Road was bare and wet until the parking lot which had fresh snow when I got there and was compact snow and ice when I left. Parking lot was starting to fill up on the edges but nothing in the middle until I left.

Bathrooms were clean but not stocked.

Since my last trip up which was about two weeks ago there is much more snow. Now snow covers the road from the parking area all the way up. At the top there is much more snow coverage and you are less likely to hit a rock. I used snowshoes but saw people going in just boots but there was a lot of post holes in the snow when I was heading down. The snow was light and fluffy and perfect for snowshoes.

Majority of people out were skiers/snowboarders. At one point I counted over 20 skiers heading up behind me. It was fairly busy up at Artist point but nobody was at Huntoon when I was there.

Lots of dogs and like 95% were off leash. This also meant fresh turds to navigate but only a few.

The road to the parking lot is dry and clear. The temperature at the parking lot was 33F when I left the car in the dark under the stars at 4:55am. I followed the heavily tracked snow-buried road to the top with snowshoes the entire way. The snow is icy, hard packed and easy going with traction. Sunrise from Huntoon Point was spectacular as usual. The ski lifts are closed until Friday and the weekend (their last, I think). I did not see anyone else until about 8:00am on my descent. A waning gibbous Moon was often visible along the western horizon. This month is the Major Lunar Standstill where the Moon reaches its highest declinations above and below the Earth’s equator since June 2006 which will now start decreasing until reaching the next Minor Lunar Standstill (where its declinations above and below the Earth’s equator are about ten degrees less) in March 2035. 

Overnight snow camping trip from the Heather Meadows parking lot. We ascended up into Austin Pass and set up camp. There were plenty of people there, and it was a bright and sunny Saturday. The winds were low, and the snow became very slushed as hours drove on into the afternoon. After we established a camp, we snowshoed up to Huntoon Point and took lots of photos. Artist Ridge is never a disappointment (unless you're in a cloud).

Overall, it is a very straightforward snowshoe hike. You approach one of the MBSA groomed runs, follow the line up to the MBSA sign, and head towards Huntoon Point. Austin Pass is the lower valley on the hiker's left. It's easy to find, and there is great wind protection. If you don't have snowshoes, you will be post-holing a lot and it won't be a good time. I recommend skis or a splitboard tour for those getting into skimo/touring. It's a great spot to mosey around.

The outlook wasn't great earlier this week for the scheduled Mountaineers trip to Artist and Huntoon points.  Weather reports predicted snow and cold temperatures with a high avalanche danger.  What we got, instead, was a beautiful day of deep snow with sunny skies!  Even the avalanche risk dropped a bit for us.  Who could ask for anything better?

We were able to ascend near the ski area boundary and then beyond.  The snow was not heavy, but deep, and a lot of effort going up, but well worth that effort.  As we reached Austin Pass Mt Shuksan was towering in all her glory.  Further up on Artist Ridge Mt Baker joined the party.  The undulating snow drifts and cornices played with the light and shadows and the trees up high were crusted in rime.  All in all, majestic views in every direction. 

The drive to the Heather Meadows parking area was fine...not much snow until the end and even that melted off during the day.  Early in the morning there were trees and bushes along the river that were glistening with the new snow that fell overnight.  We arrived a bit after 9:00 and found the pit toilets clean and somewhat stocked and they even had heaters!  The trails were sparsely occupied, mostly by backcountry skiers.  Everyone was friendly and delighting in the great conditions.  Just a great experience.

On Sunday the road to the mount baker ski resort was OK , mostly snow free with a bit snow slushes. It was plowed before. Apparently everyone decided it was a nice day to do some snow sports here, as the cars were lined back around picture lake. We had to park at roadside about 0.8 mile from the trailhead. Snow condition was good , powdery but not too deep, but gaiters are strongly recommended still. Most snowshoes will be fine, poles will be helpful for balance. It was mostly cloudy on our way up with few sun breaks. As we reach the viewpoint at artist point AKA the summer parking lot, the sky all cleared , and we kept going for huntoon point . You can have a close view of mount baker, mount shuksan, table mountain, etc. the wind suddenly blows strongly after 3:30 on our way down. The visibility dropped dramatically. It’s always better to bring windproof clothes and gloves. The windchill was no joking.