Snow at Mt Baker

Worth the wait! We wait out a full day of solitude in the parking lot at baker. Just us and the rain... until it began to become snow.  Then just us and the snow.  The accumulation came fast and despite the drop in temps the sheets kept falling from the sky...now just soft and fluffy and VERY welcome.  By late morning we actually saw some movement from the plows.  Probably thought we had broken down or were stranded somewhere in the backcountry... but didn't seem to phase them from the work to be done.

By late afternoon we had a visitor.  An aussie who rented a car and was trying to hit as many resorts as possible before having to return the rental and fly back to catch the waves in australia.  Our kind of guy... but most aussies usually are.

We offered up a cocktail and a chance to warm up in the van before he returned to the cold rental and we crashed for the night in hopes of literally being the only two vehicles here when the lifts open in the morning.  That didn't happen...the storm was too good and brought in some others, but it was quiet and oh so good.We rode hard all day.  The snow kept coming and visibility wasn't great, but the conditions and terrain were, and we just didn't care.  We found run after run of untracked powder and couldn't get enough of it.  It still felt like most of the day it might have been just the two cars in the parking lot and we had earned the mountain to ourselves.  |

We rode carefully, always aware of how much very fast snow they've gotten this year and the risks that come with it in terms of slides and tree wells, but we had absolutely zero complaints about the runs we made and had one of our longest and most exhausting days of the year.

Eventually we staggered back to the van, toasted our decision to wait it out and glowing from the fun and excitement of our day...  No question it was already one of our favorite days this season!