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March, 2024

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Tips for Skiing Crystal and Baker

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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4751 - Karma: -559
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!
Mar 27 2024 6:27PM
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ajbski
Posts: 1258 - Karma: 5,049
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/

Mar 27 2024 8:07PM
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brownetown
Posts: 370 - Karma: 3,436
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
Mar 27 2024 9:17PM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4751 - Karma: -559
Whats coverage like pretty much everything open?
Mar 27 2024 11:32PM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4751 - Karma: -559
Crowds done for the year? I'm not going to run into Crystal full with no parking the weekend of April 6/7?
Mar 27 2024 11:38PM
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JerryAllDay
Posts: 30 - Karma: 134
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
Mar 28 2024 1:26AM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4751 - Karma: -559
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.
Mar 28 2024 10:21PM
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Casey
Posts: 7788 - Karma: 23,488
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
Mar 28 2024 11:51PM
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JerryAllDay
Posts: 30 - Karma: 134
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
Mar 29 2024 1:52AM
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Clark456
Posts: 52 - Karma: 337
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.
Mar 29 2024 2:20AM
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BallClapper
Posts: 1434 - Karma: 3,004
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.
Mar 29 2024 9:22PM
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Rock_Inhabitant
Posts: 512 - Karma: 5,066
Wtf baker looks so sick, why have I never seen any cool edits coming out of there
Mar 29 2024 10:04PM
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Clark456
Posts: 52 - Karma: 337
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
Mar 30 2024 3:31AM
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Clark456
Posts: 52 - Karma: 337
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
Mar 30 2024 3:43AM
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JerryAllDay
Posts: 30 - Karma: 134
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
Mar 30 2024 4:31PM
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JerryAllDay
Posts: 30 - Karma: 134
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
Mar 30 2024 4:38PM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4751 - Karma: -559
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.
Mar 31 2024 5:46PM
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Rock_Inhabitant
Posts: 512 - Karma: 5,066
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
Apr 8 2024 10:46PM
1 0
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4751 - Karma: -559
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?
Apr 9 2024 8:31PM
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porkch0p
Posts: 51 - Karma: 566
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)
Apr 10 2024 1:35PM
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Casey
Posts: 7788 - Karma: 23,488
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.
Apr 17 2024 1:05AM
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