Mt. Baker - Squak Glacier (ski)

The Squak route is typically skied in 2-3 days, depending upon previous glacier and skiing experience.

We typically meet our guests in the town of Concrete for a gear check and last minute baked goods before proceeding to the trailhead. In the early season, we can often skin right from the car, and even in early June, we typically don't have to hike too far before swapping into ski boots!

Day 1: After leaving the trailhead, we ascend to around the 6000' elevation (camping is only permitted above 6000'). We can often find some dry campsites near Crag View along the moraine crest.

Day 2: For trips where we teach and review glacier skiing skills, this is our skills day. There are great sites to practice skills such as skinning with ski crampons, walking with boot crampons, self-arresting both with and without skis and basic crevasse rescue.

Day 3: Depending on the forecasted temperatures, we typically leave camp between 2 am and 5 am and ascend to the summit of Mt. Baker utilizing a combination of skinning and climbing with our skis on our packs. After we enjoy the views, the fun really begins as we rip skins and begin one of the longest ski runs in the state! We're typically back at the trailhead in the early afternoon with enough time to grab a frosty beverage and head home after an amazing ski descent.