TLDR

• Arrival time: 9am, traffic headed up the mountain, lots already over 50% capacity at Heather Meadows, plenty of space still at White Salmon
• Departure time: 2pm, lots filled, people still coming in, but enough morning folks leaving to free up spaces
• Facilities: Heather Meadows ski area was closed today, so the only bathroom was the vault toilet at the trailhead. BYO toilet paper or do yourself a favor and make a pit stop at a gas station on the way up.
• Road condition: snow-free & sanded
• Trail: Covered in deep snow, snowshoes, skis and appropriate snow gear required. Difficult to navigate due to ski & social trails, download a map before you go. 
• Hike: I hiked from Heather Meadows to Artist Point and Huntoon Point, which took about 4-5 hours and ~7 miles round trip. Epic views in every direction, you can make this hike as long or as short as you want and still get to see the beauty of the mountains. 
• Gear: Snowshoes & poles, snow boots, gaiters, snow pants, waterproof gloves, ski jacket with wind layer, thermal layers, face mask, ski goggles, sunscreen & hiking pack with all the essentials. Highly recommend the goggles to protect your eyes from the brilliant sunny snow and freezing wind! Waterproof outer layers are a must, as I was soaked from slipping and sliding in the snow by the end of the hike.

After watching the weather and avalanche forecasts for weeks, the skies finally cleared and the avalanche risk was lowered to "considerable" so I set my alarm for 5am and headed to the North Cascades to do a snowshoe at Artist Point.

I arrived at 9am behind a long line of cars headed up the mountain and a mostly-full parking lot on this Friday morning. The road headed up the mountain was well sanded and mostly snow-free. The sign at White Salmon Base is misleading- it says "Parking Today - Heather Meadows CLOSED." I almost turned off Mt Baker Hwy and parked there, but decided to continue on and have a peek at Heather Meadows. I'm glad I did, because it was open after all! Apparently "closed" refers to the ski lifts and amenities- but the road, parking lot and area are still open.

The trail is covered in deep snow, requiring snowshoes or skis- don't try this in winter boots, the snow is over a meter deep in places!

The trail was tough to follow, since there were hundreds of ski trails and social trails criss-crossing the landscape. I tried to follow the most packed trails, but think I ended up taking the long way out because it took me about 3 hours to get from the parking lot to Artist Point. At one point I followed a trail of skiers up a small hill, hoping for a shortcut, only to spend about an hour trying to summit the small hump. Every step forward slid one step backward, as the snow was very loose and hard to get a good grip with my snowshoes and trekking poles. 

But despite the gruelling climb (my fitbit clocked my round trip hike at 7 miles and burned a whopping 3000 calories, proof that it was intense!), it was an incredible day out in the winter sun! The best part about this hike are the sweeping 360-degree mountain views right from the trailhead, and you don't need to hike all the way to the point to get your dose of snowy mountain magic! Lots of families with smaller children were content to play in the snow close to the trailhead. Wish I'd brought my sled, would've been easier on my knees going downhill on the way back! 

The road- 

We traveled to Heather Meadows on Baker to snowshoe Artist point / Huntoon Point.

The road is well maintained and clear of snow, there was some light ice.  I saw plenty of signs that said you should carry chains but at least at this point they'er nice to have JIC, but not needed.  I have a Nissan Rogue with AWD capability but I did not need it.

The trailhead-   

The parking lots were full by 9am so get there early. There are open facilities onsite.  If you're looking for the trailhead just keep an eye out for Table mountain near Artist point, walk that direction. You'll find the trailhead at the top corner of the upper lot. 

The tail

The trail is well maintained.  You will need snowshoes or you will posthole the whole way to AP.  

This was my first time there.  I'm glad I had my mapped GPS (Strava) because at the beginning of the hike it was useful.  Initially, we followed the tracks with lead to a frozen lake.  We should have stayed closer to the sound of the skiers/snowboarders (To your left on the way up). 

Within the first mile or so you will see the same tapped off boarder between the trail and the runs that the skiers use. Keep that to your left.  Once you get to the top of that hill all the trails go to Artist point. 

If you wish to continue to Huntton point is about another quarter mile, You will see it in the distance.  The view is slightly better, unobstructed views of Shuksan and Baker. 

I created a YT video with more details if you would like to check it out. 

https://youtu.be/PDMCODpQCWk

This post is for people like us who don’t have a lot of backcountry experience but still want to visit Artist Point safely!

We saw the avalanche forecast for the area was “considerable” on NWAC but decided to check it out. We started at the Mt. Baker ski area lot. Follow the ski boundary (on your left) and you’ll avoid a majority of the avalanche exposure. Avoid the switch back and instead head straight up after you reach a plateau with beautiful views of Mt. Shuksan. Mt. Baker awaits at the top of your ascent :)

Always check the avalanche conditions and use your best judgment. Today was beautiful!

Saw a tiny weather window in the forecast and decided to get up to Artist's Point in the afternoon for some soft light.  Arrived about 3ish to a full Heather Meadows parking lot.  Geared up and headed out.  I was joined by another hiker and we made our way up the trail which was easy to spot.  The size and width of it reminds me of the trail made by the Sam the Snowman in the old Rudolph cartoons. It was nicely packed down and snowshoes were perfect for it.

There was quite a bit of fresh snow, untouched and very photogenic.  It was "warm" so there was little ice to deal with.  Got up to the Point and made my way out Huntoon for more views.  Came down by headlamp, sharing my light with a woman snowshoeing down with her baby on her back.

Snowshoed yesterday to Artist’s Point. The road was cleared, with just a bit of snow in the last couple of miles. Toilets at parking lot were open, but no tp. Put snow shoes on from the car and never took them off. Started towards the meadows, but decided to return to parking lot and follow the trail that skirts the ski slope. It looked avalanchy from the meadow, with lots of snow slide evidence, so I thought it would be easier not to climb from there. The path is patted down most of the way and you can follow it. Considering it was a perfect day, I didn’t see a lot of people around. Most were coming up in the afternoon for the sunset. There was evidence of small avalanches so choose your path with care. In my opinion this is the best snowshoe in Washington. At least, while I’m there I always think so.