Advice needed: Highway 20 May 24th

Hi Everyone,

I am planning to ski with two friends on the 23rd and 24th of May. One of them has to catch a plane in Vancouver, BC at 4:30 pm on the 24th. My plan is to go up to e.g Camp Muir on the 23d and then drive north and ski something along Hwy 20 on the 24th. I have never been there, so I need some hints and ideas on where to ski.

Thanks in advance,

Alex

Hwy 20 is wonderful and a long haul back to I-5 to get to Van in time for the flight - you'd have to be done with skiing by something like 10:30 in the AM at the latest. You should consider skiing the Mt. Baker area and taking the Sumas crossing to take the Trans-Canada to the Vancouver airport.

Takes 2 hours and 15 minutes from Washington Pass to Bellingham. Add an hour to get to the airport from Bellingham. Add some time at the border (ask yourself: "Do I feel lucky?"). Then add whatever your margin for check-in, security and waiting around for your flight. Peteyboy is right that this leaves little time to ski on the day your friend flies out. Mt. Baker might be a better bet, but are you planning a full day skiing on the Muir Snowfield followed by a solid four hour drive to get to Baker? You're made of sterner stuff than I.

When asking for backcountry beta, it would help if you stated something about what sort of skier you are, what sort of slopes you prefer, and what your experience with backcountry hazards is.

Hope that helps.

Mark

I guess Baker/Sumas does sound better. Heliotrope ridge is a nice trip. I am not keen on going further because of the low snow pack this year. That means 3 hours of climbing. With an early (EARLY!) start we can be back at the car at 10:30-11.

I have some experience (Baker, Rainier, Helens, Adams, 2 years in the Coast Mountains, 25 yrs in the Alps) but the four of us won't be super fast (I expect us to need 3.5 to 4 hours from Paradise to Camp Muir).

Alex

There might be a problem accessing Heliotrope Ridge because the road had a washout this winter. From the Forest Service website:

Glacier Creek Road (FS Road 39) CLOSED. Storm damage that washed out Glacier Creek Road has closed access for snowmobilers and hikers. The road is closed at the Thompson Creek Bridge crossing, eliminating access to the Heliotrope Ridge trailhead and the Mt. Baker Vista Viewpoint. Engineers estimate opening the road in August.

Given your time constraints, Ptarmigan Ridge might be your best bet. Quick access to yo-yo slopes from Heather Meadows.

Good skiing on Heliotrope in August!

Meanwhile, if you're trying to get some skiing in before catching a plane, you might as well drive to the (Mt. Baker) ski area and skin directly from your car. You'll have good views, lots of options for different aspects, degree of difficulty, etc.

Note that the weather in the Baker area can range from spectacular to miserable, often within a five minute span. If you're trying to hit the road by ten in the morning, you need a south or east facing slope to ski....plus adequate visibility and some sun to soften things up. Heliotrope would likely still be frozen, even if you could get to it.

This time of year I generally go wherever the weather (i.e. snow conditions) are suitable, rather than getting hung up on a particular area.

enjoy,

Mark