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Slide Mountain is probably the closest backcounty cross country ski possibility to Bellingham. I've only heard of one person skiing there and that was second hand. I've always wanted to ski Slide Mtn area but the access road S-1000 has been blocked by truly humongous piles of blowdowns until recently. I drove up there the other day to see where the snowline was and it appears DNR recently took care of all the blowdowns.

clearcut where there used to be a lot of blowdowns over the road, Slide Mtn State Forest

Snow starts at about 2800 feet elevation where the road leaves the clearcut and enters forest. I had to carry skis in my pack for about 1 hour due to alternating patches of snow and bare gravel.

carrying skis to the snowline on Slide Mountain in late May

road to Slide Mountain

There are a few views over to Black Mtn, Red Mtn, Sumas Mtn, Kendall and even into Canada for the first 2 miles since the leaves are just beginning to bud out on the alders. Blue grouse are hooting and saw 2 on the edge of the new clearcut. The road then wraps around to an east aspect with views up the North Fork Nooksack valley and continuous snow then finally starts gaining elevation. The weather was mostly sunny and even a little hot in the sun so I got sweaty. Once the road reaches the main ridge it passes a small lake ringed with old growth.

small lake on Slide Mountain's ridge

It climbs a little more then climbs to an old clearcut that is partially open on both sides. The highest peak of Slide Mountain in apparent and looking west across the Racehorse Creek drainage.

Slide Mountain, Washington

looking across Racehorse Creek drainage to R-1200 Rd area

I turned around at a bowl just northwest of Pt 4475. Got in a few OK downhill runs in this bowl. The snow was slushy corn.

yo yo skied a bowl on Slide Mtn's ridge

bowl on Slide Mtn's ridge

Great views of Bald Mtn, Church Mtn and even all the way east to Mt Sefrit and the Yellow Aster Butte area.

upper North Fork Nooksack valley above Glacier from Slide Mtn

Church Mtn and peaks all the way to Yellow Aster Butte, Goat Mtn from Slide Mtn ridge

Church Mountain from Slide Mountain

Winds picked up and it started to get cloudy so I turned around. The ski down was a different experience from all the bumps and ridgs that gave the snow an irregular surface. It took about 2.75 hours to reach the bowl near Pt 4475 and about 1.25 hours to get back down to the car. Maybe 10 miles round trip (?). About 1600 foot elevation gain. Map below with red marks on start and finish points.

slide mtn cross country ski tour

No blowdowns over the road but 1 or 2 big rocks that may block car access once the snow melts. At one point, a shale outcrop sloughed down and covers the road. This was a great spring ski tour trip!