Mt. Baker Ski Area wrapped up its 2025-26 ski season on April 19, and skiers and snowboarders from the Bellingham area were eager to get their final turns in before lifts closed for the summer.
In the month prior to closing weekend, the ski area hosted several events. On March 13, the ski area hosted night skiing for the first time. One lift operated from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., giving riders access to a handful of illuminated runs. On April 9 and 10, the ski area provided extended “twilight” hours, where lifts operated an extra four hours, closing at 7:30 p.m. instead of the usual 3:30 p.m.
Local skiers and Mt. Baker employees speculate these events could be making up for the cancellation of the ski area’s premier racing event, “The Legendary Banked Slalom,” which was supposed to be held in February. In the banked slalom, snowboarders are timed as they descend a course consisting of banked turns around gates. The slalom has been canceled for the past two years due to lack of snow.
“No banked slalom and just an overall low snow year gave management a little bit of a push to find more reasons to bring people up to the mountain,” said Kelson Callahan, a patroller at Mt. Baker Ski Area.
Skiers and snowboarders who have been riding at Baker for several years have said that these events have brought new life to the ski area, and many wish they happened throughout the season.
“I think that in the past years, I have felt like sometimes you don't feel like you're getting enough bang for your buck, just because Baker is so expensive,” said Hazel Oberholtzer, who has held a season pass at Baker for five years. “This year felt like they really were looking out for the community and wanted to do stuff that was going to benefit us.”
The ski area also hosted a rail jam competition on April 11, known as “The Last Stand.” A rail jam is a freestyle skiing competition where competitors perform tricks on a variety of different rails and features, generally with judges deciding who the best riders are. This event has been held during the second-to-last weekend of the ski season for the past two years.
While the rainy conditions may have prevented spectators from attending, nothing could stop skiers and snowboarders from coming out to showcase their skills, according to Alex Dufresne, a Mt. Baker Ski Area park crew member.
“The rain honestly made the course a little more fun to ride because it didn't get as slushy as if the sun was beaming down on us,” Dufresne said.
The rail jam was judged by the riders themselves, providing a non-traditional approach to freestyle competitions. Competitors got together after the event to decide who was most deserving of the prizes provided by the ski area, including a $50 gift card to the Mt. Baker gift shop and a custom woodburned medal.
Zander Ulmer (he/him) is a sports and recreation senior reporter for The Front this quarter. He is in his third year at Western, majoring in visual journalism. When he is not reporting, you can find him skiing up at Mount Baker or kayaking down the Nooksack River. You can reach him at zanderulmer.thefront@gmail.com.
