Just as a heads-up, Google Maps uses a different location for the Artist Point trailhead than what WTA shows. The Google Maps location is not currently accessible by car, as the Mt Baker Highway is covered in snow and closed after the overflow parking lot near Sunrise Lake. This parking area was close to full when we arrived around 10, but we were able to find a spot. There were also two (stocked) toilets near the start of the snowshoe trails.

We planned to snowshoe to Artist Point on Saturday but once we parked, we decided to follow Bagley Lakes to Chain Lakes trails and got some incredible views of Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan. It looked like a lot of folks were heading off in the direction of Artist Point though, so you probably can't go wrong here.

Regardless of what trail you use, definitely pack your snowshoes. We saw some folks trying to do the trail in boots and they were doing quite a bit of post-holing - they ended up turning around after about a quarter mile.

We decided to watch the sunrise on the ridge. Arrived at the Heather Meadows parking lot after 4am and left the lot around 5am. The parking lot is completely covered with snow and ice. Restrooms are available and there's even a little heater in the restroom. The entire area is blanketed in snow. And I hope, more snow is coming as you can still see the restroom roofs in the Artist Point parking lot. There are many trails going up to the ridge and most of them are packed down. Still, snowshoes are needed. As we started in the dark, we followed our navigation/map. We reached the ridge just in time for the show to start. The colors were absolutely stunning. Despite it being a little warmer than the day before, it was still very cold, so we were happy to have brought many layers/hand warmers/hot beverages etc. This area never ceases to amaze me. A few additional notes: Even though we didn't stay overnight, arriving before 5 or 6am in the parking lot is still considered "overnight parking." I couldn't confirm the time, but we were told to go to the lodge to pay. Definitely read up on Overnight Parking - Mt. Baker Ski Area (mtbaker.us) before planning a sunrise hike. Also, we did check the avalanche forecast as the area has several avalanche-prone slopes. On Monday, it was listed as "moderate" but always use caution regardless. Happy adventuring! 

I snowshoed up to Artist Point for sunset photos. I was worried about parking, but my arrival at 1 p.m. meant some spaces were open at the Heather Meadows parking area, but not many. The snowshoe trails were well established, but somewhat chaotic. Sticking to the boundary of the ski area from the restrooms served me well, instead getting distracted by the many side trails.

The trail was steep in places but not technically difficult.

I hiked to the end of Artist Point for views of Mt. Shuksan, which was gorgeous in the glow of afternoon light.

At sunset I backtracked to a view of Mount Baker.

Route-finding on the way down was more challenging than I expected. From Artist Point, going down, the main trails were further to the right than remembered. If I were to do it again I would take better note of features along the trail, especially the last 1/2 mile up, in order to better find the trail in the dark.

Goergous day today. The top looks absolutely beautiful with recent snow. Survived the cold even though the forecast scared me. The peak does get a little cold and windy, but other than that the weather is actually quite comfortable, especially with the sun. Road is very clear and in good conditions. The ski resort’s staff has been working hard! Too bad they couldn’t open today.

Lots of people doing backcountry skiing today. Probably more people on skis than those on snowshoes. First time here, so took a while for me to find the correct trail. If visit on weekend, just follow the packed down tracks and the crowd. Don’t go all the way on the cat trail——it will lead you to another direction. The trail is very very easy, even for me as a first time snowshoer. After today, most fresh snow has trampled by skiers and snowshoers, do don’t expect pristine snow conditions. Worth a visit nonetheless!

Maybe it was because of the ski resort closing, I arrived at 10:30am today but still parked pretty easily. Returned by 2:30pm, still a lot of cars in the parking lot.

I also snowshoes on Jan 13 and agree with most of the previous report. However, I did have difficulty staying on the correct trail. It might have been because I started following skiers instead of snowshoers. Made it to a viewpoint, not officially Artist point but still beautiful. Also, there are some steep sections to be aware of that keep it interesting and maybe more on the moderate than easy side.