Well folks, winter ain’t over until it’s over! After a beautiful
and sunny week, we are forecasted to move into a good winter weather system
which will start moving in this evening and is expected to ramp up tomorrow,
potentially bringing 12”-24” of fresh snow through Sunday evening! It is
probably time for you to get a fresh hot wax in the ski shop to go along with
the fresh snow in sight. Get in there and ask your repair tech to get you
dialed in for the current conditions. While you get your equipment waxed check
out the retail shop or grab some fries for the quick wait. The Sticks Feature Zone will be closed tomorrow
to pull the features for a rebuild. Stay tuned for the reopen date and the additional
new feature.
Have you ever wondered what the origins of the names of our
ski runs are? Keep it tuned here on our new series as we continue to tell you
the story behind the trail map. We're still on the Pan side and the runs
near Chair 1, whose original name was Panorama Chair. In fact, all of the
early chairlifts were named by their geographical features, before they were
switched to numbers for simpler identification, especially as more lifts were
added. More on that to come.
Today's installment includes 2 trails that run off the
"backside" of Chair 1. The Canyon is an obvious one; it's a
Canyon, with near vertical walls of 400-500 feet in places. Gunner's
Ridge gets its name from several decades prior, when there was a permanent
recoilless gun, as well as a forest service powder storage facility, located on
the ridge for shooting explosives on to Hemispheres for avalanche mitigation.
Though both of those are now long gone, the name remains!
Anticipated operations for Friday March 31, 2023
Daily Operations
White Salmon Base Area only · 9:00am-3:45pm
Lift Status
No reservations needed
White Salmon/Shuksan Side | Status |
---|---|
Chair 5 | Open |
Chair 7 | Open |
Chair 8 | Open |
White Salmon Handle Tow (HT-2) |
Open |
Heather Meadows/Pan Dome | Status |
---|---|
Chair 1 | Closed |
Chair 2 | Closed |
Chair 3/4 | Open |
Chair 6 | Open |
Heather Meadows Handle Tow (HT-1) |
Closed |
Parking & Lodge Operations
Facility | Heather MeadowsBase Area | White SalmonBase Area | Raven HutMid-Mountain Lodge |
---|---|---|---|
Lodges | Closed | Open | Open |
Parking Lot | Open once snow removal & other operations prep completed, closes 11pm | Open once snow removal & other operations prep completed, closes 10pm | Not Applicable |
HWY Parking 542 | Open 7am - 7pm | Not Applicable | |
Overnight Parking | Limited availability, reservations required | Limited availability, reservations required | Not Applicable |
Advisories

SKI AREA CLOSED until Helicopter Avalanche Mitigation operations are completed
HELICOPTER AVALANCHE MITIGATION OPERATIONS will be underway on Shuksan Arm or Hemispheres during early morning daylight hours.
- SKI AREA CLOSED
- Do Not Enter Ski Area Boundary
- Avoid Avalanche Terrain and Run Out Zones
- Stay Clear of Heli Operations
Unusually Cold Temperatures
To reduce risk of frostbite or hypothermia, cover exposed skin, dress in protective clothing layers, take frequent warming breaks. Watch for signs of frostbite or hypothermia.
- View more information at www.weather.gov

Deep Snow & Tree Well Advisory
Snow suffocation hazard due to deep snow immersion and/or tree wells may exist
- AVOID TREE WELLS and KEEP YOUR PARTNER IN SIGHT
- NEED HELP? Contact Mt. Baker Ski Patrol
- (360) 300-7070
- Call on Personal Radio: Channel 9 Code 11
- Be advised: Your transmission is affected by terrain

Icy Conditions Advisory
- USE EXTRA CAUTION
- ICY CONDITIONS
- Icy Conditions Exist In Some Areas
- SKI & RIDE WITH EXTRA CAUTION & CARE ON STEEP & SHADED AREAS

Helicopter Avalanche Mitigation Operations will be underway on Shuksan Arm or Hemispheres during early morning daylight hours Saturday March 18.
+
- SKI AREA CLOSED until mitigation operations are complete.
- DO NOT enter Ski Area Boundary.
- Avoid avalanche terrain and run out zones.
- Stay clear of heli operations.

Variable Snow Base Advisory
- USE EXTRA CAUTION
- VARIABLE SNOW BASE
- Possible creeks, rocks, sticks, sudden variations in terrain, snow, sub-terrain, steep dips and other hazards and obstacles
- Snow base and conditions vary with elevation, terrain, aspect and usage.
- SKI & RIDE WITH EXTRA CAUTION & AWARENESS

NWAC Extreme Avalanche Advisory
- Mt. Baker Ski Patrol will NOT RESPOND for rescue
- BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE DANGER RATING
- 5 Extreme : AVOID ALL AVALANCHE TERRAIN
- Avalanche danger rating levels are only GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE CASCADES BELOW 7,000 FEET
- May vary hourly for Mt. Baker backcountry conditions

NWAC High Avalanche Advisory
- Mt. Baker Ski Patrol will NOT RESPOND for rescue
- BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE DANGER RATING
- 4 High : Very dangerous avalanche conditions. Travel in avalanche terrain NOT recommended.
- Avalanche danger rating levels are only GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE CASCADES BELOW 7,000 FEET
- May vary hourly for Mt. Baker backcountry conditions
- Visit NWAC website for full information.

Tree Well Hazard Advisory
- Snow suffocation hazard due to tree wells may exist
- AVOID TREE WELLS and KEEP YOUR PARTNER IN SIGHT
- NEED HELP? Contact Mt. Baker Ski Patrol
- (360) 300-7070
- Call on Personal Radio: Channel 9 Code 11
- Be advised: Your transmission is affected by terrain
During operation, there are days when one of the base areas may be closed, and lift ticket purchasing and indoor facilities will not be available at the closed base area.
GENERAL BASE AREA SCHEDULE*:
*This schedule is dependent on weather, conditions and other factors, and may change without notice. Be sure to check our Snow Report the day before arrival for the anticipated Base Area operations for the following day, and then check the morning of your visit for confirmation of the anticipated operation schedule.
White Salmon Base Area – Open 7 days/week
Heather Meadows Base Area – Open Sat-Sun through April 9, closed Mon-Fri. Also usually open on Holidays.