Winter on the Mount Baker Highway - Alpine Sunsets atop Huntoon Point

The recent clear skies and plentiful snow in the North Cascades are refreshing for the soul. Once you get a taste, you have to go back. Soon! The end of the Mount Baker Highway is our launch point. We were up for a quick drive and a guaranteed spectacular alpine sunset. HuntoonSunset It was a quickie of a trip. We knew what we wanted and how to get it. Go to the end of the highway, strap on some snowshoes and go up. Then wait. Wait for it. As the sun makes it's way behind Mt. Baker to the west, the surrounding peaks first become illuminated in the alpinglow and then the sunset, sets in. We hiked up to Huntoon Point from the end of the Mt Baker Highway to catch these priceless vistas. (OK, the price of gas and some sandwiches should be considered) I was up here earlier for my Snowshoe Selfie with Mount Shuksan trip report. This time, I brought company. Great company. The best. We go way back. On this day, we were looking forward. Into the future. And North to Canada, BTW. HuntoonSnowshoe To the East, the sun set majestically and magically produced varied hues of color that my camera is not prepared to capture. It does have a cool panorama feature though: HuntoonPanorama We sauntered down slope enjoying the fading backdrop in the distance, in the world beyond. HuntoonSunsetN Looking back, the ominous Table Mountain was not as inviting as it can be in more generous light. In the spring Table Mountain - (is) The Icing on the Cake. We had it well timed, so that when we reached the parking lot, the twilight was enough to get back to our reliable ride! TableMountainSunset My commitment to the alpine climes this winter was encouraged by the kind words of The Quiet Joys of Huntoon Point, John D’Onofrio, 13 Nov, 2015 Adventures NW. He also planted the seeds even earlier with Snowshoeing in Paradise: A Pilgrimage to Artist Point, John D’Onofrio, 22 Jan, 2013 Adventures NW. Check out John's next endeavor: Elevation: The Art of Cascadia- a passionate celebration of the northwest landscape. Watch the Elevation video Reead the Elevation news release Getting UP There: Read intro of Snowshoe Selfie with Mount Shuksan For more details: Washington Trails Assocation The Mountaineers

We acknowledge that Whatcom County is located on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. They cared for the lands that included what we’d call the Puget Sound region, Vancouver Island and British Columbia since time immemorial. This gives us the great obligation and opportunity to learn how to care for our surrounding areas and all the natural and human resources we require to live. We express our deepest respect and gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe, for their enduring care and protection of our shared lands and waterways.