Mount Baker Wilderness Area,
North Cascades Range,
NW Washington State
October 5, 2017
After fog and snow-pack thwarted an August attempt to hike into the Mt. Baker Wilderness Area I returned with my sons in October in hopes that the snow would have receded and and fall colors would be out. On our previous trip we retreated to a lower elevation where we were fortunately treated to an amazing display of wild flowers that I posted last month. Now, six weeks later the snow was off the trails and It was about as beautiful a fall day as one can hope for in this natural wonderland of brightly painted foliage of reds, purples, and oranges. And then there was the backdrop of two brilliant white mountains. And to top it off, we were treated to a brilliant white Mountain Goat within photo distance from the trail, that you see above.
As it turned out, this was the last clear day where this particular area was accessible by road. Three days later the State Department of Transportation closed the gate just past the ski area, blocking access to the very steep last two miles to the trail head. Snow was on its way and this area accumulates snow like no other. The Mt. Baker Ski area which is about 800 feet lower than where we were hiking holds the world recordfor snow fall in a single season at 95 feet recorded during the 1998 -1999 season. It also has the highest annual average snowfall of any ski resort in the world. The road to Artist Point is typically open from sometime in July until September and sometimes into October but occasionally, it does not open at all.