AdventuresNW
The sojourn to Huntoon Point is a study in contrasts – it starts amidst the hustle and bustle of the Mt. Baker Ski Area and ends in the serene silence of Kulshan Ridge, where the icy winds blowing off the glaciers will cleanse your soul. If there’s a snowshoe trip with more scenic bang for the buck in the North Cascades, I haven’t heard about it.
Save this trip for a clear day, or you’ll miss the inspiring views of the surrounding peaks —a North Cascades diorama not soon forgotten. Bring food and extra layers so that you can enjoy some quality time at the top. A bluebird winter day on Kulshan Ridge is a treasure to be savored.
The route is straightforward, but not without some minor huffing and puffing. Round-trip, this excursion covers six miles with 1200 feet of elevation gain. Park at the enormous ‘overflow’ lot adjoining the upper lodge of the ski area (4300 feet) and head up from the southeast corner of the lot. You’ll be swimming against the current of nattily dressed downhill skiers and boarders, but the snow-covered high meadows that await you above the ski area will compensate for the traffic.
Take the obvious trail that veers off to the right from a downhill run, climb a steep hill, and catch your breath at Austin Pass with its spectacular view of Mt. Shuksan. This view of our most photogenic peak rising above the Swift Creek Valley is dazzling. The Curtis Glacier, draped across the face of the peak, radiates “Sacre bleu”, the color of heaven.
Follow the path of the summer road as it traverses beneath a ridge and angle directly up the steep slope to your right before you come to the last big switchback below Kulshan Ridge (Artist Point). This switchback has seen avalanches in years past and is the only dicey place on the route. One more episode of vociferous grunting and you’re on top of Kulshan Ridge. Make your way along the undulating ridge to the high point at Huntoon Point, where basking in the winter sun can be a religious experience.
From the ridge crest, the North Cascades reveal themselves in all their winter glory. Mt. Shuksan is, of course, resplendent, and the Border Peaks form a magnificent chorus line against the northern horizon. Table Mountain rises nearby, and the sinuous lines of Ptarmigan Ridge lead to the upthrust fang of Coleman Pinnacle. Koma Kulshan, the Great White Watcher, dominates all.
Don’t hurry back down. Linger awhile, eat your lunch, and contemplate the surrounding beauty. The wind-blasted Krumholtz trees are a visual delight, a scene from a fairy tale.
The sky, on a clear winter’s day, is a shade of blue for which we have no words.
