History of the Mount Baker Ski Area The early roots of the Mount Baker Ski Area can be traced to the 1920’s. At that time there was a road from Bellingham to the current site of the Heather Meadows Lodge that was maintained throughout most of the year. In 1923 the Mount Baker Development Company signed a lease in Austin Pass Meadows for a hotel site. Work in the site began the following year and by the end of 1924 there Heather Inn was completed. The Heather Inn was small and consisted of a dining hall and bunk house, which would serve as living quarters for the workers while the hotel was being constructed. At this time the Forest Service and the Mount Baker Development Company worked together to create trails around Table Mountain for the future hotel clientele.

Happy Skiers in the late 1950’s

On July 14, 1927 the Mount Baker Lodge was officially opened for service. The Mount Baker Lodge was located at the site of the current Heather Meadows Lodge in the Mount Baker Ski Area. The Mount Baker Lodge was enormous with over 100 rooms and a dining hall large enough to seat 300 guests. The lodge was off the grid with its own hydroelectric power system. The Mount Baker Lodge was considered a success during its first year with an estimated visitor population of 11,700. The company provided guests with experienced mountain climbing guides, or they could explore the Table Mountain trail system on their own. The Mount Baker Lodge stood strong for 5 years until August 5th, 1931 when the fire alarms began to sound. The lodge was immediately engulfed in flames and within a couple of hours was reduced to nothing.

Skiing at Mt Baker continued after the lodge burned down, as the Heather Inn and some of the smaller lodges had survived. During the 1930’s several more small lodges and cabin were constructed in the Austin Pass region. In 1935, the Mount Baker Ski Club was officially formed. The Mount Baker Ski Club was formed from the Mount Baker Club, which originated in 1911. During the winter of 1935 skiing at Mt Baker had become so popular that an “escalator” was constructed to the top of Panorama Dome. The escalator consisted of a sled that could hold about 20 people that was pulled be a steel cable and double-drum donkey engine. This sled lasted for a year until it was taken out by an avalanche. The sled was eventually replaced with a rope tow. During the 1930’s the Mount Baker Development Company continued to grow despite the national economic depression that was taking place. In fact, there were several major ski meets that were held during this time.

Everything seemed to going smoothly at Mt Baker until the beginning of World War II. In the winter of 1941 – 1942 the Mount Baker Development Company suffered greatly and was forced to file bankruptcy. During that winter the Forest Service was unable to keep the roads clear due to a shortage of gasoline. Even if the roads had been clear, there was little time and money available for skiing during the war years. The Mount Baker Club also took a break during the war as many members entered the service. While the rope tow was reestablished in 1946, the ski area did not become steady again until the 1950’s

The Mt Baker Ski Area was eventually purchased by the Mount Baker Recreation Company in 1952 and was running strong by 1957. At the time, the Mount Baker Ski area was primarily operating on rope tows although the first chairlift was constructed up to Panama Dome in 1954. In 1965 a second chairlift was added. The forth and fifth chairlifts were added in 1968 and 1969. In 1971 a sewage treatment plant and the Day Lodge were added. Two more chairlifts were added in 1974 and 1978. Currently, there are 7 quad chairlifts and 2 rope tows in operation at the Mount Baker Ski Area.