What a beautiful day for snowshoeing. We arrived at the parking lot (up past the chalet, past the chair lift area allll the way to the end of 542) and got started at about 10:30 a.m.
It was pretty comical snowshoeing up next to skiers and snowboarders - I didn't realize that in order to reach Artist Point you would literally be snowshoeing up a ski run before veering right to head up to Artist Point. It was pretty fun watching the skiers and snowboarders whiz by. Lots of cross country skiers were out as well, and we basically followed them up the trails to Artist Point since it was our first time snowshoeing there. It's a little confusing, but there are lots of mini cross country ski trails and cross country skiers leading you up that you can follow.
Once you get to Artist Point, it's kind of like a large parking lot with gently rolling hills - you can hike east or west and just explore the whole area. The views of Shuksan and Baker are beautiful, and more adventurous hikers can extend their trip up Table Mountain, although caution should be taken with the current avalanche conditions.
All in all, a beautiful day to get out and snowshoe. The only things I would have done differently were worn gaiters and gotten there earlier. Starting at 10:30 was good, but the light was pretty bright and lots of people were out. There is a privy in the parking lot, and we had cell reception on the mountain. The roads leading up to the parking lot were in pretty good condition, some patches of ice and melted snow, but my friend's Prius made it just fine. Looking forward to coming back here and exploring this area again!
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