North America's deepest snow base is only two hours drive away from Vancouver. Here you can traipse up a snow drenched mountaintop landscape with a 360 degree panorama of a 3,286 metre volcano. Best done in the height of winter or at the end of the season around April when the snow is turning so you don't have to sacrifice any boarding days on the mountain.
Snowshoes with poles are easily rented from Sport Junkies or MEC or you can buy them for about $90. Pack your car (chains might be needed) with plenty of water and snacks then head off with your migration documents towards the USA border. Review my border crossing advice on the 'essentials' page for more information.
Despite excellent skiing on Mount Baker for insurance reasons I suggest taking it easy and to go snowshoeing instead. Most policies may not consider 'snowshoeing' at these altitudes a winter sport. Please check your fine print as any injuries in this area have the potential to have astronomical health charges.
The best trail is at Artist's Point. Heading off from the rear of the car park there is a snowshoe trail marked by a rope to the left of the toilet. Progress uphill and about a third of the way you will see some small cabins on your right hand side with views over the Austin Pass. As you continue it can quite disorienting and we experienced a heavy snow whiteout. If you use an app that tracks your progress it will ensure you don't get lost on the way back down, I found Ski Tracks useful for this.
There is an easier seven kilometre trek along the NE -3075 road with excellent views of Razor Horne Creek that I did on a previous trip. If you have a second day this could be a good alternate option. Park here to access this trail.
Unfortunately snowshoe trails are poorly marked, the best information can be found using the Alltrails app with basic details via the government website here.
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