In what is the surest sign of the upcoming winter, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) closed the gates at milepost 54 on State Route 542, popularly known as the Road to Artist Point.
As of the morning of October 16, the final 2.7 miles of Mt. Baker Highway were closed to all car traffic after the first significant snowfall of the year began to accumulate on Mt. Baker.
“As snow has started to fall, our maintenance crews have determined it’s time for its yearly winter nap up there,” a WSDOT social media post stated. “Once we close the road, the road stays closed.”
The timing of the closure happened aligned closely with previous years, with the final stretch of the highway normally closing between October 15 and November 1, WSDOT said. The road is closed to all motor vehicle traffic, but is still open for recreators on bike or foot, WSDOT said.
WSDOT crews spent the beginning of October preparing the Road to Artist Point for its winter hibernation, repairing guardrails, clearing ditches and removing potentially hazardous trees. With the closure, services at Artist Point such as restrooms and garbage will be limited, WSDOT said.
Winter recreators can stay up-to-date on Mt. Baker Highway road and weather conditions by visiting the Glacier Public Service Center at 10091 Mt. Baker Highway, visiting the WSDOT Mt. Baker Highway Mountain Pass page, or follow @wsdot_north on X/formerly Twitter.
MBE host fundraiser for Mt. Baker Volunteer Association
With winter incoming, MBE joined Mt. Baker Volunteer Association – the newly-formed charity arm of the mountain’s Ski Patrol – for a fundraiser dinner/concert/raffle/party at Boundary Bay Brewery on October 17.
Bellingham staple SpaceBand performed for hundreds of ski patrol members and their community of supporters and raffles prizes were handed out to dozens of winners, with all proceeds going to support MBVA.
The financial support, MBVA director Krister Fast told MBE, helps ski patrol purchase necessary upgrades on lifesaving gear and training for its team, keeping Mt. Baker Ski Area safe for everyone.
Raffle and silent auctions prizes included ski and snowboard lessons at Mt. Baker Ski Area, bike tune-ups from Transition, a snowboard from Lib Tech, K2 skis, a custom surfboard from North Pacific Surf, a hard-tail mountain bike frame courtesy of Evil Bicycles, and many more.
With the Road to Artist Point officially closed for the season, the mood was festive, with countless locals excited to help a great cause, but possibly a bit more excited for what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is saying to be a strong La Niña winter, hopefully bringing ample powder our favorite ski area. X