January 25, 2005, The Pineapple and the Damage Done

I just went up to Artist Point for the afternoon; too small a trip to merit a TR but good for assessing what's left of our skiing.  It is still possible to stay on snow continuously from the upper lot to Artist Point - but there is a lot of pavement showing on the road - simply unbelievable for January at Baker Ski Area.  The summit pyramid of Shuksan looks freshly snow plastered.  Very nice. Below that it doesn't look so fresh. Ptarmigan Ridge to Coleman Pinnacle looks good still; that would be my top pick.  Goat Peak is solidly covered from about 4500 ft. up.  That would require a 2,000 vf haul up to start skiing but it would be worth it for a long day.  I think Mt. Herman can be done bottom to top continuously on snow.  Probably that is not so for Mt Anne.  Baker itself might be a good call if the weather permits.  Probably one can drive to the Heliotrope trailhead and somewhere up there there is 10+ feet of new snow.  The snow at Artist Point was wet and summerlike.  Not too bad if you went down it before it started refreezing (I didn't).