Mt Baker is on the west side of the USA, in Washington state, and because of this has a stormy coastal climate which pukes on the mountain. This ski area actually holds the World Record for snowfall at a staggering 29m which fell during the 98-99 season. Its a resort that caters for all, but favours the hardcore.

Have you heard of the banked slalom contest? Well this is the place were the crazy Americans actually hold the event in a funky looking natural gully. There is a lot of leaning involved in this race, and its well worth a look if you happen to time your visit right. Both pros and amateurs appear from all over the country to compete for the coveted duck tape trophy title in this wacky race.

The moist climate means that snow sticks to steep terrain which would usually be left bare; this opens up a whole new world of super steep lines and billy goat opportunities. Yee Hah! There is loads and loads of steep stuff at Baker and you don't have to look particularly hard to find things to jump off. You have to keep your eyes open though so that you don't fall off the edge of something nasty...

There are plenty of trails for intermediates and a few nursery areas for beginners to play on. The most enjoyable aspect of Baker for intermediate skiers is probably the rolling character of the terrain. This means that you can really get to grips with going faster on the short steeper sections of runs and not be too worried about stopping; there's usually a slightly flatter section just ahead of you. This is also great for those of you who like to take off- plenty of opportunity for airtime.

There is also a park at Baker, but its not the best because it snows too much for it to be kept as pristine as many other fun areas in the states. Its not too bad though and there's still plenty to ;earn tricks on when the snow gets tracked out after heaps of blue sky days.

The small town of Glacier, by the base of the mountain is full of dedicated locals and is a great place to hang out. Most prices are a little lower here than in the more touristy resorts, which is obviously a welcome change.

The mountain is really in the middle of nowhere with the nearest city (Seattle) being over 2 hours away. This means that are usually no crowds on the mountain and the only peaople who ski there are the ones who really really want to ski there. This gives the place a brilliant vibe as the enthusiasm for shredding really fills the mountain with whoops, hollers and heckling. Don't expect to stand on a clif underneath a chair without a chorus of people chanting, "DROP IT, DROP IT". Its all in good jest though and you