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Mt. Baker Bullet Train: 1-Day Ski Summit

Overview

Mount Baker is the quintessential ski summit. Huge vertical, spectacular glaciers and moderate skiing. On the Bullet Train, we ski it in one day!

$420 Per Person
1 Days
Difficulty
Ratio:
4:1, 8:2

Trip Information

$420
Price based on 3-4 skiers. Please contact us directly for private trips. 425-888-6397 x2 | info@proguiding.com

Mount Baker is the quintessential ski summit. 8000 feet of vertical, spectacular glaciers and relatively moderate skiing...and we're going to do it car to car in one day! Can you do it?

This is a strenuous trip that includes 8,000 feet of vertical ascent and descent in one day. This is not an appropriate first ski tour. You should be an advanced skier and have prior ski touring experience (not to mention excellent physical fitness)!

Duration: 1
Ratio: 4:1, 8:2
Difficulty Level:
Click here to learn more about difficulty ratings.

Overall Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skills Required:  Advanced skiing ability and prior ski touring experience

Fitness Level: Very strenuous due to almost 8000 feet of vertical gain in one day


Private Trips Available

Don't see a date that works for you? Pro Guiding Service offers any trip or courses on a private basis. We are flexible! Call or email to inquire.
Learn MoreView Dates & Availability

Itinerary

Pretty simple. We will drive to Glacier, WA in the late afternoon or early evening on the day before the trip. You can sleep in your car at the trailhead (or as close as you can get to it), pitch a tent somewhere, or get a room in Glacier. We will drive up the Glacier Creek Road and meet at the Heliotrope Ridge Trailhead (or as close to it as possible) to start skinning from there. This will be a long day with a very early alpine start, followed by a long and spectacular ski descent. Excellent physical fitness is a must, and confidence in your equipment is required for a successful summit day.

Blow by blow:
Once we get started on the Glacier Creek Road, we will probably have to tour on it for a mile or two before getting to the actual summer "trailhead". The next section will either take us up the upper reaches of Glacier Creek or through beautiful old growth forest. These two options join again in the "Hogsback area" below Heliotrope Ridge at around 6000 feet. Depending on our starting point on the road, you might have already gained 3000 feet of vertical by now. We will hit the Coleman Glacier at around 6500 feet and tour up its beautiful and gentle slopes. This will take us under the spectacular Colfax North face and on to the famous Coleman - Deming Col at 9000 feet. No rest for the weary... Our last section takes us up the Pumice Ridge and the Roman Wall to the Mount Baker Summit Plateau. A short scoot across the plateau will see us to Grant Summit at 10780 feet. An average ascent time is around seven hours.

The descent is a different matter. Time to harvest all that vertical. We will ski down the same way. If all is well, we will ski down the Glacier Creek Canyon and out to the road in less than two hours.

 

Please note that is a sample itinerary. Your route/timing could vary.

Private Trips

Pro Guiding Service proudly offers the most diverse ski touring and ski mountaineering programs of any guiding service in the Northwest. Smaller, more intimate custom itineraries or instructional tours are available for any of our destinations. Tell us what you want to do, and we can create a customized plan for you.
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Pricing

$420
per person
Price based on 3-4 skiers. Please contact us directly for private trips. 425-888-6397 x2 | info@proguiding.com
View Dates & Availability
Payment Policy
If booking a domestic trip that is over 60 days away or an international trip that is over 90 days away, you can book your trip by paying a 20% deposit.  View Full Policy
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel for any reason 60 or more days before domestic trips or 90 or more days before international and Alaska trips, we will refund everything you have paid minus half of your deposit. No refunds will be provided if you cancel your trip for ANY REASON (this includes but is not limited to illness including CoVid-19, injury, or work-related issues) within 60 days of the start of domestic trips or 90 days of international and Alaska based trips.  View Full Policy

Equipment List

Clothing
Base Layer
  • Lightweight or midweight top (avoid cotton)
  • Lightweight or midweight long underwear bottoms, may omit depending on the warmth of your pants
  • Warm ski socks
Mid Layer
  • Fleece or wool or similar warmth layer
  • Wind shirt or soft shell jacket - wind & water resistant, breathable
Outerwear
  • Waterproof/breathable jacket with hood
  • Ski/snowboard pants - either softshell or waterproof/breathable pants depending on weather)
  • Down or synthetic puffy-type jacket
  • Warm hat - should cover ears
  • Sun hat - baseball type or visor
  • Lightweight gloves
  • Ski gloves or mittens
  • A 3rd pair of gloves - recommended for temps above freezing in case your gloves get wet (lightweight or midweight)
Personal Gear
  • Day pack – large enough to fit everything inside (around 30 liters) - dedicated shovel pocket preferred
  • Water bottles - enough for a full day - wide mouth best to prevent freezing shut, hydration systems are okay if the temps are going to be above freezing
  • Lunch and snacks - enough for a full day
  • Sunglasses - adequate for snow travel
  • Goggles
  • Sunscreen - SPF 25+, waterproof
  • Lip Balm - SPF 15+
  • Headlamp - lightweight LED recommended
  • Face mask/covering - for when close contact is unavoidable
Technical Gear

Snow Travel Gear

  • Snow travel equipment - alpine touring or telemark skis or splitboard
  • Boots - touring ski boots or snowboard boots
  • Poles - adjustable poles are ideal so you can adjust the length when going uphill/downhill
  • Climbing skins
  • Ski brakes or removable ski leashes
  • Ski or splitboard crampons - ensure they are compatible with your bindings and ski/board width

Safety Gear

  • Avalanche Beacon
  • Shovel - compact, lightweight, metal blade preferred
  • Probe - dedicated probe only (240cm or longer strongly recommended)

Technical Gear

  • Ice Axe - lightweight, 45-70cm is fine
  • Boot Crampons – Ensure they fit your boots
  • Anti-ball plates for crampons
  • Climbing Harness - lightweight, (no padding; ex: Petzl Altitude, Black Diamond Couloir)
  • Glacier Travel Kit:
    • 2 Locking Carabiners - at least 1 large HMS style and 1 regular locker
    • 2 Non-locking Carabiners - any style, we recommend wire gates
    • 1 Single Length Dyneema/Dynex Runner/Sling (60cm/24in diameter loop)
    • 1 Double Length Dyneema/Dynex Runner/Sling (120cm/48in diameter loop)
    • 1 Cordelette - 6 mm cord, 6 meter length
    • 1 Prussik Loop - 3-4 feet of 6mm cordelette tied in loop with double fisherman's knot and/or a Sterling Hollowblock

 

Optional Items
  • Basic snow study kit - dial stem thermometer(s), crystal card, magnifying loupe, ruler
  • Notebook and writing utensil
  • Thermos - with a hot drink
  • Compass - adjustable declination a must
  • Altimeter watch
  • Maps - contact guiding office for appropriate quadrangles
  • Map case - large Ziploc bags work well
  • Camera
  • Hand sanitizer
Equipment Sales & Rental

Gearing Up Adventurers Since 1999 

Be prepared for every adventure by visiting our sister business—Pro Ski and Mountain Service. Order online or visit us in store in North Bend, Washington. Check out our discounts on rentals and purchases when you book a trip or course with us.
10% Off purchases and 20% Off rentals for Pro Guiding Service guests
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FAQs

How much mountaineering and ski touring experience is required?

No prior mountaineering experience is required, but excellent fitness, good skiing ability, and some ski touring experience will enhance the quality of your weekend substantially.

Does PGS provide food?

No, you are responsible for your own food. We are glad to provide food suggestions though. The Baker Bullet is strenuous! There is no way around it. This is the day where electrolyte drinks, power gels, and shot blocks might make a difference in the end. Make sure you are well hydrated out of the gate!

What size pack should l bring?

Try to fit your gear into a 30 liter pack.

Should I tip my guide?

Although tipping is not required, it is considered standard practice in the guiding industry and is appreciated by our guides. We generally recommend roughly 10%-15% of your course or trip cost or flat amount that you are comfortable with.

Why Book With Us? 

Certified Professional Guides & All Access
All of our guides have the highest quality training and certification in the industry, and you can be sure that we have the permits, licenses and insurance in every location we operate.
Safe, Well-Planned Tour Design
Every tour has a carefully thought-out guide-to-customer ratio. You always get a safe, high-quality trip or learning environment with us.
Pioneers In The Industry
You will travel and learn from experts. We've pioneered several alpine climbing routes, ski descents, and traverses and we've written books on skills and routes in the industry. 
Read Our story
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