Member of the Month

abjectwoe
May, 2025

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Tips for Skiing Crystal and Baker

profile picture
PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
Will be out this way next week.

Full coverage and most trails open? Will I need a beacon or avy gear to ride certain lifts like they make you do at Bridger? I saw something on social about people needing it after a storm. Good slack country skinning should I bring a set of skis that can uphill?


Thanks homies!
a year ago
6 0
profile picture
ajbski
Posts: 1313 - Karma: 5,421
cant say much for crystal.

but baker has lots and lots of slack country. i would 100% bring a hybrid set up. i cant say the snow has been great this year tho.

that video of the skier digging out a boarder from a tree well is inbounds at baker. def dont ride alone. def bring a beacon shovel probe. radios might be a good idea as well. i had a wet loose come down on both sides of blueberry chute while i was skiing last weekend. triggered by cornice and snow shedding from trees.

red is OOB but totally accessible by lift and short hikes. blueberry chute is far right.

yellow you need a partner and avy gear but patrol has never checked me. its pretty easy to get cliffed out, so idk be careful https://www.mtbaker.us/safety-education/mountain-safety/extreme-danger-gunners-canyon-zones/

a year ago
6 0
profile picture
brownetown
Posts: 497 - Karma: 4,941
Ajb summed it up pretty well. After a storm I generally ride inbounds w beacon shovel probe at both hills, and certainly if I’m booting to slackcountry. One thing to keep in mind out here is that the treewell immersion danger is often equal to if not greater than avy slide danger with steep tree runs like chairs 1, 6 and 5 at baker and left & right angle trees / o meadows at crystal. For crystal you don’t really need uphill skis, as it’s a 35-40min boot out to southback / silver king from the top of chair 6. Would highly recommend checking out those zones if you have a buddy, if you don’t I’d say hit the throne which is like 10mins out. Also great hiking-accessed terrain from the top of green valley and northway which are avoided by a lot of the tech workers. Feel free to dm me if ya want more run recs, I’m always happy to help
a year ago
4 0
profile picture
PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
Whats coverage like pretty much everything open?
a year ago
1 0
profile picture
PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
Crowds done for the year? I'm not going to run into Crystal full with no parking the weekend of April 6/7?
a year ago
2 0
profile picture
JerryAllDay
Posts: 31 - Karma: 143
PeppermillRenoCrowds done for the year? I'm not going to run into Crystal full with no parking the weekend of April 6/7?

I haven't been to Crystal in a while, but if I remember right you have to have a season pass to have lift access on the weekends. I know Crystal is on Ikon, but I'm not sure if there's also one specific to it. Might be worth a check before you head up
a year ago
4 0
profile picture
PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
JerryAllDayI haven't been to Crystal in a while, but if I remember right you have to have a season pass to have lift access on the weekends. I know Crystal is on Ikon, but I'm not sure if there's also one specific to it. Might be worth a check before you head up


I'm going to check out Alpental too.

Are these places all like Taos and people just hike the good shit you can't ski off the lifts? There is tons on the map. Some resorts are skin friendly like in the Alps or Nelson/Whitewater.

Got a new wheely ski bag so can bring 2 set ups.
a year ago
2 0
profile picture
Casey
Posts: 8017 - Karma: 26,915
PeppermillRenoI'm going to check out Alpental too.

Are these places all like Taos and people just hike the good shit you can't ski off the lifts? There is tons on the map. Some resorts are skin friendly like in the Alps or Nelson/Whitewater.

Got a new wheely ski bag so can bring 2 set ups.


You don’t need skins to access Alpental BC. The ski patrol cuts a traverse and does control work and keeps the gates open/closed based on conditions. I would not suggest skinning or bootpacking your first day there it’s not necessary
a year ago
3 0
profile picture
JerryAllDay
Posts: 31 - Karma: 143
I split my time between Stevens Pass and Baker. Baker is a really friendly place though. If you end up going on a weekend, you should park in the upper lot. It has better access to lift 1 and 5 which are my personal favorites. It's also where most people who skin park so maybe you can ask for some directions of advice from someone up there. My favorite thing to do at Baker is just fly right under chair 5 until you hit the cat track back to the lift. Under chair 6 is also fun as long as there is snow. If you make it up to stevens pass, hit me up and maybe I can show you around
a year ago
4 0
profile picture
Clark456
Posts: 58 - Karma: 373
Alpi has great oob access out of a few gates when the snow is good but I don’t think it’s good rn I’ll be at snowqualmie tomorrow tho so I’ll update
PeppermillRenoI'm going to check out Alpental too.

Are these places all like Taos and people just hike the good shit you can't ski off the lifts? There is tons on the map. Some resorts are skin friendly like in the Alps or Nelson/Whitewater.

Got a new wheely ski bag so can bring 2 set ups.
a year ago
2 0
profile picture
BallClapper
Posts: 3704 - Karma: 16,820
JerryAllDayI split my time between Stevens Pass and Baker. Baker is a really friendly place though. If you end up going on a weekend, you should park in the upper lot. It has better access to lift 1 and 5 which are my personal favorites. It's also where most people who skin park so maybe you can ask for some directions of advice from someone up there. My favorite thing to do at Baker is just fly right under chair 5 until you hit the cat track back to the lift. Under chair 6 is also fun as long as there is snow. If you make it up to stevens pass, hit me up and maybe I can show you around


I second that. Stevens local here. Know the mountian pretty damn well. Today the park was kinda the only thing running good. Everything else was chunder covered in 5" of fresh.
a year ago
1 1
profile picture
Rock_Inhabitant
Posts: 1543 - Karma: 16,704
Wtf baker looks so sick, why have I never seen any cool edits coming out of there
a year ago
1 0
profile picture
Clark456
Posts: 58 - Karma: 373
the bottom was fun because it was soft the top was pretty sticky I only did one run on the top tho
Clark456Alpi has great oob access out of a few gates when the snow is good but I don’t think it’s good rn I’ll be at snowqualmie tomorrow tho so I’ll update
a year ago
0 0
profile picture
Clark456
Posts: 58 - Karma: 373
Look up baker sesh up and baker brain bowl also the baker road gap has been hit in a lot of movies it’s the thumbnail for salute
Rock_InhabitantWtf baker looks so sick, why have I never seen any cool edits coming out of there
a year ago
3 0
profile picture
JerryAllDay
Posts: 31 - Karma: 143
Rock_InhabitantWtf baker looks so sick, why have I never seen any cool edits coming out of there


Baker sucks. It rains everyday, it's way out in the middle of nowhere, and Bigfoot hangs out in the trees and tries to murder people. You and all the Canadians should stay far far from western Washington. No good skiing up here
a year ago
5 0
profile picture
JerryAllDay
Posts: 31 - Karma: 143
BallClapperI second that. Stevens local here. Know the mountian pretty damn well. Today the park was kinda the only thing running good. Everything else was chunder covered in 5" of fresh.

I know it's the end of the season, but I'll ride with you sometime if you're down. I'm a pretty decent skier, but I don't really ride park. Do some of the jumps time to time though. DM me if you're down. If not, that's cool too
a year ago
1 0
profile picture
PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
Crystal tomorrow I am at the airport and these loser boomers next to me at the barwho have a house in SLC or some shit are grovelling for free tickets or some shit. Bitch stfu and fucking pay.
a year ago
2 0
profile picture
Rock_Inhabitant
Posts: 1543 - Karma: 16,704
PeppermillRenoWill be out this way next week.

Full coverage and most trails open? Will I need a beacon or avy gear to ride certain lifts like they make you do at Bridger? I saw something on social about people needing it after a storm. Good slack country skinning should I bring a set of skis that can uphill?


Thanks homies!


How’s it going
a year ago
1 0
profile picture
PeppermillReno
Posts: 4884 - Karma: -719
Rock_InhabitantHow’s it going


Did 1 day at each and cut the trip short. Was there for work and just happy I got to check them out at all. Awesome mountains. Baker was deep even though there was just a few inches reported I guess there are a ton of lines that just don't get skied much. Crystal was like a small Squaw really cool layout.

Crazy that neither place has shit around it but 1 pizza place and a trailer parks 20 mins down the road. No wifi on the way up limited at the hill and neither is close to Seattle. Baker must be 3.5 hours e/w?
a year ago
5 0
profile picture
porkch0p
Posts: 63 - Karma: 698
Rock_InhabitantWtf baker looks so sick, why have I never seen any cool edits coming out of there

Please watch the baker segment in IDEA (2007)
a year ago
3 0
profile picture
Casey
Posts: 8017 - Karma: 26,915
PeppermillRenoDid 1 day at each and cut the trip short. Was there for work and just happy I got to check them out at all. Awesome mountains. Baker was deep even though there was just a few inches reported I guess there are a ton of lines that just don't get skied much. Crystal was like a small Squaw really cool layout.

Crazy that neither place has shit around it but 1 pizza place and a trailer parks 20 mins down the road. No wifi on the way up limited at the hill and neither is close to Seattle. Baker must be 3.5 hours e/w?


Isn’t that the big catch 22 of Washington. Weather is completely impossible to predict, mountains are way the fuck out in BFE. It was 70 on Saturday and tonight is dropping to 35 at sea level. When it’s good it’s world class just gotta hit it right.
a year ago
4 0
All times are Eastern (-4); Currently it's 0:45AM