Hikes 2016 and beyond. . .: Mount Baker's Artist Point

Hiking companion Arlone Biven with Mount Shuksan in the background.

It's probably been 40 years since I had my panic attack on Mount Baker, and I'm not sure if I've been remotely close since. I camped there once and hiked once in the 70's. The hike was up a broad path that seemed ordinary enough until it came time to discend and I saw a valley stretching out away from me forever. The emptyness of the vast valley overwhelmed me and I had to sit down for a few minutes to overcome the sensation that I was being drawn toward the edge. I finally regained my wits and walked down, but I've never forgotten that moment.

Artist Point is a two-hour drive from the Birch Bay time share, three hours from Seattle.

On Oct. 19, Arlone Biven and I drove to a time share in Birch Bay, with a plan to hike the next day near Mount Baker. On Saturday, Oct. 20, we drove past Glacier, WA to the terminus of SR 542, a parking lst just past the ski lifts. It was a fortuitous moment, because this highway usually has snow most of the year. We hiked to Artist Point, which gave us spectacular views of the surrounding terraine, including the Summit of Mount Baker to the southwest, and Mount Shuksan almost directly east.

Artist Point appears in the far left of the Map. Summit Pyramid marks Mount Shuksan's peak.

The photo below shows the two high points on Mount Shucksan: Snow-capped Nooksack Tower, and bald Summit Pyramid, which appears to be more distance, but actually is closer, according to the map above. I shot a compass heading on Summit Pyramid and found it to be 90 degrees east of us.

On Shuksan, Summit Pyramid is actually closer that the snow-covered Nooksack Tower.

This was a short-hike, no elevation gain, no back-packing day. But we were almost a mile high, and the thinner air was noticeable. Still 1,484 feet to ascend to accomplish my "fourth Rainier."

Here are some other photos taken this fall weekend.