WSDOT crews started the first stages of clearing work on the final 2.7 miles of State Route 542/Mount Baker Highway, the road to Artist Point.
Artist Point is located at the very end of Mount Baker Highway and boasts 360 views of Mount Shuksan and Mount Baker. There are also many access points to trailheads. The roading leading up to it is typically buried under snow October through June and typically opens in July.
Crews began clearing the section near the Mount Baker Ski Area to the Artist Point parking lot on Wednesday. They used two bulldozers, a rotary snow blower, and a snowmobile with GPS.
Crews will work 10-hour days Monday through Friday to clear the stretch as quickly and safely as they can.
WSDOT took snow measurements on Friday, May 25 and found 21 feet of snow in the middle of the Artist Point parking lot. That's seven feet lower than measurements taken in the same spot in April.
