Skiing near Seattle
 

Will be coming to Seattle in 2 weeks for 3 weeks. Is it too late for some weekend skiing? Found the top sights on this board for the city but would like to find a close weekend outing for skiing in the area.
Many Thanks

Crystal Mountain, 70-75 miles from Seattle, has 2300 acres, 3000 vertical.

Mt. Baker, three hours from Seattle, has 1000 acres, 1500 vertical.

The Summitt, a group of four small areas totaling 2000 acres, with vertical of 900-2000, is 50 miles east of Seattle.

If you're willing to drive further, one of my favorite areas is Whistler, north of Vancouver, BC, with 7000 acres and 5000 vertical.

The Summit is at Snoqualmie in case you are looking for it on a map. There is also Stevens Pass which is only about 2 hours east...and if you go there you are close to Leavenworth which some of the hotels/inns have good ski and stay packages. You can find those at www.leavenworth.org. Stevens Pass has both downhill and cross country areas...the cross country one is quite peaceful.

Take the drive or a plane to Whistler, Canada. Worth it 100%.

Thanks everyone. Digging out my snow clothes as we speak. :)

Mount Baker, Mount Baker, Mount Baker!

Whistler kicks ass but it is a long (5 and a half minimum) drive and the border can be a pain in the ass.

Mount Baker has incredible snow, agreed, but how is it for accommodations and restaurants? We have family in Bellingham and on my last visit there, we drove up to Mount Baker to check out the snow. I don't recall seeing much in the way of lodging or restaurants, but I may have missed that. If someone were to go for a week-end, rather than just a day, where would you recommend they stay and dine? And how close are those places to Mount Baker itself? Thanks.

That's the rub with Mt. Baker - nothing within 15 or 20 miles.

Crystal gives the best combination of snow, views, lodging, short of Whistler, which IMO is too far for a weekend, given border hassles.

http://www.skicrystal.com

The closest accommodations for Mt. Baker are in Glacier, about 15 miles to the west. Here's a list:

http://www.mtbaker.us/info0304/info_fs.html

Personally, I would go to Crystal Mountain at this time of year for a weekend trip. It will take less time to get there (2 hours), and there are accommodations right on the slopes. Also, while Baker definitely has the most snow, they do not do as much grooming as Crystal - and I think grooming is important at this time of year.

Forget about The Summit - they are not going to be in good shape in 2 weeks. Stevens Pass have a bit better snow, but they will be on the verge of closing down for the season.

You might still want to consider Whistler, which is admittedly much further (5 hours), but the skiing and scenery is on an entirely different plane! Why not take a few days to visit Vancouver and then go to Whistler for the weekend? We just got back, and the snow in the high Alpine areas is still very good.

Whistler is further but sounds like a winner does it take 2 hours to get through the boarder as I've read?

2 hours would be the extreme, and re-entering the US only. Most times the crossings are much shorter. Listen to local radio in Vancouver which have regular updates on border conditions.

Also, most drivers cross the border at the main crossing point in Blaine. There is a separate Truck Crossing nearby, which tends to have shorter lines. Taking this crossing also makes it a bit easier to take Route 15 to Route 1, which bypasses downtown Vancouver. Of course, if you intend to visit Vancouver first, the above advice would not apply.