September 28, 2016 Heather Meadows and Artist Point are just about my favorite spots in Washington.  They are indeed the 'end of the road'.  State Route 542 (Mount Baker Highway) begins in Bellingham  and ends 57 miles later at Artist Point, 5,210 feet (1,588.01 m) above sea level on Kulshan Ridge.  The Department of Transportation usually closes the road from Heather Meadows to Artist Point annually between October and July due to extreme weather conditions. Snow is predicted on Saturday so this was our only visit in 2016.

Page   1   2   3

We left at 7 a.m. and shortly after 9:30 found ourselves at Heather Meadows.
I was pleased to see that there were some lovely colors this year.


 Picture Lake is one of the most photographed scenes in North America.


A half-mile trail winds around the lake.  It was glowing with color.


We walked along the trail to stretch our legs a bit.


Tim leads the way.


Now it's time to head up the 2.5 mile road to Artist Point.


The road winds around a bit with several hairpin turns.


Well hello there, Mount Baker (elevation 10,781 feet).


And hi to Mount Shuksan (9,131 feet). 


The slopes near Mount Baker look colorful today.

Page   1   2   3