Mt. Baker
Author: Ansis Egle0 COMMENTS
It's a snowboarding resort with a very special, spiritual and primordial aura. No excessive frills and irritating commercialization, and you can feel such closeness to nature there as perhaps never before. Mt.Baker was a special place for a legendary snowboarder Craig Kelly, a "style master" and a multiple world champion. He was killed in an avalanche in Canada in 2003, and the memories of this man still cast some peculiar sensation over this place.
Mt. Baker can be compared with Chamonix in France - for one thing, because of its ski-lifts. I had never seen lifts that are operated with diesel fuel, not electricity. A guy comes in the morning, starts the engine and black smoke escapes from the exhaust. Hop on now and off you go, yet do not look for a safety bar - these chairs don't have any such "fancy" stuff.
In spite of all that, Mt. Baker surpasses any chic winter resorts. In the season 1998-1999, for example, there was a record of snowfall - 28m! A sufficient amount of snow covers these slopes all year round and you can always find new and challenging descent routes and enjoy the thrill of emotions and flow of energy that it gives. There's an enormous variety of pistes of different steepness and relief - a snowy highway interchanges with bumpy bits, or a straight trail suddenly starts snaking through small fir-trees and then again shoots directly downward. And all of that comes wrapped in excellent powder snow! People you meet there are not over-concerned about perfect comfort and quality of service. Not at all! They are craving mostly for snow! It doesn't matter that Mt. Baker could easily be ranked among so called low-key resorts. Mood-wise, it somewhat resembles our local Latvian downhill spots, like Gaiziņš or Bākūzis. But who cares?! Everything feels so authentic and natural, and there are also so called backcountry excursions available.
Where to sleep? Renting a house is the best option if several people (8-9) travel together. An average cost per person per night would be about 20LVL, including a bubble bath, a beautiful view from a window and a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere.
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