WAITED FOR A CLEAR DAY TO TAKE IN MT. BAKER, HEATHER MEADOWS, AND SHOWSHOE UP TO ARTIST POINT FROM SKI AREA. THE PLANNING PAID OFF!! I WANTED TO TAKE MY DAUGHTER OUT FOR HER FIRST TIME SNOWSHOE TRIP. SHE KEPT ASKING DAD WHY WE COULDN'T JUST PICK A DAY A WEEK IN ADVANCE, AND GO FOR IT. I TOLD HER: NOT AT MT. BAKER !! (AS I'VE RUN INTO RAIN AND FOG QUITE OFTEN)SO WE WAITED UNTIL THE JET STREAM COOPERATED, AND WE WERE REWARDED WITH A PICTURE PERFECT DAY. STUNNING. THE HIKING, SNOWSHOEING, CROSS COUNTRY SKIING, AND YES TOBAGGONING OPPORTUNITIES WERE ALL THERE. AND, WHILE IT WAS CROWDED AROUND SKI LODGE AREAS, THE BACKCOUNTRY WAS RELATIVELY QUIET. AVALANCHE DANGER AROUND BAGLEY LAKES AREA IS LOW, AND IT WAS AN EASY OUTING UP TO ARTIST POINT, AND HUNTOON POINT TO SE OF ARTIST POINT PARKING LOT. LOTS OF TRACKS OUT TO PTARMIGAN RIDGE, AROUND TABLE MOUNTAIN, AND EVEN UP THE STEEP EAST APPROACHES TO TOP OF TABLE MOUNTAIN. LITTLE EVIDENCE OF AVALANCES. A SUPERB DAY ANYWHERE YOU GO WITH LOTS OF PLACES TO EXPLORE. MY NEXT SNOWSHOE OUTING WILL PROBABLY BE A LETDOWN WHEN COMPARED TO THIS. VIEWS ALL THE WAY SOUTH TO THREE FINGERS, WHITEHORSE, AND STUART RANGE TO SE, ETC. ETC. A FEW TIPS: THE MSR CLASSIC SHOWSHOES WERE SUPERIOR AND THERE'S A GREAT LITTLE RENTAL PLACE IN GLACIER NEXT TO GROCERY STORE(IN SAME BUILDING)WITH GREAT ADVICE AND LOW RENTAL RATES. WE FOUND THE BEST PLACE TO START IS IN PARKING LOT BEHIND MAINTENANCE BUILDINGS WEST OF OLD DAY SKI LODGE AT BAKER. THERE'S A NICE CAT TRACK TO GET STARTED DOWN TO BAGLEY LAKES,AND VISITOR CENTER, WHERE THE 133"" SNOW BASE IS EVIDENT: YOU CAN EVEN HAVE FUN SNOWSHOEING OVER ROOF OF VISITORS CENTER!! GREAT AREAS TO TOBAGGON, TOO. FOR A NICE FINISH, TRY STOPPING AT THE NEW WHITE SALMON SKI LODGE AT LOWER SKI AREA OF MT. BAKER FOR A REFRESHMENT ON THE WAY HOME. NICE PIECE OF WORK AND WELL WORTH THE STOP. THIS AREA ON A CLEAR DAY IS HARD TO BEAT!!

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.

The snow has closed the state road from Heather Meadows by the Mt. Baker ski area up to Artist Point. Our group of ten snowshoers left the Mountaineer's Baker Lodge as the snow kept coming down. With all the new snow, we needed to take turns breaking trail. Even with snowshoes on, we still sunk in about a foot. Once up to the parking lot at the end of the road, the visibility was only about 100 yards in the blowing snow. No views today (Friday Nov. 23rd). The weather cleared up on Saturday morning with the view of Mt. Shuksan from the lodge windows. Some of us who had gone up to Artist Point in Fridays snow storm, decided to go back up again. The snow trail was now packed with snowboarders, teleskiers, cross country skiers and more snowshoers. With only high clouds, the view out to Mt. Baker was open. Some of the boarders and skiers were going down Table Mountain. I snowshoed around the area from Artist Point before heading back to the lodge. If you haven't been up to this area in the Winter, check it out on a clear day for the great views.

November is traditionally the month where we become couch potatoes. Stuck between the hiking & skiing seasons we were always at a loss over what to do. It took an event that only happens once in a lifetime to shake us out of our doldrums, a warm sunny Saturday in November! There was also some Leonid thingy too, more on that later. State Route 542 is still clear all the way to the Heather Meadows parking lot. From there the road up to Artist's point is covered in a think hard packed layer of snow, no addition footwear was required beyond a regular pair of hiking boots. For those in a hurry to get higher you could shortcut the switchbacks in the road via a well-trodden path. In the upper parking lot the snow was quite a bit deeper as one would discover if they ventured away from the pre-established trails. We followed a series of tracks along Artists Ridge and rarely post-holed. We had been up this way numerous times before in the summer and were amazed how such familiar sights as Shuksan and Baker were transformed in the winter. Even the lesser peaks that rarely gather a second look were striking as the light frosting brought out the detail in their features. It was if you were in the heart of Alaska and not a just a mile away from the car. We tromped along the ridge to a col that directly faced Mt. Shuksan and set up camp. Shuksan is probably one of the most photographed mountains in all of Washington and with good reason. It perfectly captures the many colours of the setting sun and despite all those great photographs nothing beats seeing it in person. However as beautiful as it may be it wasn't the focus for this trip, we retired early and set the alarm for 1am. 'We don't know much about astronomy'' but when someone tells me that this will be the best meteor shower until 2099 we thought it was worth checking out. Wow, like nothing we have ever seen or likely will ever see again. Virtually every few seconds from all corners of the sky shooting stars emerged and just as quickly vanished from sight. Some seemed to explode with bright white intensity (fireballs we are told) and one fifteen minutes into the show put all the others to shame. Streaking out from behind Shuksan it left a trail the size of a jetliner, then once overhead it exploded with such intensity that it lit up the night sky (a shadow caster we are told). What can beat that' Nothing really but waking up to Mt Baker bathed in early morning light was a treat and then glissading a short distance back to the truck was a blast. Best of all we know what we will be doing next November.

This trail report is for Artist's Point, 2 miles above Austen Pass near the Mt. Baker Ski Area. Perhaps not the trail you mean, but a worthy place to hike/ski/snowshoe to. Park at ski area. No one there. It's great. Follow any of a number of way trails (on 8-12"" snow), some booted down pretty good, or follow the now cat-tracked road eastward, and upward, toward the Lake Ann trailhead. From that junction pick a route to the top of the ridge. Either follow the snow covered road, strap on snowshoes and head up cross-country, or find and hike your way up one of the early boarder's trails. Unless with a friend, consider all of this terrain absolute backcountry and take appropriate measures. Top of the ridge: Untracked snow. 15"" of incredible, paper thin crystals that tinkled when touched. Snowshoeing swoosh heaven. All alone with Monarch Mt. Shuksan and Komo Kulshan - great white watcher. Careful, hikers. The time between sunset, dusk, twilight and darkness is growing ever shorter.