Bottom Line:
Beautiful sunset hike to Artist Point, and then on to Huntoon Point. In the late afternoon, the ascent is entirely in the shade, but with lots of reflective light from Shuksan and its many glaciers. Attaining the ridge at Artist Point, the sun had already set behind Mt Baker (sun still very low in the sky), but Shuksan was lit up brightly. With sunset, the horizon in every direction glowed yellow/orange eventually to pink. The subtle and deepening link light on Shuksan was unexpected. Stunning! Quite a number of folks camping overnight - I am jealous as sunrise will likely be a stunner as well!
Stats:
- Distance: ~4-3/4 miles
- Vertical: ~1200 ft
- Duration: 2-1/2 hours
- Road/Parking: Mt Baker Hwy was clear, but had icy sections, especially at lower elevations where freezing fog has left a layer of ice on everything. The trailhead parking lot at very end of road (in winter just short of Heather Meadows Visitor Center) with a mix of ski-area customers, snowshoers and backcountry skiers. Farthest row to the right is reserved for overnight parking with permit. No parking fee while ski area is in operation.
- Weather: Sunny, calm winds, 28F to start, dropping to 20F on return; it got fairly dark on the return without a moon, but the twilight was sufficient for navigation.
- Trail: Reached the trailhead just before 3pm for a sunset snowshoe out to Artist and Huntoon. With no new recent fresh snow and plenty of traffic, snowshoes were not really required, and we just headed out with microspikes. We did not take poles, but they would have been useful for a couple steeper sections. The way is definitely "tracked" but there are lots of views out to wilder areas of snow. We were "swimming upstream" on the way out, with lots of snowshoers returning from mid-day trips. The sunset crowd was much smaller, and what a show it was! I was not sure if sunrise or sunset would be better but can say that sunset was truly spectacular. Being nestled within a cluster of snowy peaks, there were beautiful yellows, oranges and pinks in every direction, even north up to the peaks straddling the Canadian border. Perhaps this makes it a better and more intimate winter sunset spot than similar perches at Mt Rainier. CAUTION: This is avalanche terrain - check the report in advance. The trail is mostly above tree line, and it would be easy to get lost in poor weather.
- Avalanche Danger: Low (Monday increasing to Moderate)
- Takeaway: Would like to try sunrise next, with some fresh snow! This time of year, sunrise is pretty late, making that goal much more achievable for this night owl ;)
I wish I had captured this hike with video, but the shady ascent had me thinking I had not timed the light right - boy, was I wrong. But the time I realized that it was too late to create a full-trail video :) Next time. But video from last year's decidedly snowier trip here.
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