If you show up to this place, it could be highly disappointing or...what dreams are made of. The inbounds has only about 1500ft of vertical. If you don't know the place or go with a knowledgable local, don't bother traveling here. The inbounds is tiny. Short hikes and slack-country is the name of the game here. The weather and snow are extremely variable, but when it dumps, it dumps. I've experienced mashed potatoes, but I've also surfed 3+ feet of blower pow riding my way to faceshot heaven. These negative reviews below may be merited for their limited experiences here, but they just don't know the possibilities. The legend is real (especially for locals riding mid-week after a storm).
Mt. Baker has some excellent terrain but it can be greatly affected by constantly changing weather patterns. You'll want to prepare accordingly. I came up on a whim but once there, I decided to stay for a few days. I quickly discovered that there aren't any hotels. One of the locals told me about Mt. Baker Lodging (mtbakerlodging dot com). I went to their office and rented a very nice cabin at a good price for my girlfriend and myself. It even had a private hot tub! If you're planning on coming to Mt. Baker for a weekend, I would highly recommend these guys. They can be reached at 1-800-709-7669.
People complaining about slow chairs and crowded runs realize faster chairs would make more crowded runs? Anyway, the management is amazing and that's one reason Baker has gotten so crowded unfortunately. Everyone to the north and south has figured it out and now it's just slammed and over-capacity for the available terrain.
I have skied here about 20 times and in all kinds of conditions. It's a fun resort when the conditions are good. With this resort you need to pay careful attention to the recent freezing level. It's common for the whole mountain to melt and then re-freeze and those days are horrid because there are not a lot of steep groomers (don't even think of going off-piste in those conditions). Lifts are slow and runs are relatively short but there are some nice steep pitches. Get there early on a weekend powder day because they turn cars around once the parking lots are full. The backcountry is very easy to access and can be fun, but again, watch that freezing level. Whiteout conditions are relatively common, but that usually means free refills. Live band at the Heather Meadows Day Lodge is one of my favourite things there.
Mt Baker is an enigma. When it's good, you can't beat it. When it's bad, don't go. If someone is planning on a trip to Mt. Baker (like, flying in), don't plan on it being either good or bad. It's all about the weather (obviously), and in some cases, it's like rolling the dice.
Because Mt. Baker is so close to the Pacific ocean, it can be tricky to figure out when to go. The average temp in the north Pacific can be 'warm' and this affects the jet stream (if you don't know what a jet stream is, stop reading and go somewhere else). When there is a bulge in the jet stream near the Gulf of Alaska, and if that stream is sitting off to the west of the NW coast as it comes down, it means the systems hitting the NW will be cold and full of moisture. Why Mt Baker gets so much snow is this: as the systems come in, they are rotating counter-clockwise. Even though the system may be coming from the north, the moisture will be moving SW to NE because of rotation. When this moisture arm hits the Kulshan ridge, where the MB Ski resort is, it has to dump moisture to lift. These moisture arms are funnelled between Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan. Kulshan ridge sits perpendicular to these moisture arms, and hence, the big snows that Baker gets. So if you go to Baker, you really have to watch the conditions.
Generally, getting to Baker even from Seattle is a long drive and if you go and conditions suck, that's no good. On the weekends: Mt. Baker is kinda crowded, like any west coast ski resort on any weekend. Additionally, there is no lodging on the mountain and you may not have cell-phone reception. The lodges are nice and the food is decent but not great.
The runs are fun but pretty short. One thing about the runs: if it is a double black diamond, they mean it. Only go if you are an expert. Quite a few runs on Baker are short but intense. To my knowledge, there are few runs at Whistler that are as challenging. Baker is not a great place to learn. If you are learning how to ski or snowboard, go to Snoqualmie Summit near Seattle. The terrain here is much flatter.
If you ever do want to go to Baker, check the weather in Bellingham first. If it's under 45 degrees with rain, there is a good chance the conditions will be right. Mt Baker snow quality is entirely dependant on how cold it gets. Near 32 degrees, not so good, but if it's 25 or under, the composition of the snow will change and it will be a bit drier.
Possibly the most overhyped mountain in the state and greater PNW. The temps hover right around 33-35 degrees F so all you're skiing is mashed potatoes. The locals are stingy and rude to anyone not from there which leads me to the worst part. The mountain is located deep into the forest where there is no cell phone service for 40 miles. The snowplough staff don't know how to do their job so we got stuck on the side of the road. Not a single person pulled over to help us out. We were stuck in an area that was so far out from help that we had to hitch rides just to get to the closest landline phone to get a truck out there to help which took hours. The mountain itself is more times than not in a white-out so don't expect any views. The back-country is easily the most overhyped. You can find better snow and terrain up north in Canada. The town of Bellingham is full of stoner college kids who don't respect shit. Weekends are also a wreck with huge crowds and the mountain is skied out in about an hour.
I love these bad reviews of Baker. I'm pretty sure they are written by the locals. How anyone could come to this place and not fall in love is beyond me. But yes, if you are thinking of flying in here. Don't! Long lines, rude people, terrible snow, the beer sucks, scary wildlife, only one weed store in Glacier, uhhh...what else? Oh yeah, too many snowboarders. :)
Dreamed for years of making a trip to Baker. Well, last winter I did and I couldn't have been more disappointed. It kind of snowed/mostly rained for the first couple days and the visibility was so bad that you could hardly do anything. Then it cleared, a million people showed up, and it was warm mashed potatoes in about an hour.
Bad food, no slope-side lodging, surly locals, and bad snow. I'll stay in Tahoe or Whistler instead.
Not worth the trip. Crowds, mediocre runs and what scenery? It's overcast or whiteout every single day! I don't know how they manage to make the groomed runs uneven and chunky but they do! Go there if you like getting rained on and your teeth to chatter on every run.