Washington State Mountain Vacations: Alpine Beauty in the Pacific Northwest
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 When
it comes to recognizing some of North America's most spectacular and celebrated
mountain vacation regions, Washington State stands tall amongst the very
best. The beautiful state of Washington is located in the magnificent Pacific
Northwest region that also includes Oregon, Idaho and the Canadian province
of British Columbia- directly to the north. Washington is also part of a
more specific region known loosely as Cascadia; an area that includes Washington,
Oregon and British Columbia. The area includes the landmasses that make
up the Cascade mountain range.
Speaking of the Cascade mountain range, it is this spectacular mountainous region that is home to the majority of Washington State's most popular mountain resort and ski vacation destinations. The most northern of these Cascade Range mountain locales is Mt. Baker. The impressive peak of Mt. Baker boasts some of the state's most spectacular ski runs. This makes Mt. Baker popular with Washingtonians and British Columbians alike. Mt. Baker Ski Resort boasts an elevation of 1,539 m/ 5,050 ft and provides 10 Lifts (including 3 high speed quads, 1 triple chair, 5 double chairs, and 2 tow ropes). Mt. Baker receives on average 1,643 cm/ 54 ft of snow per year- and that allows for plenty of fresh powder days.
While one of the most popular ski resort destinations located within Washington, Mt. Baker is just one of many top ski and snowboard locations. Some of the other most popular ski-able hills include: Crystal Mountain, Bluewood Ski Resort, 49 Degrees North, Echo Valley Ski Area, Mission Ridge, Loup Loup Ski Bowl, Mt. Spokane, Summit at Snoqualmie, Steven's Pass, and the White Pass Ski Resort. Crystal Mountain is popular with skiers and snowboarders because it offers 10 separate lift chairs and provides a vertical rise of 945 m/ 3,100 ft. Beyond skiing and snowboarding, Crystal Mountain is also popular with vacationers looking to enjoy some tremendous alpine vistas and a quaint mountain village atmosphere. As with many of the alpine destinations throughout Washington, Crystal Mountain offers a wide variety of spring and summer activities to go along with the ski season activities.
Amongst these various ski hill options (all of which tend to fall either on the west or east side of the Cascades) the resort area of Summit at the Snoqualmie Pass Resorts of Summit are amongst the most popular because of the impressive amount of annual snowfall they rack up. The Summit at Snoqualmie Pass for is located only 50 miles east of Seattle. That means that all that rain that falls on Seattle falls as fresh powder along the Snoqualmie Pass. The Summit offers four separate ski areas including Summit West, Central, East and Alpental. So just how much does fall here? Well, over 405 inches each and every year!
While the stunning state of Washington is home to an impressive list of ski vacation destinations and resorts, it is perhaps most well known for its volcanoes. These rumbling peaks have emerged as some of the state's most popular vacation destinations. The most famous volcano of all, and not just in Washington but throughout the continent of North America, is Mt. St. Helens. The once perfect peak of Mt. St. Helens underwent a massive face-lift in 1980 when the volcano erupted with massive force. Still today, over 25 years later, the Mt. St. Helens National Monument is hugely popular with tourist looking to relive this explosive event. And believe it or not, Mt. St. Helens is still rumbling. Steam can be seen emerging from the top of the mountain on many days of the year.
Mt. St. Helens is far from the only volcano located in the area. In reality there are numerous volcanoes that run up and down the west coast of the United States- including the already mentioned Mt. Baker, as well as Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood just south in northern Oregon. In terms of impressive mountain vistas the soaring peak of Mt. Rainier, which overlooks the Seattle skyline (on clear days anyway!), is almost unparalleled. Mt. Rainier is an active volcano encased in over three dozen miles of snow and ice, bordered by beautiful old growth forest and scenic wildflower meadows. Mt. Rainier offers plenty of look-out points and year-round recreational activities that make it popular with a wide variety of alpine vacation enthusiasts. Mountain Rainier National Park, established in March 1899, is made up of some 235,625 acres of magnificent Cascadia landscape ranging in elevation from 1,610' to 14,410' above sea level.
When one considers all this impressive alpine beauty, it's no surprise that the natural wonderland of Washington State is one of North America's most celebrated mountain vacation destinations. Washingtonians and residents of Great Pacific Northwest in general are known for their love of the great outdoors. And clearly, the stunning mountain peaks scattered throughout the boundaries of the state make up a large part of the appeal. Whether it's the ski and snowboard resort destinations of northernmost Mt. Baker Ski Resort or the Summit along the powder-packed Snoqualmie Pass, or the impressive vistas of volcanic peaks like Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier, Washington State is the kind of alpine region that is rare indeed. And the rare alpine air of these sensational natural wonders keeps mountain vacation enthusiasts returning to this part of the continent season after season, and year after year. |
