Artist Point clearing begins. Here鈥檚 when you can lace up your hiking boots
Summer hiking in the North Cascades could be delayed this year because of heavier than normal snowfall, coupled with chilly spring weather that slowed snowmelt and brought late-season snow.
Crews from the Washington State Department of Transportation began clearing Mount Baker Highway from its winter closure to Artist Point this week, but an opening date is uncertain, said WSDOT spokeswoman RB McKeon. 鈥淏ecause of the cooler weather and recent snow, the depth at the gate is about 15 feet and we know it will be deeper at higher elevations,鈥 McKeon told The Bellingham Herald.
鈥淭herefore, we anticipate that it will take longer than normal to clear 鈥 since crews just started this week and haven鈥檛 been able to assess the full roadway, we don鈥檛 yet have an estimate for reopening,鈥 McKeon said in an email.
Artist Point, at an altitude of some 5,000 feet, offers a 360-degree view that includes Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan and the high Cascades peaks
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