I took the last ride to Artist Point at Mt. Baker yesterday. There's a weather system heading in on Tuesday, and there's already been a light snowfall up there. Once they get a heavy snowfall, Artist Point is closed till they reopen it in May, June or July.
This is a "bucket list" ride in my opinion. If you're coming to the National Rally this coming June, this should be on your "must see" list. Plan to ride it on a weekday, not the weekend.
I came from the south, but if you're coming from the Silver Reef Casino outside of Bellingham, there are a couple choices to start your ride. You'll be riding through some very peaceful farmlands whichever route you take. My vote would be to go straight across and connect with Hwy 542 at Kendal as quick as you can, then take an alternate route to get back to your rooms. After all, the "fun" part doesn't start till you get onto Hwy 542.
You'll start out with some nice sweepers. As the elevation rises, the sweepers get a bit tighter. That's just the hors d'oeuvres. At Maple Falls, there's a convenience store on the right side. Clean bathrooms. Expensive gas. Just a few miles down the road in Glacier is a ranger station. It makes a nice stop. And from here, the main course is served.
Nooksack Falls is worth stopping at.
The high speed sweepers give way to tighter turns. Most cars will pull over to let motorcyclists by, As you get higher, the turns get more and more tighter. You'll encounter a few tight 15 mph 180 degree turns as you get closer to Heather Meadows and the Mt. Baker Ski Area. When you enter the ski area, you'll see Picture Lake. When the winds are calm, it has a beautiful reflection of Mt. Shuksan in the background. Once you leave there, follow the signs to Artist Point. Dessert is now served.
And with dessert, comes a warning. Don't overindulge. This is a road where you cannot ride the road fast and see the scenery. In the forested areas below, you could go off the road and no one will find your body for years. The shoulders are non-existent and barriers are few and far between. The turns are tight, and you'll be hard pressed to meet the 15 mph recommended speed. But gosh, it is beautiful and fun!
Between Heather Meadows and the parking lot at Artist Point is a turnoff to Bagley Lakes. Upper Bagley Lake is at the bottom of a cirque, carved out by a glacier. In the early summer, it'll be full of water and well worth a stop.
(Taken on a previous ride.)
The last 2.6 miles to the parking lot at Artist Point, is the topping for your dessert. You'll enter a rectangle shaped parking lot. Mt. Shuksan will be on your left (along with heavily used toilets). Mt. Baker on your right. Quite often, motorcycles will park along the edge of the parking lot nearest to Mt. Shuksan on the left side. I've seen bicyclists and motorcyclists come up. Use the toilet and immediately leave. What a shame. When I come, I plan to spend at least an hour or two walking around and just soaking it all up. There are two trails leading from the parking lot. One leads to views of Mt. Shuksan. It's partially paved and only about 3/4ths of a mile long. The other leads from the right side of the parking lot along Ptarmigan Ridge trail towards Mt. Baker. Both are fairly level with an elevation gain of about 50 ft. I took the pictures below on both trails and walked it in my motorcycle boots.
So here's some pics to enjoy.
On Hwy 9 headed north.
Mt Shuksan from the parking lot.
Mt. Baker in the background.
By this point, Mt. Baker is almost hidden from the clouds coming in from that weather system.
Heading back. Mt. Shuksan
Chris
This is a "bucket list" ride in my opinion. If you're coming to the National Rally this coming June, this should be on your "must see" list. Plan to ride it on a weekday, not the weekend.
I came from the south, but if you're coming from the Silver Reef Casino outside of Bellingham, there are a couple choices to start your ride. You'll be riding through some very peaceful farmlands whichever route you take. My vote would be to go straight across and connect with Hwy 542 at Kendal as quick as you can, then take an alternate route to get back to your rooms. After all, the "fun" part doesn't start till you get onto Hwy 542.
You'll start out with some nice sweepers. As the elevation rises, the sweepers get a bit tighter. That's just the hors d'oeuvres. At Maple Falls, there's a convenience store on the right side. Clean bathrooms. Expensive gas. Just a few miles down the road in Glacier is a ranger station. It makes a nice stop. And from here, the main course is served.
Nooksack Falls is worth stopping at.
The high speed sweepers give way to tighter turns. Most cars will pull over to let motorcyclists by, As you get higher, the turns get more and more tighter. You'll encounter a few tight 15 mph 180 degree turns as you get closer to Heather Meadows and the Mt. Baker Ski Area. When you enter the ski area, you'll see Picture Lake. When the winds are calm, it has a beautiful reflection of Mt. Shuksan in the background. Once you leave there, follow the signs to Artist Point. Dessert is now served.
And with dessert, comes a warning. Don't overindulge. This is a road where you cannot ride the road fast and see the scenery. In the forested areas below, you could go off the road and no one will find your body for years. The shoulders are non-existent and barriers are few and far between. The turns are tight, and you'll be hard pressed to meet the 15 mph recommended speed. But gosh, it is beautiful and fun!
Between Heather Meadows and the parking lot at Artist Point is a turnoff to Bagley Lakes. Upper Bagley Lake is at the bottom of a cirque, carved out by a glacier. In the early summer, it'll be full of water and well worth a stop.
(Taken on a previous ride.)
The last 2.6 miles to the parking lot at Artist Point, is the topping for your dessert. You'll enter a rectangle shaped parking lot. Mt. Shuksan will be on your left (along with heavily used toilets). Mt. Baker on your right. Quite often, motorcycles will park along the edge of the parking lot nearest to Mt. Shuksan on the left side. I've seen bicyclists and motorcyclists come up. Use the toilet and immediately leave. What a shame. When I come, I plan to spend at least an hour or two walking around and just soaking it all up. There are two trails leading from the parking lot. One leads to views of Mt. Shuksan. It's partially paved and only about 3/4ths of a mile long. The other leads from the right side of the parking lot along Ptarmigan Ridge trail towards Mt. Baker. Both are fairly level with an elevation gain of about 50 ft. I took the pictures below on both trails and walked it in my motorcycle boots.
So here's some pics to enjoy.
On Hwy 9 headed north.
Mt Shuksan from the parking lot.
Mt. Baker in the background.
By this point, Mt. Baker is almost hidden from the clouds coming in from that weather system.
Heading back. Mt. Shuksan
Chris
