Skip to Main Content
  • Main slide 1
Trip

Washington

Ski & Snowboard

Trip Mount Baker, WA
Sorry, this trip is sold out
Sorry, this trip is no longer available

Questions? Let us help! Call us at 1-866-386-1590
For those seeking their first or fifteenth big-mountain ski descent, look no further than Mount Baker.

Mount Bak­er, the high­est peak in the North Cas­cades, is a fan­tas­tic moun­tain for climbers AND skiers. Not only are its two stan­dard climb­ing routes (the Eas­t­on and the Cole­man-Dem­ing Glac­i­ers) also won­der­ful ski descents, but under cer­tain con­di­tions the mountain’s hard­er snow and ice climbs are now con­sid­ered ​“ski­able” by a grow­ing cadre of local ski moun­taineers. While on the sum­mit plateau, ski over to the edge of the Cole­man Head­wall, peer down to the north, and con­sid­er what must have been going through the heads of the young skiers who first skied this fea­ture 10 years ago – and then turn around and ski over to the Roman Wall and enjoy the mod­er­ate and emi­nent­ly ski­able slopes of the Eas­t­on Glac­i­er instead – a 7,500-foot / 2286-meter run!
 
For peo­ple with basic ski moun­taineer­ing skills and expe­ri­ence the Eas­t­on Glac­i­er is the route of choice for a spring ski descent. Typ­i­cal­ly, the entire length of the approach and ascent can be skied – car to sum­mit, and back down again. With a healthy snow­pack, lots of ter­rain options and a south­ern expo­sure, the Eas­t­on has become a pop­u­lar first big-moun­tain ski descent for folks from all over the country.
 
This course involves the following:

  • Ski­ing with both a day pack and overnight pack to 45 lbs
  • Inter­me­di­ate-advanced lev­el ter­rain with some slopes to the black dia­mond level
  • Glac­i­er trav­el and steep snow climbing
  • Long days in poten­tial­ly adverse weather
  • Skiers should be in excel­lent phys­i­cal con­di­tion and com­pe­tent on var­ied terrain

Select your date from the options below


Select Your Trip

Itinerary
Itinerary
Note: Although we do our very best to fol­low the sched­ule list­ed, this itin­er­ary is sub­ject to change due to inclement weath­er, unsafe route con­di­tions, or oth­er rea­sons beyond our con­trol and in the guide’s best judgment.
  • 1
    Day number 1
    6:30 am ori­en­ta­tion. After an ini­tial meet­ing and equip­ment check, we dri­ve from Seat­tle to the trail­head and begin our hike to base camp. This hike is very stren­u­ous and can take from 4 — 6 hours depend­ing upon the par­tic­u­lar approach and the fit­ness of the group. You’ll skin through ancient forests and snow-cov­ered alpine mead­ows, en route to base­camp. After estab­lish­ing camp, the remain­der of the day will focus on the skills nec­es­sary for the prop­er use of an ice axe, trav­el­ing in bal­ance, tra­di­tion­al self-arrest, and ski spe­cif­ic self-arrest. We will cap the day with a short evening ski run before dinner.
  • 2
    Day number 2
    Sum­mit day with a pre-dawn start between 3:00 and 5:00 am After 6 – 8 hours of climb­ing, we reach the sum­mit, where gor­geous views of the Cas­cades reward you as you stand on the sum­mit of the North Cas­cades’ high­est vol­cano. Enjoy the views and a snack, then the real plea­sure begins as we begin our descent. Upon reach­ing camp, we pack up and head down for a cel­e­bra­to­ry dinner.
Trip Package Includes
  • Pro­fes­sion­al guid­ing and instruction
  • Climbing/​backcountry per­mits 
  • Trans­porta­tion from Seat­tle to the trail­head and back 
  • All meals, stoves, fuel, and cook­ing equip­ment while on the trip 
  • Tents
  • Group climb­ing gear
  • Camp­ground fees
  • 20% off service and 10% off rental at evo Seattle store
  • 20% discount code at evo.com (exclusions apply)
Trip Package Does Not Include
  • Air­fare
  • Hotel accom­mo­da­tions pre and post-trip
  • Per­son­al gear
  • Guide gra­tu­ities
  • Travel insurance (we recommend World Nomads)

Questions? Call or email us!
Area Information

Washington Cascades


The Washington Cascades are part of the greater Cascade Mountain Range, extending from northern California to British Columbia. To offer flexibility and a diverse range of options to clients, Mountain Madness offers trip dates for this ski mountaineering course on Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier.
 
FAQ
FAQ
  • What COVID-19 policies do you have in place?
    Mountain Madness has a detailed COVID-19 Operations Plan which will be shared prior to the trip. All participants must fill out a pre-trip COVID-19 questionnaire/agreement. Classroom lectures will be held via Zoom instead of in person. In the field, a face covering must be worn at times when social distancing cannot be maintained.
  • Do I need any prior training to participate in this course?
    This is an intermediate level ski descent. Lev­el 1 avalanche train­ing, inter­me­di­ate ski skills and pre­vi­ous ski tour­ing expe­ri­ence are rec­om­mend­ed. It is open for tele­mark and alpine tour­ing skiers, as well as split-boarders.
  • How physically fit do I have to be for this course?
    This is a physically demanding course, and your abil­i­ty to enjoy the adven­ture depends on your health and fit­ness, thus it’s recommended that you are in excellent physical condition.
  • Who are the guides?
    Mountain Madness guides are high­ly expe­ri­enced instruc­tors that have been trained by the Cana­di­an Avalanche Asso­ci­a­tion (CAA), the Amer­i­can Moun­tain Guides Asso­ci­a­tion (AMGA), and the Amer­i­can Insti­tute for Avalanche Research and Edu­ca­tion (AIARE). They are the best, most­ high­ly trained instruc­tors!
  • Are rentals available?
    Yes, rental gear is available and can be rented directly through the evo Seattle store, as well as Mountain Madness. Please inquire for pricing.
  • What if I need to cancel?
    evo will refer to the Mountain Madness cancellation policy. If you need to can­cel your trip, please submit your noti­fication in writ­ing. Your trip will be can­celled from the date we receive writ­ten notice. You will be assessed a can­cel­la­tion fee accord­ing to the fol­low­ing schedule: More than 90 days from trip depar­ture —  non-refundable $200 reg­is­tra­tion fee. 89 days or less from trip depar­ture – 100% of trip costMore than 60 days from trip depar­ture — $75 fee reg­is­tra­tion fee. 60 days or less from trip depar­ture – 100% of trip cost
  • What if I need to change the dates of my trip?
    All date changes must be received in writ­ing. Changes are deter­mined at MMI’s dis­cre­tion and if approved, must be accom­pa­nied by a new trip reg­is­tra­tion. Any change from sched­uled trip depar­ture can be extreme­ly dif­fi­cult and is sub­ject to all incurred expens­es as assessed by MMI. All date changes are for cred­it only (no refunds) and valid for one year from writ­ten change noti­fi­ca­tion and receipt of new reg­is­tra­tion. A $200 date change fee will be assessed for all domes­tic trips.
  • When and how do I meet up with the group?
    You will receive detailed instructions regarding when and how to meet the group from Mountain Madness.
  • What is the maximum number of guests on the trip?
    There is a maximum of 12 guests for this course.
  • Is there a minimum age required for this trip?
    We will accept par­tic­i­pants 15 years or old­er, if they are accom­pa­nied by a legal guardian. You must be 18 years or old­er to attend a trip on your own.
  • I need accommodations in Seattle. Do you have recommendations?
    Yes, there are plenty of options, depending on your preferences. Near Sea-Tac Airport: Cedarbrook Lodge (4-star), Double Tree Hotel Seatac (4-star), Hampton Inn Seatac (3-star), Hilton Garden Inn Seatac (3-star). Near Mountain Madness: Georgetown Inn (2.5 star), The Grove (2-star).
Testimonials
The experience was awesome--great course, both professional and a lot of fun. Appropriate measures for Covid-19 were put in place.
Evan
Trip Guest
I’ve climbed all over the world with MM and couldn’t recommend them higher. Their guides are world class and are knowledgeable, appropriately cautious but eager to get you to the summit, amiable and yet able to challenge you to do things you didn’t think you could! Their front office is easy to communicate with and keeps you up to speed with everything throughout the whole process from pre-climb to post-climb. If you’re thinking about climbing, I would strongly and without reservation recommend mountain madness.
Andrew
Trip Guest
Jake was an awesome guide, super informative. MM was fantastic, had good options for renting gear, easy to work with.
Kayla
Trip Guest

A destination near you

Coming Soon
Sorry, this trip is sold out
Sorry, this trip is no longer available

Questions? Let us help! Call us at
1-866-386-1590
Trip

Las Trancas Chile

Questions? Let us help! Call us at 1-866-386-1590

Select Your Trip

A destination near you

Coming Soon
Sorry, this trip is sold out
Sorry, this trip is no longer available

Questions? Let us help! Call us at
1-866-386-1590
Trip

Las Trancas Chile

Questions? Let us help! Call us at 1-866-386-1590

Select Your Trip

A destination near you

Coming Soon
Sorry, this trip is sold out
Sorry, this trip is no longer available

Questions? Let us help! Call us at
1-866-386-1590
Trip

Las Trancas Chile

Questions? Let us help! Call us at 1-866-386-1590

Select Your Trip

A destination near you

Coming Soon
Sorry, this trip is sold out
Sorry, this trip is no longer available

Questions? Let us help! Call us at
1-866-386-1590
Trip

Las Trancas Chile

Questions? Let us help! Call us at 1-866-386-1590

Select Your Trip

A destination near you

Coming Soon
Sorry, this trip is sold out
Sorry, this trip is no longer available

Questions? Let us help! Call us at
1-866-386-1590
Trip

Las Trancas Chile

Questions? Let us help! Call us at 1-866-386-1590

Select Your Trip

A destination near you

Coming Soon
Sorry, this trip is sold out
Sorry, this trip is no longer available

Questions? Let us help! Call us at
1-866-386-1590