WHATCOM COUNTY (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The bad news is Tuesday’s “bomb cyclone” caused extensive damage and power outages across Whatcom County and western Washington. The good news is the storm dumped an insane amount of snow in the mountains. That means it’s time to head east, my friends.
The Mount Baker Ski Area officially opened for passholders on Wednesday, Nov. 20, and then welcomed everyone to the slopes on Thursday. Recent winter storms dumped on the area with over 50 inches of snow falling in just five days. The ski area currently has a snow base of 64″ at Heather Meadows and there’s a whopping and 84″ at the top of Pan Dome.
Those snow totals allowed the ski area to open up 95 percent of their terrain, which is fantastic news this early in the season. Operations have been out of the Heather Meadows Base Area so far this week with more service from the Raven Hut Mid-Mountain Lodge. But the folks at Baker say they’ll likely have the White Salmon Day Lodge open for skiers and snowboarders this weekend.
If you’re heading up the mountain and need to rent gear, there are multiple options for you. The Mt. Baker Ski Area rents all the gear you need, but you can also rent right here in Bellingham. Backcountry Essentials and Yeager’s Sporting Goods have everything you could possibly need to enjoy a day on the mountain. You can also swing by the Glacier Ski Shop on the way up.
Conditions are spectacular, so get up there and enjoy. You can find details on lift tickets and current conditions at mtbaker.us.
If you’re looking for something else wintry to do but prefer to stay warm and cozy, we’ve got you covered. The Allied Arts Holiday Festival of the Arts opens on Friday, Nov. 22 and runs through Christmas Eve every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 331 Commercial St.
It’s a downtown Bellingham tradition that’s been on-going for 45 years. The Holiday Festival of the Arts features over 100 local artisans, live music, workshops for kids and more. If you’re a fan of Christmas Carols, you’ll want to head down at 1:30 p.m. this weekend to watch David Vergin and Friends perform all the classics.
You don’t have to visit the Festival of the Arts in person to shop though. Allied Arts has an online store available too.
Speaking of cozy: The Mount Baker Theatre. The 44th Seattle International Comedy Competition is Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Ten comedians will battle it out on stage with their best ten-minute set and the crowd will pick the winner. It won’t be easy to pick a winner though because all ten finalists have been honing their skills and the talent level is absolutely lit.
For tickets to the comedy competition, go to mountbakertheatre.com.
Our featured live show this week is at Wild Buffalo. Brooklyn-based EDM duo MEMBA is coming to town and they’re bringing their “rich tapestry of world rhythms” with them. Stay warm by dancing the night away at one of Bellingham’s best music venues and enjoy MEMBA’s multisensory experience that allow the listener to “taste, smell, feel and see the music.”
The show kicks off at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and tickets are just $20 at wildbuffalo.net. Enjoy!