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| Hiking | 3.10 Miles |
3,700 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.10 Miles | | | |
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| 3,700 ft AEG | | | |
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| no partners | | I’ve wanted to get up to Baldy all summer, but just couldn’t fit it in. So Labor Day weekend arrived and I didn’t have much on my radar. My wife wanted to have a date night Saturday, so we agreed that I could head up to Baldy on Sunday.
As I was driving east on I-210 I saw lots of clouds in the direction of Baldy. Was this going to be a washout? When I got to the ski area parking lot it was sunny, but there were lots of dark clouds up top, but they didn’t look very organized. So I figured I’d hike up and if it got dicey, I’d turn around.
I made good time heading up the FS road from the parking lot to the ski lodge. While hiking up a helicopter flew above and head up along the backbone. The summit wasn’t in view, so I couldn’t tell where it was going or what it was doing where I could hear it, but not see it. This happened several times on my way up.
I continued past the ski lodge and headed up the dirt road that takes you to the top of the western chairlift and the beginning of the backbone. I was making very good time.
Shortly after the backbone begins, there is a nasty section of trail that is slippery and loose and has a lot of exposure. I was pleased as I passed through this section that the forest service had done some very good trail maintenance on this section and it seemed like a whole different trail.
I finally rounded Mt. Harwood and there was that helicopter again, sitting on the summit with its rotors spinning. Not long after the helicopter came into view it took off and I never saw it again. What was it doing up there? Was this a medevac mission the involved multiple pick-ups?
I continued to make good time toward the summit. When I made it I saw a couple of larges caches of water and fruit. I recalled reading that there was a Labor Day run to the summit. Glad my hike was a day earlier. I settled down in one of the wind barriers and had lunch.
(See the Baldy Bowl Trail Triplog for the second half of the hike.) |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
