Artist Point Snowshoe — Friday, Dec. 21, 2001

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

I have wanted to try snowshoeing for a couple of seasons now but have kept putting it off. The wait was so worth it. I am afraid that this introduction to snow shoeing will make all other trips pale in comparison. Despite a rather nasty weather report, the weather was stunning. We started out from the upper Mt. Baker parking lot at about 11am. After spending about 5 minutes figuring out how show shoes work, we headed towards artist point, proceeding just outside the ski resort boundary at first. After stopping many times to soak in the scenery and take snapshots, we made it to Artist point at around 1pm. Views of Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan were enough to make you want to stay the night. The nasty weather in the forecast had Mt. Rainier socked in, otherwise that would have added to the view. After a quick lunch, we hiked back and forth along the ridge to observe the sights from different viewpoints - all were equally impressive. If you bring a digital camera, bring lots of batteries – I went through two sets. If you go on this route, know your avalanche dangers. The route up to the point is fairly clear of dangers, but just off the main route are several spots that you could get into trouble. We saw evidence of several point releases and there are several well-known avalanche dangers in the area. The forest service sign at the ski boundary indicating that ""you or your heirs"" will be responsible for a minimum $500 rescue fee if you get into trouble tells the story.