Picture Lake earns its name every clear morning. This small pond sits beside the Mount Baker Highway in the Heather Meadows area, just below the ski area, and on a still day it holds a perfect mirror image of Mount Shuksan, a jagged, glacier-draped peak rising to the east. It is one of the most photographed views in the United States, and once you have seen it, you will understand why. Shuksan's sharp summit, its hanging glaciers and the dark forest around the lake form a scene that looks almost too perfect to be real.
Heather Meadows is the name of the area around the upper end of the highway, a subalpine landscape of small lakes, heather and huckleberry meadows, and rocky knolls. It is home to the Mount Baker Ski Area, which holds the world record for the most snowfall in a single season: over 28 metres in the winter of 1998 and 1999. In summer the meadows are green and colourful, with wildflowers in July and August and huckleberries ripening in late August and September.
The road up from Glacier is a fantastic ride. It climbs steeply through the forest, with tight switchbacks and spectacular views of the surrounding peaks. The asphalt is generally good, but the road is narrow, with few guardrails and some sharp drops. Watch out for cyclists, hikers and wildlife, and be aware that the road can be slippery when wet. The final section, beyond the ski area to Artist Point, is often closed until July because of the heavy snow.
The weather here is unpredictable. Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan create their own weather, and clouds can roll in quickly, hiding the views. Rain is common, even in summer, and the temperatures can be cool. Aim for early morning on a clear day, when the light is soft and the lake is still.
Picture Lake has a small parking area and little else. The ski lodge at Heather Meadows sometimes has a café open in summer, but do not count on it. The nearest fuel is down the valley, west of Glacier, and the nearest larger towns are Chilliwack, across the Canadian border, and Bellingham, to the west.