2/2. Promised clearing for the afternoon, I set off to Mt. Baker ski area with Mary. She has no one else to spend her birthday, so I invited her to come along.
First stop at
Nooksack Falls. A nice waterfall within 2 minute walk, and a half mile detour.
We arrived at the Heather Meadow base around 1:45pm, due to the late start, and multiple stops for food and toilet. Here's a
ski trail map of the ski area. Parked along the road, all plowed and free of ice/snow. The main parking lot was full of snow, which I didn't think it's a good idea to take my rental Corolla in. A little bit of snow was still falling, but soon it stopped. I didn't make it to
Artist Point, but high enough to get on fresh snow. Very powdery and soft. I sank often into the snow ~0.5' with snowshoes on. Up to the visitor center at Austin Pass, it was fairly easy, steep if you use tube-like snowshoes. There're well-trodden tracks to walk on (next to the downhill boundary orange tape). Good view of the lake basin below.
Steeper and less defined boot tracks above here are more fun, yet more tiresome. Saw a few groups practicing digging snow shelters/ice caves. I turned around ~3:30pm as I promised, outstanding scenery higher I went. I layered down to base layer and a fleece vest, still sweating a bit. Reasonably warm: upper 30°Fs, maybe even 40°F. Regrouped with Mary just below Austin Pass. Back to the car ~4:30pm, and sun was already behind the mountains. Saw Shuksan finally broke out of the clouds, only a glimpse of Baker and only its corner.
First stop at Nooksack Falls. A nice waterfall within 2 minute walk, and a half mile detour.
We arrived at the Heather Meadow base around 1:45pm, due to the late start, and multiple stops for food and toilet. Here's a ski trail map of the ski area. Parked along the road, all plowed and free of ice/snow. The main parking lot was full of snow, which I didn't think it's a good idea to take my rental Corolla in. A little bit of snow was still falling, but soon it stopped. I didn't make it to Artist Point, but high enough to get on fresh snow. Very powdery and soft. I sank often into the snow ~0.5' with snowshoes on. Up to the visitor center at Austin Pass, it was fairly easy, steep if you use tube-like snowshoes. There're well-trodden tracks to walk on (next to the downhill boundary orange tape). Good view of the lake basin below. 
Steeper and less defined boot tracks above here are more fun, yet more tiresome. Saw a few groups practicing digging snow shelters/ice caves. I turned around ~3:30pm as I promised, outstanding scenery higher I went. I layered down to base layer and a fleece vest, still sweating a bit. Reasonably warm: upper 30°Fs, maybe even 40°F. Regrouped with Mary just below Austin Pass. Back to the car ~4:30pm, and sun was already behind the mountains. Saw Shuksan finally broke out of the clouds, only a glimpse of Baker and only its corner.
