Salmon Ridge Sno-Park is located 13 miles (21 kilometers)east of Glacier, Washington State, just past milepost 46 (or about 45
miles east of Bellingham) on Washington State Route 542, across from
Silver Fir Campground. What we call White Salmon, road is a few minutes drive up the highway.
How to join ...
Please complete the Membership application, print it, and mail it. OR fill out the application in the newsletter To learn more about the benefits of membership, click here.
Grooming and ski conditions information ... The final grooming of the season took place on all ski trails except White Salmon on Friday, March 21. Kurt reports: "I skiied Razorhone Rd. from the snow park on 3-30-08. I have attached, (I hope), a picture of the trailhead. There was about 12 inches of new snow. It was light and not too wet. The trail had not been groomed for at least the past week. No skating and one to two tracks made by skiiers. I was there @ 1030 and was the first on the track. It was overcast and cloudy but not raining. Too bad it isn't being groomed as there is plenty of snow at this time."
NNSC president Ed reports:"I skied today (March 30, 2008) it was great! Mid winter conditions at Salmon Ridge. I'm sure at least a foot of snow has fallen in the past week. The base on Razorhone is at least 2 to 3 feet!Because there is no grooming, of course, there were back country conditions, however, there were enough of us spring skiers that we established a nice track to glide on.
Ron Sawyer and I arrived to blue skis, however, it was snowing heavily once again by the end of the day. When we left, there were six cars in the lot besides us. Two additional cars were there earlier in the day."
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The start of Razorhone trail as it appeared in late March |
Sno park information ...
You must have a sno-park permit to use the Salmon Ridge and Anderson Creek trails, and any of 40 other Washington Statelocations. Parking is not free The parking areas on both sides of the road (highway 542) at Salmon Ridge are designated as a Washington
State Sno-Park and thus a Sno-Park permit is required.
Washington Sno-Park permits are accepted in Washington, Oregon & Idaho. Where do the permit fees go? Specifically, they go to
SALMON RIDGE among others! Proceeds from permit sales are used to maintain and improve nonmotorized Sno-Park facilities. They pay for snow removal,
sanitation facilities, trail grooming, trail signs, mapping, parking lot construction, education, enforcement and program administration. There are more than 40 SnoParks in
Washington alone. Print a map by clicking: here.
Please note a parking fine of
$66.00 per offense is levied by the Forest Service and Whatcom County for
parking in a Sno-Park without a permit. The fine is much more than the cost of buying a pass, and no fun.
Attention: get your SnoPark permit before you head up the mountain! They are no longer being sold in Glacier.
Parking permits are available for $30.00 per year at NNSC meetings, by mail from the Nooksack Nordic Ski Club (mailing address, Nooksack Nordic Ski Club P.O. Box 28793 Bellingham, WA 98228) or give Mel Davidson, the club treasurer a call at 360-734-8782. From the club website you can apply for a SnoPark Permit at the same time you apply for membership. This link takes you to a form. Sorry - we do not sell 1-day permits.
at the North Cascades National Park office in Sedro-Woolley: tel: 360-854-7200
U.S. Forest Service Office in Sedro Woolley.
(Tel: 360-856-5700.
Glacier Ranger Station in Glacier (Closed for the Season): tel: 360-599-2714
Cost: 1 day permit: $10, Seasonal permit: $30. There is a $1 vendor fee added to the permits if you buy them through a merchant.
Here are Bellingham merchant locations (see link)
Backcountry Essentials
214 W. Holly - Bellingham
(360) 543-5678
G.I. Joes
300 E Bellis Fair Pkwy
Bellingham (360) 756-1120
REI - Bellingham
(360) 647-8955
400 36TH St. - Bellingham
Sportsman Chalet
(360) 671-1044
114 W. Holly - Bellingham
Fairhaven Bike and Mountain Sports 1108 11th St. (360)733-4433
You can obtain a mail in order form on line and access 125
merchant locations in other areas by clicking
here
"Wanted" notices...
VOLUNTEERS WANTED - A LOT OF YOU! Help Determine which Park, Trail, Recreation and Conservation Projects Receive State Funding. The state Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is looking for a slew of volunteers to help evaluate grant proposals Applications have now closed for some projects. The Parks, Trails and Habitat Conservation Volunteer Applications are due April 30.
Please click this link for more information, contact points, and applications.
HELP WANTED for Ski to Sea Race: volunteer to help with a photographer. For more details about this fun race, and the requst click here to be taken to the Links page.
Snowshoers on Trails ...
Snowshoers, remember to share the snow, not the trails. Please help us keep our ski trails intact by walking on the shoulders outside the ski tracks. This is also a safety matter. The area between the ski tracks is reserved for skate skiers. Keep in mind also: Hannegan Road is often groomed by the club for snowshoers, and skiers with dogs. Thank you!
There are a lot of other trails for snowshoers to enjoy. Nooksack Nordic Ski Club member Marj Leone compiled these suggested alternatives.
Snowshoe Options Along Mt. Baker Highway, SR 542
CAUTION: An awareness of avalanche risk is vital. Know the hazard level of the terrain and current conditions. For current avalanche conditions, refer to avalanche
Coal Pass, FS 39: More Difficult. Just east of the town of Glacier and milepost 34, turn south on Glacier Creek Rd/FS 39. Park at the snowline. The road travels for several miles through both forests and open vistas.
Excelsior Trail: There is a sizeable parking lot at the trailhead on the north side of SR 542, east of milepost 42. A steep, forested trail leads to the open meadows of Welcome Pass. Route finding skills recommended. The area above treeline is prone to avalanches. Parking is at 1800 feet.
Hannegan Road: Easy-More Difficult. Just east of the DOT equipment sheds by milepost 46. There is a sizeable parking area where Hannegan Road meets SR 542. Snowshoe up Hannegan Road for several miles, or along the Nooksack River to Ruth Creek. The area above treeline is prone to avalanches. The parking area is at 2,000 feet.
Silver Fir Campground: Easy. Across from the large SnoPark east of milepost 46. Flat, amid old growth, by the Nooksack River. SnoPark is at 2,000 feet. A snoPark pass is required.
Bagley Lakes: Easy. Just west of Mt. Baker Ski Area. Drive SR 542 to the end. Park in the farthest corner of the farthest parking lot to access the Bagley Lakes Trail. Parking lot is at 4200 feet.
Artists Point: More Difficult. Follow SR 542 to the end. Park in the farthest corner of the farthest parking lot. Follow the edge of the downhill ski area uphill; where the cat track turns left, go straight beyond an "out of bounds" sign. Avoid this area during times of high avalanche danger. Parking lot is at 4200 feet.
Canyon Lake Community Forest: East of milepost 16, go south on Mosquito Lake Rd, then left on Canyon Lake Road. Park at the snowline.
For snowshoeing opportunities on the Baker Lake Road, such as Schreiber's Meadows, on the Mountain Loop Highway and Stevens Pass, check out the
Forest Service website:
Snowfix Report ... Click here to get forecasts and more for the Mount Baker area, including our nearby trails.
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