With Tammy. Took the north ridge. Snow was very deep and in terrible condition. Slab on top of sugar snow. It would not support any weight even with snow shoes. After hours of trudging through the snow/talus we did not get down until after dark. It might have been the hardest 5.8 miles of my life. Well worth it though.
It was a nice hike, but after slogging through 1-2 feet of snow below the tree line we were worn out when we reached the talus slope. The snow was pretty unstable which combined with the talus seemed like a bad idea. Enjoyed the views from the north ridge and then decided to save Little Baldy for another day with better conditions.
Even though the snow down below tree line was nice, it's still a bit disturbing to see how little snow there is in the high country just before the winter solstice. This little mountain totally exceeded my expectations: The broad windswept summit and summit rock pile "woopty-do," the amazing 360 views from on-high. What's not to like?