Mt. Baker opening day 2015/16 was welcomed with open arms and lots of smiles, especially since it is the first resort in Washington to open! As Baker so cleverly put on the day tickets, “Baker Family Reunion” and was it ever. No new snow in the past 24 hours but with a base depth of 63″ at the top of Pan Dome, 34″ at Heather Meadows base and white coverage for as far as the eye could see, there was not much to complain about! Oh, and a bluebird day to shred all eight open chairlifts with buddies, even better.

It dumped last weekend and then it warmed up causing a loss of some vital base inches but in all reality, this will solidify the snowpack allowing for some stability for the rest of the season. Safety first! The groomers were on point for all the snow-hungry riders and the off-piste crust softened up by mid-day. Random pockets of powder were a wonderful surprise for those of us in the PNW who almost forgot what that feels like.