June Skiing in Washington State

lookn4powder

lookn4powder

New member
I may have business in Seattle that ends on June 1st and I'd be interested in skiing that weekend. Are there any lift served areas still open by then? If not, what are the better BC opportunities? Are there any organizations I may contact to join a BC adventure.

Thanks, Jeff
 
Whistler's closing weekend is first weekend of June. You should probably go there.

I would only consider the backcountry option in your situation if you have a local contact to make recommendations and probably go with you. This is not pass skiing like Colorado. You will be doing significant climbing. If Tucks is not routine for you I would advise against it.
 
Tony Crocker":394j54gt said:
Whistler's closing weekend is first weekend of June. You should probably go there.

I would only consider the backcountry option in your situation if you have a local contact... If Tucks is not routine for you I would advise against it.
Click to expand...

Thanks Marc and Tony for the tips!

Whistler is a thought... I've been at Whistler in late April--but I thought that the management usually closed the mountain in May recent years.

I've a buddy who has skied Tucks many times, but by the end of the ski season, I'm usually behind the eightball and need to catch up at work. I have climbed for turns and do have a BC outfit--but I'll take lifts when they are available.

Cheers,
Jeff
 
If your not up for the drive to whistler, Id check out the Mt.Baker area. about 3 hrs north of seattle at the end of hwy 542. with the amount of snow they are getting there should be good skiing at heather meadows (end of hwy at ski area) as well as other options. feel free to email me if you want more info. I've worked up there in the summers and have had some great spring turns. komapow@gmail.com. cheers
 
Mt. Baker will undoubtedly have snow, but the lifts will not be running. This will be a backcountry experience in June. If you go to high enough elevation for decent snow, you will be dealing with glacier terrain and want someone with local expertise with you.
 
I lived in Seattle for a couple of years. I don't often disagree with Tony/Mark...but I do on this occasion.

Lift served skiing. Almost everything that is local to Seattle will close down by May 1st.

However, this looks like a great year, so..........

Crystal Mt. (and the same good people who own Brighton/Big Sky/Michigan Resorts) -- would reopen the mountain for an early summer season. This happened twice while living there -- 98/99 and 99/00. The mountain closed in late April/early May. It then reopened in June through July for a summer season. Almost all runs off of Green Valley Quad and some off of the Rainier Express. Crystal faces mostly East so get there early for less sun damage.

Just monitor it. Crystal would rarely break the 100" mark because it is in the snow shadow of Rainier. This year...they passed it pretty early.

Backcountry.
A very easy - no death trip - for just a mellow corn snow experience... Mt Rainier - Paradise. This about 2.5 hrs from Seattle. However, you could bring skis, hike fore 2.5 hrs and ski nice corn run on the Muir Snowfield ( a snowfield is a body of snow that does not move so no crevasses like a glacier). Corn ripens nicely while you hike on a south face. Do not ski on glaciers -- still waiting for some bods to be spit out. Lots of people around.

Another backountry. Alpental. A great great expert mountain all winter -- very skiable in June. The best skiing is anywhere off the routes around the trail International. There is mor backountry, but cliff hazards are real and sever. The lower you go, the more likely you will cliff out with an 80 footer. Medium/low people around. See Alpental.com for a good map.
 
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