Not much else can be said about this hike that hasn't already been mentioned in previous trip reports, except for DO IT! The views are spectacular, and if you are a relative newbie in terms of snowshoeing, well, on a nice day, you won't be alone on the trail. As for conditions, the snow tended to be hard-packed, and you might be better off with crampons or microspikes, but I wore snowshoes the whole day, and did fine. The Mt. Baker Hwy. is in good condition, and only the last 10 miles or so will you see snow of any note. However, for the most part, the road is dry (though watch out for ice in the early morning from snow melting from the day before). Parking lot is icy, but my Ford Focus had no problems...just take it slow and watch out for numerous skiers heading to the slopes! Overall, a beautiful day in the mountains!!!

Decided to check out Artist's Point based on a favorable weather forecast. Hiked up the well travelled trail using Sorels and came back down on snowshoes. Snow is crusty, especially in the shadows. Stayed up late to catch the moonrise. Patches of ice on Mount Baker Highway.

This was an ideal weekend to go to Mt. Baker. The snowpack is lower than usual, but not to the degree that the South Cascades are suffering from- the day before, I attended an avalanche transceiver training at a still-closed Alpental! I arrived at about 9:30 and found the lots rapidly filling up, probably because of limited skiing at some lower elevation areas. With the burgeoning popularity of snowshoeing, snowshoes are not always needed, which was the case today: several firm trails were packed down into the firm lower layer, making shoes unneccesary, though most were wearing them. I followed trails that strayed toward Bagley Lakes, away from the ski run, and just crossed back when it was necessary to avoid the dropoff. There are only two steep areas, which were completely manageable with the cooperative snow and cool temperatures (plus I was in the shade on the way up). I gained ground much more quickly than anticipated, so I wandered across the meadows below Artist Point for pictures in relatively pure snow, and for exercise. Artist Point hosted many happy people skiing, snowshoeing, and taking bazillions of photographs of the beautiful scenery. The area is large enough to find a nice quiet spot to eat lunch and gaze and one mountain or another (I chose Baker, which is showing crevasses long past when I would expect). The ravens patrol looking for scraps- don't feed them, please, as they learn to rip into packs and stuff sacks as people wander around taking photos. Avalanche conditions were moderate, with a couple slides across ski tracks in the Herman Saddle area. A few people were skiing on the Coleman Pinnacle trail area, which looked a tad dicey- too eerily smooth and undisturbed as the sun warmed the slopes. Overall, a wonderful hike in the snow and a gorgeous day!

This was my second snowshoe trip. I took my 17yr old daughter, a couple old school snowshoes, lots of water, sunglasses, sunscreen, peanut butter, & chocolate. We wore snow gear and were thankful. It was a bluebird day and bitter cold. 11 inches of powder made this trip nice. From the upper parking lot, we followed a trail that initially ran parallel to the Cat Track. It veered off in multiple directions. We stayed left so as to not end up at the lakes below. Some steep climbs & about an hour of effort later, we found ourselves over Austin pass and on Artist Point where we enjoyed sweeping views of Table Mountain, Ptarmigan Ridge, & Mt Shuksan. We ate a bite here, played for an hour, then headed down. Beautiful day! The most breathtaking views I've ever witnessed.

For snowshoers of all levels, Artist Point offers a beautiful setting to head off on an established trail or blaze your own in the abundant powder. I like that it's so open and you can head in any direction, staying among others or getting away from everybody. I was fortunate to get a relatively early start after my 3 hour drive from Kirkland, leaving the ski area parking for the trail before noon. There were already many sets of tracks; if your destination is Artist Point or Ptarmigan Ridge, you set out in the same direction -- follow the right (western) boundary of the ski area up, sometimes steeply, until you leave it behind. Be mindful of the skiers and boarders, as sometimes they can go a little wide and out of their area. Keep dogs and kids close by, too. You'll see trails peeling off in various directions. One set generally follows the longer road path, others head straight up the incline with precipitous switchbacks cut into the snow. Choose your workout -- long and gentle or short and steep. Then it's up to you how far you want to go. Once you come to the apparent ridge and Baker is in front of you to the south if it's a clear day, you can head to the left (east-ish) to Artist Point, or to the right to Ptarmigan Ridge. I opted to go left toward Mt. Shuksan. My Boston Terrier and I made our way; as we climbed, the shaded north side of the ridge was in the upper 20's and my dog was getting a little cold. Plus the clouds were mostly obscuring Shuksan, so just before we reached the Point, we decided to turn back and call it a day. The snow was great; a medium powder that I sunk about a foot into when making a new trail. With just the top of the restrooms appearing at the unplowed parking lot at Artist Point, I figure there's a least an 8-10ft. base of snow. Folks were happy to be spending their holiday time up there. The road to the ski area is fine though slick in a few spots.