For two guys on ski patrol working at Mount Baker — the deepest snow base in North America — waking up to fresh, cold powder is par for the course.
>> Related: Skier lucky to be alive after getting lost for 21 hours in Mount Baker wilderness
But Thursday morning gave Andy Sahlfeld and Chris Loeser a surprise when they looked outside their A-Frame cabin. More than 18 inches fell overnight and snow piled so high, blocking the door, forcing them to dig themselves out.
It’s deep! CLo and Yundar had to dig their way out of the A-Frame this morning to do avalanche control. 🤘
Posted by Mt. Baker Ski Area on Thursday, March 1, 2018
"It's the sign of a good year," Sahlfeld told KIRO 7. "The door is actually elevated, we usually have to walk stairs up to the door, but just this week we're walking down to the door [because of snow.]"
Pow!!! We’re now at 18” in 24 hours and it’s starting to clear off. Hopefully you were on it with the forecast and could...
Posted by Mt. Baker Ski Area on Thursday, March 1, 2018
Sahlfeld, who's worked on Mount Baker for more than a decade, said that getting snowed in doesn't happen every year. He worked at the ski area when during historically low snow pack in the 2014-15 season, when Baker barely opened.
"I would say it's back to good old fashioned Mount Baker," Sahlfeld said. "It hasn't looked like this in four years."
>> Related: Avalanche danger in Northwest: What to know before getting buried
After trudging through waist-deep snow, Sahlfeld and Loeser were finally able to proceed with the day's duties: checking weather instruments, calling in snow plows, and working with the Northwest Avalanche Center to determine danger ratings.
Mount Baker gets some of the heaviest snowfall in North America because of how water evaporates from the ocean, forming clouds. As the clouds move inland, they move high into the air because of Mount Baker -- and thus snowflakes. As the clouds move past Mount Baker they dump their snow right on the ski area.
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