22 miles with an 11,000-foot climb: Kulshan Randonnée returns to Mount Baker
Whatcom County is known for its outdoor activities, from skiing to mountain biking, but very few events are going to be as challenging as a 22-mile hike with an 11,000 foot elevation gain, all while wearing skis. That’s the challenge teams will face May 17 at Mount Baker.
Richard Kresser is executive director of Snowgoat Skimo, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the sport of ski mountaineering in the Northwest. Kresser helped create the Kulshan Randonnée, a backcountry technical ski mountaineering race, as a way for athletes to push themselves further than ever before.
“I’m a mountain and endurance athlete myself, and in all the different races and competitions that I might want to compete in, I always looked for what’s the hardest thing out there? You don’t want the race that you know that you can finish, that’s not that exciting,” Kresser said. “You want the race that is going to test your limits, where failure is not only a possibility but the most likely outcome.”
Ski mountaineering involves climbing mountain terrain while wearing skis. Participants use Alpine Touring ski bindings, which work by gluing a “skin” to the bottom of the ski that prevents them from slipping backward, downhill. At times, racers may be forced to take off their skis if the terrain becomes especially steep. When teams get to the top of an ascent, they can simply ski down the descent section, according to Kresser.
The Kulshan Randonnée takes place entirely in the backcountry of the mountain, making it unique in the sport of ski mountaineering. As far as Kresser knows, there are only two other events like this in the world, and they take place in the Swiss Alps.
The race crosses over two glaciers on the southern side of Mount Baker, and teams will have to be able to make three ascents and descents during the race.
Crevasses and other obstacles are common in the course, so racers are grouped into teams of three and roped together. Racers also carry a GPS tracker, so all the teams can be monitored, Kresser said.
Safety is taken very seriously by race organizers, as the endeavor is dangerous by its nature. The race course will be flagged with 1,300 4-foot fiberglass wands with flags to keep racers from getting lost. Volunteers will be stationed at checkpoints at the top and bottom transition points, which will record where teams are, Kresser said.
In case of an emergency, the Cascade Mountain Ascents, a Bellingham mountain guide co-op, has been contracted to provide two rescue teams. They will be located strategically along the course with a rescue cache of gear. Bellingham Mountain Rescue is also aware of the event and would deploy resources if needed, Kresser said.
“We came up with a pretty good, detailed plan, but no plan survives first contact with the enemy,” Kresser said. “We have to host the event a number of times and see how the plan gets put into effect, every year is an experiment where we will learn a number of things and identify what we need to change in future years to make the event as good as it needs to be.”
There also will be a skills station check-in the Friday before the race in Concrete, to make sure participants have the talents needed to not only complete the race, but to do so safely.
“It’s more about being competitive against yourself, and being out there for the experience,” Kresser said. “Being able to accomplish these feats of endurance provides such a sense of accomplishment and confidence that you can take into other aspects of your life.”
Kresser wanted to bring the sport to Washington, and Mount Baker was specifically chosen because of his personal connection with the area.
“Kulshan is a unique place that is very near and dear to my heart, and being able to host this sort of event and showcase what the mountain has to offer and tell its story is really great, life ambition,” Kresser said.
In 2016, Kresser’s friend, Dan Probst, started the 108-mile Mount Baker Ultra Run, and Kresser participated. Then in 2017, Probst created a 50-mile ultramarathon from Concrete to the top of Sherman Peak on Mount Baker. For the ultramarathon, Kresser served as the Mountain director.
“Serving as the Mountain director for the race was an incredible experience, and it was a natural fit for when I was trying to figure out where I could host a backcountry endurance ski mountaineering race,” Kresser said. “I’ve spent 11 years in the event-directing field, and the Kulshan Randonnee is my magnum opus in this space. It has the potential to be a world class event, or it might never happen again. Each year is an adventure with all of the logistical hurdles and weather obstacles, but that unknown is what makes it exciting.”
The race was inspired in part by the original Mount Baker Marathon. Created in 1911, contestants started at the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce and raced to the peak of Mount Baker. Racers could get to the bottom of the mountain by car or train, then would have to climb the mountain on foot.
The marathon was held for three years and was eventually canceled permanently due to the risk of injury and death. However, it served as inspiration for the annual Ski-to-Sea race that began in 1973, according to the Whatcom Museum.
Kresser hopes to have 33 teams participate in the randonnée. Twenty-four teams have signed up.
The race is scheduled for May 17, with teams getting 10 hours to make it to the finish line. The race starts on Forest Road 13, although the exact starting line depends on the snowfall the road has at the time of the race. Kresser said the start line will be however far up the road they can drive before hitting the snowline.
The finish line is expected to be at the parking lot at the Easton Glacier Climbing Route, where most of the festivities will be located.
This year’s event will be the second iteration of the backcountry Kulshan Randonnée, with 21 teams competing in 2024. The first team to finish did so in about three hours, Kresser said, although the race was shortened by one ascent and descent due to weather conditions.
The race was attempted in 2023 but was canceled a week before because weather and avalanche conditions were deemed too dangerous.
The registration cost is $1,200 for each team. Categories for the race include men, women and co-ed. Registration can be done through the Kulshan Randonnée website, and registration fees go toward staffing and equipment. It also pays for the rescue teams, photographers and videographers.
Volunteers are still needed for the race, and interested parties can register for a list of volunteer roles online.
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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