The final three miles of Mt Baker Hwy are still closed for the season but the road has been plowed as far as the entrance to the artist point parking lot. So while the actual trails are all still buried under deep snow, you can park at the Bagley Lakes trailhead and walk up the road to Artist Point. That is what we did and it was beautiful.

Lots of big snow walls, some small snow melt waterfalls, and a few small rockslides. The pond at the Heather Meadows parking area was just starting to begin it's thaw and an employee was getting started plowing out the Heather Meadows parking area. We spotted a pair of marmots and one pika in a snow free rocky area.

Wild Goose Trail:
贝克山顶， 有好几条步道， 往日到山顶， 游客很少， 没敢独自走。
10月13日， 是星期天， 又适逢加拿大的感恩节假期， 许多游客， 自然而然就随了人群， 走进了野雁步道。
秋日的午后， 阳光明媚， 沿着山顶湖（河）的两岸， 来回一条2.5英里的小道， 沿途略有高低起伏，看湖光山色， 秋水伊人。
一直以来， 都喜欢自然， 远离都市喧嚣， 亲近山水草木， 世界是那么安详， 生命有是那么自在。
*步道维修应该是近期， 非常适合全家老少， 有石， 有水， 有山， 有秋色。

Perfect day on the trails! The weekends are crowded here so try to visit during the week. Arrive early to get a parking spot. Please read up on trail etiquette before hitting the trail.  I hiked the loop clockwise starting at Heather Meadows visitor center and taking the steep Wild Goose trail up to the Artist Point TH. This allowed me to descend from Herman Saddle rather than climb it. The hike is mostly exposed so bring lots of water and a filter to make more.  Sun protection is recommended.  The mosquitos and flies were an annoyance but nothing my natural deet-free lemon eucalyptus repellent couldn't handle (smells great, too).  The trail is in great condition with only a few small spots of snow to cross which are probably melted by now.  Iceberg Lake was wonderful to take a dip and cool off. If you'd like to know what to expect and which sights you'll see along the way, watch my YouTube video for details:  https://youtu.be/84vy6yCosKQ?si=oi1HKrvvg2VsYmmL

Please leave no trace. Happy Trails!

Did the Chain Lakes loop counterclockwise by way of Wild Goose Trail. Started our hike at 9am at the Wild Goose trailhead lot by Terminal Lake (right by the Heather Meadows visitor center). The parking lot had tons of room and a well stocked bathroom. From there we took the Wild Goose Trail up to Artist Point to begin the Chain Lakes Trail counterclockwise. This adds a steep extra mile or so to the loop but comes with the benefit of easier parking (Artist Point lot was completely full and we saw cars have to turn around) and no re-ascent to the Artist Point parking lot. 

Weather was gorgeous and we enjoyed sweeping views of Shuksan and Baker throughout the entire hike. We lunched at Iceberg Lake (along with many others). Swimming was a perfect way to beat the heat of the day. 

Going counterclockwise makes uphill sections steeper but shorter in contrast to a long and slow descent (parking by Terminal Lake avoids the climb back up to the Artist Point lot). Moderate/hard is an apt rating for this hike. The trail is incredibly well maintained so the steep sections are very manageable. Sun exposure and dehydration are what can tip this hike into the hard zone. This hike is mostly exposed which brings gorgeous views but also comes with being in the sun all day. Starting early (we did not and the two pm sun was hot hot hot) and bringing lots of water and sunscreen a must. 

This hike is incredibly popular and for good reason. One of the best bang-for-buck hikes in Washington in a difficulty/view tradeoff. The one downside of this popularity was hiking etiquette was largely not observed. Uphill hikers are generally not given the right of way. If you are a stickler for hiking etiquette, I would avoid this hike on weekends lol.

Strava put the total mileage at 7.55 and 1,889 feet. 

Hike start: 9:15 am

Iceberg Lake: 11:30 am

Left lake: 12:30 pm

Parking lot: 3:00 pm

My 88 year old father-in-law is a constant reminder that age doesn't have to be a barrier.  It's been two beautiful days at Mt  Baker, sunscreen is a must today.  We dropped the rest of the family off at White Salmon ski area and drove to Heather Meadows to do a little snowshoe.  We shoed to the Visitors Center and back, enjoying the views.