Ptarmigan Ridge

 

Ptarmigan Ridge is another great hike in the North Cascades in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington. The trail starts at Artist Point, 12 km northeast of Mount Baker summit. Artist Point is the starting point for a number of great hikes, such as Table Mountain and Chain Lakes. And a bonus… the road to Artist point is paved the entire way !! The trail is almost entirely in the open, with shaded areas in the premium. The route follows a well built trail traversing scree slopes of the ridge. There are non-stop views on this hike, including Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan, numerous glaciers, ice fields, lakes and former glaciers, which appear to have a short time left; we even saw five mountain goat. Today was an amazing mid-September day, with highs in the upper 20’s, no clouds, no wind and no bugs, making for an enjoyable hike. The Ptarmigan Ridge trail seems to go on for a long time. We finally had to make a decision when to turn around. This hike would make a great area for camping, as there are many locations to pitch a tent and so much to explore.

Remember – You will need a Northwest Forest Pass, which can be purchased in person at the Glacier Public Service Center at 10091 Mt. Baker Highway,Glacier, WA (Link to Map)

Or you can buy an epass in advance online at the Discover Your Northwest website

Border crossing tips: Bring passport, Nexus or enhanced ID !!; no fruit, no veges, no meat (this isn’t a complete list !); trailmix is ok. There is an IGA just across the border if you want to get some fruit or a sandwich for your hike.

A great resource for current conditions for this hike is the WTA website.
Check it OUT !!!

The location of Artist Point is HERE

The stats:

Distance: 16.2 km (linear return)
Time: 6 hours
Low point: 1525 m
High point: 1878 m
Elevation gain: 353 m
Cumulative Elevation gain: 785 m
Trailhead: 48° 50’ 47.6” by  121° 41’ 36.6” (Google Map)

The route…

From Google Earth…

Ptarmigan route

Walking along trail with Mt. Baker in view…

IMG_8904

IMG_8914

Short video of an ice patch (former glacier) melting…

Beautiful fields of red…

IMG_8917

IMG_8923

IMG_8931

Mt. Baker…

IMG_8939

The remnant of a glacier…

IMG_8952

An undulating glacier…

IMG_8968

IMG_8982

IMG_8986

IMG_9003

IMG_9013

IMG_9049

Mt. Shuksan…

IMG_9052

Link to all Ptarmigan Ridge photos on Flickr

★★★★★★★★★★★

Before heading out on your hike, make sure you are well prepared. This means, having the TEN ESSENTIALS. It is also important to leave a trip plan (route details and estimated return time) with someone you trust.

Bring your smartphone, fully charged and put it in airplane mode while hiking. I always bring back-up battery packs for extra piece of mind. It is highly recommended that you bring a GPS device; I use my smartphone with a GPS app (Backcountry Navigator). The GPS will work in airplane mode. Learn how to use it before your hike.

For anyone new to hiking, there is a rule to which hikers follow; it is called “Leave No Trace” or LNT. The concept is generally to pack out what you pack in and respect nature, so all future visitors can enjoy what you have enjoyed.
To learn more about LNT, please check out this BLOG by a certified LNT Trainer.

★★★★★★★★★★★

11 thoughts on “Ptarmigan Ridge

  1. Beautiful photos! So sad to see glaciers disappearing, although you certainly got some interesting photos of it. Thanks for sharing!

  2. I feel this is among the such a lot vital info for me. And i’m glad studying your article. But should statement on few general issues, The site taste is perfect, the articles is truly nice : D. Excellent job, cheers

  3. I am just writing to make you know what a fine experience my cousin’s girl undergone visiting your webblog. She even learned numerous pieces, which include how it is like to possess a very effective teaching character to let men and women quite simply know just exactly specific impossible things. You really surpassed my expectations. I appreciate you for distributing the powerful, trustworthy, educational and even easy tips about that topic to Lizeth.

  4. Very efficiently written post. It will be beneficial to everyone who employess it, as well as yours truly :). Keep up the good work – can’r wait to read more posts.

  5. Im not sure where you’re getting your info, however great topic. I needs to spend some time finding out more or figuring out more. Thank you for wonderful info I used to be in search of this info for my mission.

  6. I don’t even know the way I ended up here, but I assumed this put up was good. I don’t know who you might be but certainly you are going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!

  7. Only a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw great design and style. “Individuals may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.” by Benjamin Disraeli.

  8. Hey just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading properly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different web browsers and both show the same outcome.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *