West Baldy Trail #94, AZ :: Snow/Ice Condition

[rickcmarsh]

Two years ago I backpacked up west baldy and down east baldy during the second week of June with a troop of boy scouts. No issues with traversing snow. This winter seems to have dropped more snow than years past. Anybody have any insight as to how much snow/ice is still atop baldy this year? I am planning on doing the same this year (second week of june) as part of a 50 mile backpacking trek with Boy Scouts. Curious if I need to prepare a back-up plan (like the crossover trail) in the event we can't go up one side and down the other.

[joebartels]

@rickcmarsh

check out the https://hikearizona.com/trip=144245 & https://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=45537 @cahallsae just posted

[sam_hikes]

Baldy is a great hike but it appears many don't realize it is a Federal Wilderness Area. A few years back a group of local scouts doing a similar 50 mile march got into serious trouble with the USFS as they camped on Baldy in violation of the group size limit. There are few if any sites designed for groups so USFS limit on campers is 6 and dayhiker group size limit is 12.

How many scouts are part of your march?

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/asnf/re ... ecid=44767

[rickcmarsh]

@joebartels
Thank you. I looked on east/west baldy and didn't find a triplog. This helps.

[sam_hikes]

Hopefully you don't run into legal trouble with USFS since you posted your Baldy plans for the 2nd week of June.

Because Baldy is a Federal Wilderness Area, the USFS does not have any camp areas on the mountain so I would think scouts in general would respect this designation and camp elsewhere.

Maybe it's just me but scouting is big in AZ and you'd think it would be common knowledge that Baldy would be generally off limits to most scouts due its USFS designation requiring no more than 6 backpackers or 12 dayhikers?

[scottsaz]

Just did an overnight on the Mount Baldy Loop this past Saturday/Sunday (May 27 & 28). Started from the East Baldy trailhead, hiked the Crossover Trail, camped overnight on the West Baldy Trail just before the ascent, and completed the loop up East Baldy Trail on Sunday.

The Crossover trail and the first part of West Baldy were in passable condition, with a small bit of deadfall. Heading up West Baldy, though, things got a bit rougher. Parts of the trail were completely blocked by downed trees, and higher up, snow obscured long portions of the trail. I had to rely on my GPS much of the time. Thank goodness for brave souls who went before me, who left tracks in the snow mounds to follow.

I did lose the trail a couple of times, but nothing too serious. It was more frustrating than anything, especially having to climb over/under/around all of the hazards. Fun hike, but next time I'll probably wait until later in the summer

[Sredfield]

From the FS page linked above:

"Current Conditions: Open, with advisory TRAIL NOT CLEARED OF HAZARDS, USE AT YOUR OWN RISK
Usage: Medium-Heavy
Best Season: May through October. Snowdrifts often block the upper portions of the trail as late as June.
Restrictions: This is a wilderness trail. Rules pertaining to wilderness areas apply and are enforced.
No motorized vehicles, mountain bicycles or power equipment are allowed in the wilderness."

Kind of makes me laugh, the restrictions are enforced (occasionally at best I'd bet) but the trail that receives medium to heavy use isn't cleared of hazards. I submit that there is a priority problem.

[SkyIslandHiker]

The Forest Service (or perhaps their contractor/volunteer) has done a pretty good job in recent years of clearing blow-down on an annual basis, usually in early June. That might happen a little later this year due to the lingering snow pack.

Sam Hikes is right about those group size limits for backpacking and hiking. There are signs posted accordingly at the trail heads.