 m). The massive snowpack permits safe and fun skiing on large, active glaciers such as the Coleman and Easton throughout the spring and well into summer (roped travel is recommended on the ascent, though). Several mid-elevation areas on the north and northeast sides remain skiable year-round, and in good years the Squak and Coleman Glaciers remain so too.

Route	Ratings				Starting Elevation	Elevation Gain	Roundtrip Distance	Description & Notes
	Quality	Effort	Ascent	Descent
Summit Ski Mountaineering Routes:
Easton Glacier		11.0			3200 ft (1000 m)	7600 ft (2300 m)	14 miles (22 km)	A relatively easy glacier ski route, intermediate terrain up to Sherman Crater at 9700 ft, with 35-degree expert slopes on the headwall above to the summit. Too many snowmobiles before summer, but the preferred direct route from the river crossing to the glacier tongue is only skiable in spring. With deep snowpack this route can still offer almost 6000 vertical feet of excellent skiing (starting from the Railroad Grade trail) in early-mid summer, long after the snowmobiles are gone. (See my ski trip report from August 1997.)
Coleman Glacier -  Deming Glacier		10.0			3700 ft (1100 m)	7100 ft (2150 m)	12 miles (19 km)	A great route, much more wilderness feel than Easton. Lots of great ski terrain, especially along Heliotrope Ridge. A fine variation for both ski ascent and descent stays west of Heliotrope Ridge until 6000 ft, thus avoiding the usual trail and busy climbers' campsite. Upper portion of route below Coleman-Deming saddle is heavily crevassed in late season or with poor snowpack, but quite safe into early summer with deep snowpack. (See my ski trip report from June 1999.)
North Ridge		10.5			3700 ft (1100 m)	7200 ft (2200 m)	14 miles (22 km)	Normally done as an ice climb, with a deep snowpack this is a viable steep skiing route. Mostly 40-50 degrees except for one pitch of 70-degree ice near 9600 ft, where a rappel would probably be needed. The route could be climbed to that point and the ski descent done from there back down to the Coleman Glacier. Has somewhat less objective hazard than most other extreme routes on the Cascade volcanoes.
Park Glacier		12.5			4200 ft (1300 m)	7000+ ft (2100+ m)	22 miles (35 km)	A steep, heavily crevassed route, which starts with a very long (and somewhat up-and-down) traverse from the Mt Baker ski area, which negates the advantage of the high starting point. Combined with the Coleman Glacier route, it forms a challenging ski traverse route first done in 1939. A ski traverse via the easier Easton-Coleman combination was done earlier in 1932.
Boulder Glacier		12.0			2800 ft (850 m)	8000 ft (2400 m)	16 miles (26 km)	A good alternative to the crowds and noise on the Easton. However, the Boulder Glacier was greatly reduced in mass by a lahar (volcanic mudflow) in 1988, and might be too broken up for good skiing except early in season.
Other Ski Mountaineering Routes:
Ptarmigan Ridge/ Sholes Glacier		6.5			4200 ft (1300 m)	3000 ft (900 m)	14 miles (22 km)	Many ski tour possibilities which are easily accessible by traversing from the Mt Baker ski area. Good summer skiing. This is also the lower portion of the Park Glacier route.
Hadley Peak/ Chowder Ridge		5.5			4700 ft (1400 m)	2800 ft (900 m)	10 miles (16 km)	Another good route for summer and even fall skiing. Can connect with a traverse across Mazama Glacier over to Sholes Glacier and Ptarmigan Ridge.

| Panoramic northwestern view of Mount Baker from upper Heliotrope Ridge in June 1999; Coleman Glacier lies in the middle distance below the 10760 ft summit dome, with Colfax Peak (9420 ft) at right, the highest of the Black Buttes. (digitally composited from two photos by Amar Andalkar) <click to enlarge>

| Mount Baker and the Easton Glacier in late August; view looking north from the Railroad Grade (photo by Amar Andalkar) <click to enlarge>

Useful Web Links:

List of Guidebooks:  (detailed references on the bibliography page)

More photos, routes, links, references, etc. coming soon...
Please contact me with any suggestions, additions, or corrections.