Come along with the Snorks - Jlaws thoughts on Pines & The PNW

[momskeeztoo]

Sorry for your loss. Perhaps you will be reunited soon. Miracles happen. 

[mbike-ski]

You should probably call BenM as he is excellent at finding skis, with a specialty in ‘crows. I read your eulogy aloud and Mrs S sends her condolences . Other than that way to get after it 🦄🦋🌸

[JFskiDan]

@Johnny Law you know i have a pair of skis you can borrow anytime you like.  Not really sure how they are in powder, but they are yours.  

[theprogram4]

Sorry to hear about the ski but even with that happening this is the best TR of the season.  Driving around the PNW must be beautiful.  Godspeed!*
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*IDK what this means, but it seemed appropriate to say.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

44 minutes ago, theprogram4 said:

Sorry to hear about the ski but even with that happening this is the best TR of the season.  Driving around the PNW must be beautiful.  Godspeed!*
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*IDK what this means, but it seemed appropriate to say.

It’s better than saying Toodles.  I think Salty and Atomic Jeff’s Breck TR was the best this season but JLaws report is definitely top five. 

[Johnny Law]

Thank you all for the condolences and helping me give them an honorable send off. 

@JFskiDanJFskiDan Imagine the surfing turns you could make dragging the inside "tail" at a 45 degree angle in pow

@theprogram4theprogram4 In some spots it's so spectacular to look at when the light first hits your eyeballs it's almost like my brain says it's not real. Parts of it are as methy as anywhere else but it's all super green. 

[Johnny Law]

WTF do I even say about Baker ???? 63" in 3 days like the ticket says. 

I skedaddled out of Bellingham hot to hit the Mt Baker hiway. The road while well designed with consistent low grade is at least 12 miles of seemingly constant switchbacks and was one of the more sporting drives I've undertaken while being in control. To anyone that goes, respect that road, it is no joke. 

I'm not a religious person but if there are those spiritual places in skiing, Jackson, Alta, Aspen, Cham, etc etc then I contend you must add Baker to the list.  

First of all the views are unbelievably spectacular, Shuksan alone would be unbelievable but the arm, the globular sort of hemispheres, Baker itself etc etc etc. I can't say enough about how good the place is to simply stand and look around in any of 360 degrees. At the top of chair 8 you go up and out the arm so the top of the chair looks across at the entire arm like a stadium. Some group was filming, dropping absolute bombs and you can just stand there at the top of the lift and take the whole thing in.  I do it no justice either in pics or prose but it is stunning.

This is the spot at the top of 8

First legit run I'm going to chair 8 and the guy next to me is trying to recruit me to go out the arm although he has zero gear and like isotoners on lol lol We settle for what he kept calling the elbow, it was maybe 15 mins of quick but mostly flat sort of skating on a well constructed traverse out sort of across hemispheres. It's entirely treeless and the snow is stupid deep and thick like a milkshake. You basically point them straight down the hill and wiggle your ass some for effect and to throw snow in your face but otherwise it's entirely effortless joy all the way to lift. This picture is from like 11am, it was 4 or 5 laps after we skied it, I don't know if it's the norm but this place holds snow. 

Second run I'm on chair 4 by accident some how which is like a bs feader chair but the doodle areas are also deep AF with like two groomer tracks down the middle so you build up speed and then plow into the deep until you run out of speed and back on to the groomers leaving thigh deep trenches. 

I get it right this time and get up six to hit the "extreme danger area" under the closed C-1 lift. We ran that 3 times in a row working across the face left to right. Face shot after face shot until you hit the flatter portions where you had to tail gun a little it was so thick and deep. In total I bet we did 20 runs essentially across from Pan Face to the Canuck run and it was all lift service cat skiing. Even when it was patching the untracked together there is so much resistance you still go full fall line just bouncing as snow is flying all around you. 

Now up C5 to the fabled gables a sort of side of the hill shot that is a twisting set of cliffs and little chutes. It was just as deep and just as wild. All over Baker there are cliffs everywhere, the big ones that will kill you are marked. The ones out of the C-1 zone are particularly impressive but it was like Palisades kinda playful and challenging. Jump off this, two slash pow turns around the tree and down the little chute kinda terrain which I live for. 

I swear to you I've never seen less powder panic. After gables we went up 8 to run a blue bullshit zone called Oh Zone that is directly under the lift and it was still patching untracked sections. The entire day it was lap after lap of pow runs and the whole time everyone is super super chill. 

This is from around 2pm I swear like maybe two trails over from a lift and it's still skiing untracked. 

It was a day I'll never forget as long as I live on what are good but certainly not the ski you'd choose skis, at a resort with maybe 2 groomers, that has zero high speed chairs, is not on any pass other than its own and must be bought in person, is 1500 vert and only 5k feet high, has no lodging or development on mtn or really nearby. 

Essentially Baker is the opposite of everything most of 2022 skiing is about and if you get it on the right day beyond the most fabulous thick pow skiing you see why the Baker Bros are right. That my friends is mad fucking spiritual. 

If you read nothing else from this report; GO TO MT. BAKER* !!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

*when it snows

 

[RidgeRacer]

What trip / report sir. Absolutely spectacular pics too. I love me some scenery shots and damn the Pac NW doesn't seem to disappoint!

[AirheadD8]

Thanks for the vicarious tour ......Average snowfall 663" WHAAAAAT ! 

https://www.mtbaker.us/the-mountain/mountain-stats/

[toast21602]

This is the best adventure trip report PASR has experienced in a long time. 🙌🙌

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

43 minutes ago, AirheadD8 said:

Thanks for the vicarious tour ......Average snowfall 663" WHAAAAAT ! 

https://www.mtbaker.us/the-mountain/mountain-stats/

Not many bumps there. 

[AirheadD8]

56 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Not many bumps there. 

I'd make do LOL . I like skiing trees as much as bumps . Plattekill is my favorite day trip . 

 

This looks like heaven ! I get the tree well danger ...carry a bailout bottle

(https://www.amazon.com/DXDIVER-Bailout-Bottle-Diving-Nylon/dp/B01BKPTEGE) 

 for emergencies LOL 

 

[Schif]

This report has me energized and is warming my heart at the same time. @Johnny Law I definitely owe you a beer for this, as quality writing that stirs the soul must be rewarded somehow. 

[Johnny Law]

Last dance with Mary Jane

Tonight I have the redeye home so my final stop was Summit Central at Snoqualmie. I stayed at the Snoqualmie Inn Hotel America or something but I think it's a converted office building but my room was enormous and super quiet if your ever in the area. 

Central, East, West and Alpental form the Summit at Snoqualmie. Alpental is the real draw of course but only open Friday though the weekend. 

Summit was essentially a blue mtn day soaking up the sun and taking it easy and just enjoying the snow. It's not a particularly interesting hill outside that it has good views and you can hear I90 drone on anywhere on the hill.  

They also had they worst rental skis ever, I would have much rather been on the Jfdan pro models.  

I think it was one of my more successful trips with some of the best pow skiing I've done in a bit and endless adventure. The PNW definitely will hold a special place in my memories and although super finicky weather a place everyone should check out. 

I hope you guys had fun reading, I'll shoot for more action pics next time but I didn't have that kind of group. Until the next episode.....

 

[toast21602]

12 hours ago, Johnny Law said:

 

I hope you guys had fun reading, I'll shoot for more action pics next time but I didn't have that kind of group. Until the next episode.....

 

You should write a book. It would be incredibly hard to put it down with your writing style. 

[Johnny Law]

12 hours ago, toast21602 said:

You should write a book. It would be incredibly hard to put it down with your writing style. 

If we could ever get a group at Baker with snow that would be a Homer-esque style saga. How many of us have touring gear now and all that access......